aromas:- no

' WAS JUST two weeks before Christmas and there did not

.appear to be any material means

of attaining the necessary funds for the great celebration.

"Oh dear, if John would only sell that old heirloom," thought Marty Armstrong.

Just then Betty and Jerry came charging in from ihigh school.

"Oh, Mother, I just can't wait until Christmas. I know you are going to get that tuxedo for me. I can see it now, oh boyi" exclaim- ed Jerry.

"And I can see that party gown, Mother, with slippers to match," said Betty, sweetly.

“It's no use expecting anything this year. chddren," said mother. "Your father has made some un- wise investments."

"Here comes father, nowi" -

"Hello, everybody, what's up? Why the frigid atmosphere?" quer- ied father.

“Mofher says there's to be no Santa Claus this year," ventured Jerry.

The next few days John Arm- strong was trying to figure it all out. Perhaps he . had been a little negligent in the past few years concerning his family. Now he realized that he s; m u s t make ,, amends. Christ-

_ mas bells were

chiming, re-

minding the .

Armstrong iam-

iiy that 'twas

truly Christmas

eve. Mother and

the children

were thinking of the things they were not going to get for Christ- mas. But Father was chuckling in- wardly. In fact he could scarcely keep from bursting out laughing; but that, of course, would never do.

The silence was broken by the jingling of sleigh-bells. They hur- ried en masse to see what it was all about.

were they all dreaming? There stood an old-fashioned bobsled. Out stepped Santa Claus.

"Why, Uncle Joe, what are you doing here on Christmas eve?" ex- claimed Mother, all excited.

"I've come to take you and the.

family for a ride. So bundle up and hop in, without delay.”

All stared at one another and tried to sp:ak, but not a word wu uttered. Thzy simply obeyed their Santa Claus and within a few moments Father and all were

seated coziiy within the fairyland,

contraption and were driven off.

The sleigh stopped with a jerk, right in front oi a stucco bunga- low all brilliantly lighted up with Christmas decorations.

"Why, I never knew the Thomp- son home was for rent. It has stood vacant so long," said Mother, with great concern.

"A friend of mine from the of- fice just purchas:d it," said Fath- er, with a. convincing smile.

“We were invited over to see it in its new regalia. But you were all so out of sorts that I called up Uncle Joe and ordered the Santa Olaus ruse.“

They all laughed most heartily. They couldn't help t-Chrlstrnas or no Christmasi They had to give father credit for his clever ingen-

uity.

Out they hopped. beaming with the Christmas spirit.

Father took the lead and rang

bthe doorbell, but no one answered.

Then he actually turned the knob. as they all stepped back in protestation.

“Merry shouted Father.

Christmasi"

Too surprised to srkak, they looked at one another and back again at father and then-

"Don't you understand? Oh. hang it all, anywayi This is your Christmas present.” said father, sinking into the closest easy chair and gasping for breath. '

"What?" they all exclaimed.

Then father explained it all to them-how he had sold the old heifoom purchased the home and

furnished it.

i

"How could you? When did you? l-Iow did you know just w h a t w e liked?" All these questions were fired at father at once.

Father had

don a perfect -

job. But that wasn't all. He

proudly the living room where stood the real host of the evening-the gor- geous Christmas tree. Needless to say Jerry reccived his "tux." Betty her gown and slippers and mother a set of silverware, a long-desired

luxury.

Then descended such a show- er of Christmas hugs and kisses. gratitude and joy that dear old father was practically snowed un- der. But ho enjoyed ‘his Christmas presents tetior than all the mat- erial gifts he had bestowed upon his family; and he feltthst his heart was filled with enough Christmas cheer to last forever.

. the Yuletide

QHRISTMA S DECORATIONS

Some Superstitions Concerning Them

HOLLY SHOULD NOT BE BURN- ED

Gl-IRBFMAS decorations are gen- erally resarded as being of Pagan origin. The Druids brought mistle- toe to their houses as a. charm against evil, and to propitiate the woodland spirits. Mistletoe was held to be sacred-a heaven-born thing, a gift of the ‘gods.

. When Christianity came to Bri- tain, the monks adopted many Pa- gan customs, which they converted into Christian practices. "So our churches and hcusw, decked with bayes and rosemary, holly and ivy, and other plants which are always green, winter and summer, signify and put us in mind of the Deity, that the Child that now was born was God and man, who should spring up like a tender plant, shOuld always be green and flourishing, and live ‘for evermore." Thus an oldtime writer, explaining the custom of decorating our churches and homes at Yuletide.

The Mystic Mistletoe

The hanging of the mistletoe dates back to the times when the Druids-who held the plant in special veneration if found grow- ing on the forest oaks, as the iat- ter were the favourite trees of their god Tutaries. About the third week in December the mistletoe was cut amid unique ceremonies, which in- cluded the sacrifice of bulls-and, probably, human victims as well.

The mistletoe was then distribut- ed, and each Briton hung a sprig or two over his door, or if he lived in a cave, above the entrance. This was to ward off evil, and to give shelter to the woodland “spr-ltes" from snow and frost.

Even in modern times there are some parts of the country where the mistletoe is enfolded in sup- erstition. One belief is that cf r1- moving an old branch of the mys- tic plant on New Year's Eve, re- placing it with a new one. The old one is carefully stored until a cow has the first calf in the new year. She consumes the old mistletoe, and the act is believed to bring luck to the dairy for the rest of the year.

1'0!‘ long centuries the mistletoe has been the hope and fear of the village maiden. According to Arch- deacon Nares, the important charm or magic about it was that the maid who was not kissed under it at Christmas would not be married the following year.

To Ward 0i‘! Evil

Among the numerous supersti- tions concerning holly-which was the most popular evergreen for Yuletide decoration-one old belief that still lingers amongst us is that if we take down holly before the Twelfth Day, ill luck will follow. On no account must holly be burnt —that is fatal to success during the year. Moreover, it is said that if you burn holly that has been used for Christmas decoration you must be prepared to face a more disastrous fir-e before the following st. Martin's Day.

Another superstition is that to dispose of holly you should pEace it on thenorth side of the house and let it uiher. Once it has been so hung it is "bad luck" to move it.

Never crush underfoot a holly berry that happens to fall from decorations. If you inadvenontly do so. hasten to ward of! evil by picking it up and throw- ing it towards the north, saying, “Holly berrygforgive me and pray let me live!"

No hol‘y berry must be allowed to lie in the house at Candlemas Day. The old superstition was that if holly berries were allowed to re- main in one’s pew in the church at Candlemas one would be haunted by evil the rest of the year.

The holly bush was believed to be the original "burning bush" re- ferred to in the Bible. The crim- son berries are said to represert the blood shed by the Saviour on Mount Calvary, and the prickly leaves syrnbolical of the crown of thorns.

Never go to a churchyard for your Yuletide holly, for to take holly from either a church-yard hedge or tree is considered extreme-

ly unlucky-a death will occur in.

the family during the next twelve months and a day. In some parts of the Continent mothers decorate their cradles with holly at Christ- mas in order to guard their child- ren against evil. A holly branch, think many Italians, will keep away the Devil.

The Iv;

Ivy was originally dedicated to Bacchus, and thus was in no great favour for the decoration of chur- ches; but it was regarded as a pllllt that brought happiness w was often included in the Yuletide decorations for houses. especially Is it also ensured plenty oi good things at Christmas.

"Ivy berries black. God grant us a‘l His bliss. rm- there shall nothing lack."

At one time, in certain parts of England, according to Aubrey, it was the custom for a maid-servant to ask the gardener for ivy to dec- orate the horue; and if he refused or neglected to supply it, the maid stole a pair of his breaches and nailed them up to the gals in the yard or highway. In other parts. to fall in supplying ivy debarred the msn from all the privileges of

the mistletoe! -Arthur Shari?

No Candles 0n 01d Time Trees

HE CHRISTMAS tree which is

a prevailing custom at this seas- on did not become general until the seventeenth century. The origin Posed by most people to have been derived from Germany, but there is no recorded instance of the use of the Christmas tree there before the seventeenth century. The origin of the Christmas tree is obscure and its symbolism is a matter of conjecture. One authority tells us it probably came from a union of two elements: The old Roman cus- tom of decorating with laurel and greens at the Kalends o! January,

- and the popular belief that every

Christmas Eve apple and other trees blossomed and bore fruit. Others oo it emblematic of Christ who was often regarded as the "Tree of Paradise."

“The thought of Him,’ says Clement A. Ml'es, "as both the Light of the World and the Tree of Life may at least have given a Christian meaning to the light- bearing tree and helped to establish its popularity among pious people."

Authorities agree that the first record cf a. Christmas tree comes from-Alsace in 1604. An old writer describing Strasbourg, says: "At Christmas a fir tree is put into the room, and upon it are hung roses made of colored paper. apples, waf- ers, tinsel and sweetmeats. Usual- ly a square frame is made around it." From here it was introduced into Germany and in ‘the reign of Queen Victoria the custom spread to England. The Lutherans gave Martin Luther the credit of intro- ducing the Chrlstmas tree in Ger- many. While he may have helped to make it popular, there is plenty of proof that it was known long before the reformer's time. How- ever, a. later: authority hm now! come forward and states that the Christmas tree is from Egypt and that its origin dates from a. period much farther back than the Chris- tian era. The palm tree is known to put forth a shoot every month and a spray of this tree with 12 shoots on it was used in Egypt at the time oi’ the winter Solstice as a symbol of the year completed.

The ancient church devoted the day before Christmas to Adam and Eve, and in many parts of the eon- tinent it was customray to give dramatic representation of the Creation as well as the Nativity, in which trees or a single tree was decked with ribbons and apples.

The Christmas tree at first was not illuminated. The origin of wax tapers has been traced to the Ro- man Saturnalla, at which it was the custom to give lighted candles as Christmat presents. The cand- les were regarded as symbolical of the birth of the sun.

First Christmas Card

HE SENDING out of Christmas cards in their present form dates to the year 1860, when the custom became general in Great Britain. Before that date there were Christmas cards of a sort, but they were very expensive, and but little used. The idea for such a card originated with Sir Henry Cole and the first card printed was is- sued in 1846 by a. London artist- J°$€Dh Cundall. The first cards is- sued were very crude and simple, but the growth and development of printing and lithographlng has brought them to there present high standard.

Nuts to Crack

(1). The toy manufacturer was very pleased with business. "Last year," he said, “our output of toys ran well into six figures, and this year we have quadrupled the num- ber. And the curious thing is that this year's figures are the same as last year's reversed."

What was the output of toys for each year?

Answer-No. 1, 219978 and 879912.

EliEN SONG

IGHT the tall tapers. Shadows are thin, Over the meadows Night closes in.

REY are the marshes Where the winds sleep. Willows are wrapped now In silence deep,

GLOSER the hilltops Move to the sky, Over an idle moon Clouds pass by.

ARDENS are dreaming Without a care, For scythe and reaper With whit/r, white hair.

LIGHT the tall tapers, Shadows are long. warm us ‘our hearts now With even-song. -Eva H. Eclrcl

9i“ .2 s.

DUNCAN DEE woke, granted and relaxedmnce more into a morning nap. Somewhere in his mind were two ideas- One was of complete satisfaction after an en- joyable two days in New York. The second pricked at him un- comfortably. Something he should remember, but couldn't. Oh . . . well! I-le sank gently back into full slumber.

At eleven o'clock, after break- fast in the house of his friends where he was staying, he became electrified. He had forgotten something. Something very im- portant. A Christmas night din- ner-danoe that evening. He had been invited by Rosamond Tone, a girl he was quite mad about. How could he have forgotten? It seemed impossible. But Rosamond had telephoned him two evenings ago, exactly one minute before a hasty departure for New York. Ho had been delghted, charmed to take her. Then . . . that long freezing ride . . . finding a. place to stay which did not cost too much, dressing, getting to a laio party which was big and brisk

.. _.l.i ILL. and went on and on until mom- ing and breakfast. Then a few scant hours of sleep, another ai- ternoon party outside the city . - . a sleet storm, and the sens- ible decision that he would not drive back in town for his evening clothes . . . but keep on going to the sezond informal engagement for the evening. . . a. hundred and thirty miles in another direc- tion, where he would stay all night.

So, here he was at eleven the next morning, ,a hundred and thirty miles from his evening clothes. . .and due in s. few hours at a party forty mles in quite an opposite direction. This was the manner in which Duncan was wont to spread out his week- ends. Bedlam raged in his brain.

It wasn't the party so much; it was the girl. Rosamond Tone was more than lovely-she was love- able. She was also the daughter of old Taurus Tone, the head of the company in which Duncan held a responsible but not irn- presslve position. And there was that guy named Frank Nestor. He, too, he'd a responsible but not im- pressive position in the same palce. He, too, loved Rosamond, or at least paid her conspicuous at- iontion. Mr. Tone glared at both of 2m. It was old Taurus’ way; and you could like it or leave it. No one wished to leave it, certain- ly not Duncan Dee nor that Frank Nestor fellow.

At noon Duncan cal‘ed up Rosa- mond long-dstame, to assure her he had not forgotten and would be there. Immediately then he be- gan scouring the town for dress clothes. All the people he knew W611! iloing to dances that night. They needed their cwn. He began to feel silly and a little sick. But he contrived in the course of three hours to collect one pair of drggg- suspenders, a. white tie, and prgp_ er waistcoat. Another hour yield- ed a dress-shirt and pair of {mug-

i‘.

ers. This was sheer- triumPh i’! personality. Somebody 191" mm have studs and a collar. He'd have

' to wear his ordinal’? 11'!“ 511°“

and socks. He still reillflfed a 13°“- He could not get a coatl

Duncan went to the dinner dance. Ho looked exceptionally hflllpy and wsil groomed. Frank Nester was ilror". l-Ie also looked well groomed but far from happy. Rosamond, if not unkind, had been frugal in giving dances to

him.

old Taurus was there, snorting and suspicious. Once he grabbed Duncan's elbow. “See here, youn! man," he growled, "that coat of yours looks darned familiar, and a little large. Could it, by any chance, be one 0i’ mine?"

"Yes, siri" said Duncan, looking Rosamondfl; father straight in the eye. That was the best way with old Taurus. "My own is in New York. I collected all the other things from friends. I came any- way. And Rosamond . . -"

"I thought sol" Taurus glared at him. "Well, it appears you have courage, and that you keep your wits about you. ‘it should help you get along. Report to rne tomorrow morning. We'll talk over that . . . er . . . opening I mentioned."

"Oh, sir- _ . . I'll tell Rosamon’ right away."

"You'll do no such thing!" Taur- us roared.

But Duncan told her. Rosamond said she had already selected a sweet apartment and an egg-beat- er. "in case you asked me, you know.”

Drrn~an kissed her and stated he must be very careful not lo spill anything on her father's coat

. . . and theykissed again.

CHRISTMAS ' IS COMING

THIS would be a nice present for an invalid-an addition to her tray. -

Novel 13g Cosy-This egg c061 is lmitiod in two colors of wool. and can be made to match or to ions in with your china. It is knit- ted in garter stitch, that is, every row is plain knitting.

Material-it ounce each of two colors of five-ply wool, primrose yellow and green were the chosen colorlngs. -

One small fluffy chicken.

Two knitting needles, N0. 12.

Cast on 84 stitches in green wool, and knit two rows. Join on yellow wool, knit six in green. draw the yellow wool tightly and. knit six, then knit six in green and six in yellow, alternately, to the end, knitting ‘the last stitch in both coi- ors.

Turn, knit six yellow and put the wool to the back. Draw green wool tightly, put to the right side, and knit six. Continue to the end. The knitting should now b9 sitting out in 14 little flutes.

Work 14 rows or seven ridges, thenreverse the colors and knit six rows or three ridges. Reverse again and knit six rows, once more making three square blocks.

Take in every two stitches and cast off very tightly, leaving an end of wool. Draw up and sew in the fluffy chicken.

Make four very tiny woolen pom- poms, two of each color, and sew round the iop.

You could omit the chicken from the top.

A CHRISTMAS y ACROSTIC

CHILDREN'S Day has come once more, .

Hearts are happy as of yore. Rarest fun do they enjoy

Indoors, outdoors-girl and boy, Santeis presents are displayed, Tots are in their “best" arrayed Mothers, fathers, everywhere, ' Also in the good time share- Serving dainties, rich and rare.

A Christmas Game

THIS is a very good game for Christmas parties, when you all feel so jolly and happy that you like to sing. All the guests join in, and they are divided into two sides. A leader is chosen for each side, and the two toss up as to which side will start the game.

It is "a nursery rhyme singing game. The one side begins by sing- ing through a nursery rhyme. As this side finishes the rhyme the other must begin another rhyme. When this side finishes, the first side starts off singing another rhyme. And so the game goes on, one side singing a rhyme after the other. The greatest fun begins when nearly all the rhymes are exhausted, be- cause no rhyme must be repeated. The side unable to continue with a. rhyme loses the game.

Yule Superstitions

T WAS not so many years ago that any number of simple

country folk in England believed firmly in several very old Christ- mas superstitions. Indeed, even to- day, it is said that these beliefs still have some adherents.

In Hampshire the people believed that at midnight, when the leaves began to rustle, if they hurried to their stables they would see the cattle get up and then lie down on the other side. This superstition is said to have originated from the belief that on the night when Christ was born the oxen in the little stable at Bethlehem knelt in their stalls in honor of His birth.