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SEC. B, PAGE 4-The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C M Thursday, December 21,1972 Candles Light the Way Throughout the Ages lt'$ time to wish all our 0 friends the merriest and the most prosperous Christmas ever! Lominacks Hardware, Inc. W. H. Lominack J. W. Longshore Kirby Lominack Ida D. Underwood Although it has been said there was no candle to light the manger in the stable at Bethlehem, still from early times people have placed tapers in windows to light the way for the Christ Child and welcome (Him. In many countries, any one comipg to the door at Christmastime was invited to enter. For some believed that Christ Himself would appear at a house with a candle, concealing his iden tity, to learn the extent of their kindness. Candles have inspired men throughout the ages, linking their bright glow with the beauty of faith. Research by Hallmark can dle expert John Sinjem re veals that candles were generally used at Christ mastime as far back as the 11th Century. Until the 18th Century they were made primarily from tallow or beeswax. The latter was preferred, as an emblem of Mary’s purity, for wax is the product of virgin bees. Many persons believed that bees came from heaven, and it was not unusual for reli gious institutions to keep swarms of them. According to an early writer, the wax represented Christ’s body; the wick, His soul; and the flame His divine nature. The religious symbolism of the candle grew through the centuries after early Christians, huddled in the damp chill catacombs of Rome, used lighted candles as a source of comfort. New Candle Materials In 1750 a substance from the head of the sperm whale was found to be superior to tallow and beeswax. Later, in 1850, paraffin wax was developed and combined with stearic acid to make candles of the modern type. Bayberry candles with their delicate scent are es pecially popular at Christ mas, and they are said to bring good luck to the home. The bayberry candle is uniquely American. Bay berry bushes grew in great abundance in the new world, and after learning to extract the greenish wax from the wild bayberries, the Pilgrims used it to make candles. Christmas Comes But Once A Year How seldom Christmas comes - Only once a year; and how soon it a ni s ht and a day! If * that is the whole of it, it seems not much more durable than the little toys that one buys of a fakir on the street corner. They run for an hour, and then the spring breaks, and the leg comes off, and nothing remains but a contribution to the dust heap. But surely that need not be the whole of Christmas - only a single day of generosity, ransomed from the dull servitude of a selfish year - only a single night of mer rymaking, celebrated in the slave- quarters of a selfish race! If every gift is the token of a per sonal thought, a friendly feeling, an unselfish interest in the joys of others, then the thought, the feeling, the interest, may remain long after the gift is forgotten. —HENRY VAN DYKE FROM SHAKESPEARE’S HAMLET Some say that ever ’gainst that season comes, Wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated, The bird of dawning singeth all night long, And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad; The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, No fairy tales, nor witch hath power to charm, So hallowed and so gracious is the time. We y®tt To our host of friends and neighbors, we extend our very best wishes for a most joyous holiday, and offer our deep appreciation for your continued loyalty and good will. Maxwell Bros., Inc. FURNITURE