_w

. That Gobbler i

O for “Christmas The! Just Could Not Kill the Bird ‘They Had

Watched Groin up from

i Bubyhood,

"r-wr- I! CLARA DIILAFIIBLD

, M». HARM. I might let you i have the cobbler for Christ- , lfll-l." said Silas Iflcks. "He'll ' boailne bii-abytnmautr dunno. He's the only one I've reared out of that brood, and I'm kinder attached to him."

HWWOI‘. he promised Mrs. James finally to let her have the gobbler.

Silas Hicks was not a senti- mental man. l-Ie was a farmer. and in business for the money‘ it brought him. He had a brother 3°11". who had gone to the city and made money hand over nst. John w" '- (mlsl-Y 01d bachelor and largely devoid of the sense of family obligations. '

There had been a. time, iive years before. when things went badly with Silas. There was s. heavy mortgage to meet, the crops had been a failure. and he had been in

danger of ’ ' ... '- h“ wife was on her sickbed. from which she was never to arise.

Silas had gone in his despair to the brother whom he had not seen

.101‘ years. John had turned him

down flat.

“Father left you the farm because you played up to him, and kicked me out info the world," he said. "Now I've made my pile, you have the nerve to come to me for help. I don't see it. Silas."

"My wife's sick," pleaded Silas. "and you've BOt more money than you know what to do with."

"Oh. I can find a use for it." John rejoined caustically. "Maybe if you'd shown a little sympathy for me when I was hoofing it on the sidewalks I'd have a little more for you, Silas."

Silas went home. Somehow he managed to survive the crisis. But his wife died. and ha grew lone- lier and lonelier. If he had s few thousand dollars he would have sold out and gone south to live, somewhere away from this bleak New England coast. But he could just manage to make both ends meet. Daily he cursed his brothe in his heart.

l-fe started raising turkeys, and that was a failure. Only the gob- bler lived. He used to watch the bird with interest. The gobble would come clucking after him for crumbs. And it was odd how it looked like John.

He began to call it John. It had a queer way oi putting its head upon one side and calling as John used todo when he was a boy. Gradually, to old Silas‘ fancyythe gobbler became an effigy oi John. He hated it.

He hated it, and he was attach- ed, too. He made-a sort of pet of the gobbler. l-Ie wanted it to love him, so far as a turkey gobbler is capable of love. Then, when Christ- mas came, he was going ic cut its throat very slowly, bending its head back to see the terror in its eves- He would thus have his rsven8° upon his brother.

Yes, marm, John's thriving 11W- ly and putting on flesh." he fold Mrs. James. "Here he comes. John!

v . Johnl"

Upcauiethsbittolib‘ Jwthl! head on one side and survey“! suuwmiiiachadanybreed

“Isn't he the cutest thins!" llld Mrs Junes. "I don't wonder yo" cantbeartoletmehavs it. M1‘-

VI

Hicks.

"oh, thaifll he'll! film?- mlmv responded Silas cheerily.

An elemental hatred for the lob- bisr had come to fill his heart. Christmas was at, hand He pic- mm: how, on the mos-row, he would grab tbs bird, he would in- sult it with all the turkey abuse that he had picked up from it; then it should die slowly. l5 11° would like John to die.

on Christmas morning he found

a letter from an unknown corres- pondent in the city. Opening it. h! read that his brother John was dead. John had left forty thousand dol- lars, mu of which was to so to Silas, "in y of our boyhood times together, and in the hops that, any ill feeling, if it existed, has long ago been canceled."

Silas stared at the letter. His eyes grew misty. He saw John again as u. little boy upon the farm; his heart went out to him across the

years.

Gobble! Gobble! The big turkey was standing in front cf him. its head on one side. one claw railed. begging for crumbs:

"You great big faker. youi" bel-

o. , alarmed, Y

a‘; a little step or ‘two.

" so. Ricksprm willing to pay for that turksf, but somehow f-I feel! just can't cat him sitar scalars him grow Qp from baby-

h . .,,

"Wal, rm. Jam .1 was kinder fdeiing that way lf." said Silas Hicks. scratching head. "You see. I'm selling out and lolfll soutinandfwasflgirringontaklns him along and raising turkeys.”

He Was

Chubby And Plump,

A Right Jolly Old Elf.

Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, St. Nicholas, Father. Christmas or Noel-call him what you will. Charming legends arc told of the origin of Santa Claus, which is a. derivation of 8t. Nicholas, the in- carnation of all first was good and generous.

St. Nicholas, destined to be wor- shipped in various forms by the children of scores oi centuries, was born in Peters, a. town of Lycia. in Asia lilinor, From his earliest days he showed a religious inclination that destined him in take a high place in the Church.

As s young man he entered the monastery of Sion and in time he became Abbot and later Bishop oi Myra. His great sanctity and learn- ing made him shine even in the most illustrious company, and he was one of the most notable figures at that wondergul gathering of 31B Bishops, who met at Nicer. in 31B to condemn the heresy of Arius-

While St. Nicholas became fam- ous in the councils of the Church. it was still more as the special friend cf the children that his fame swead.

What a thoughtful old dear was st. Nicholas-the hero of the leg- end dating back to the sixth cen- tury-Iwho inaugurated the blessed custom of hanging up the sicckins on Christmas Eve! "I‘is told that, hidden within the seclusion of the grim walls of a convent, the young,‘ women boarders each Christmas Eve hung a stocking on the door oi the abbess. Came a Christmas morning when they discovered the stocking filled with "sweets," and their delight was unbounded. St. Nicholas it was, whom they cred- iicd with the happy surprise.

Overtaken by a storm (so runs s. story of the lens 18o), the patron saint of little children one nikht found refuge in a. convent. The following day being Christmas, he graciously preached s. sermon to the nuns, and they in turn. rc- quested that he come again. The following year he accepted their invitation, and on Christmas Eve, before retiring. asked the sisicrs to lend him a stocking. This he filled with sugar plums. to the delight of the young folk residing under the roof of the convent.

Schoolboys Fought

“AMAZING SIB-NIB AT ABER- DEEN SCHOOL-BOYS TAKE POSSESSION."

We could not any ‘There's noth- ingin the paper this morning" if we were confronted with headlines such igi those. Yet, had daily news- papers been in existence three cen- turies ago, the worthy citizens of Aberdeen would have mad some- thing like this:

The schollars oi the grammar schule maist proudly and n- - tuously barred the schule and held it against the masters and the magistrattis c! the toun, who were compellit to ding in pieces ane of the doors to get possession, and the council, bishop and ministry were compellt to amnit a number oi the said schollars to ward.

The great advances which have been made in education since that tune are iiheimelives responsible for the absence of sirch news items today

What would the schoolboy of to- think oa- do if he found that the a horities had cancelled his Christmas holiday? In all liklihood he would grin and bear it. fully conscious of the futility of any kind of ’ ‘ iiination. The Christmas vacation is now firmly established. bit it is at least partly to earlier generations of schoclboys that this is due, for it was only by persistent demands, aided by physical violence of the most extraodinary character, that the "Yule-tide play" became a. recognised event in the Scottish school year.

In pie-Reformation days it was customary for all schools to riiark the Christmas festival by a cessa- tion from work, and the youth oi the time were not slow to translate "holy day" into its wider signifi- cance of "holiday." The Reforma- tQMlnJlBg with it s. ban on emitting that savored of Catholi- cism, supiIIsed Acts of Parlia- ment the festivals which the Roirisn Catholic Church had held: and _thc bigotry of the Reformers dealt or attempted to deal the death-blow to the Christmas holi-

DEIINDING LIBERTY

But these nealous clerics reckon- ed without thcs schoolboy. What did he care for religious reforms“ The pros and cons of church doc- trines weie nay-and his powers oi‘ , but he did know when his liberties were being interfered with, and. like a true Scot, he was prepared to defend these liberties. All over the country he made a gal- lant stand against the abolition of

his "play". ' In defying the authority of the masters and the town Council. the of Aberdeen gave the lead to

Jade the restof thsbountryinloos they

started their camnlisn on Proper diplomatic lines by sending a noti- item-written in lltin-iri the huge that such an exhibitim of learni s would impress the more-so the Council, as the result of which they received the mammary holiday. Seven yes-rs later, however, the Council withdrew t-bl bflllllolo.

Ibi- five years the schoolboy; had to folio their mill of freedom. but

For Their Holidays

so obstreperous did y bec e each year at Christmas that before a. boy could be admitted to school he had to appear before the magi- strates and rind canton for good be- liaviouri

It was easy for the worthy Coun- cillors to treat thus with each boy individually: as one of a disgrunt- lod. organized Qrowd he was an en- tirely differrmt character. The “dis- ordered balrns took the school." and three days‘ holiday had to be conceded as a, peace offering.

AIUL. 0R.

The boys regarded this small victory as the thin edge of the wedge and determined that they must get all or nothing. The fact that longer vacations used to be the rule still grieved them. and, having lasted the fruits of success now, they set to with a will. The “super- stitious time of Yule" ‘was marked, by breaches of discipline which broimht forth mrther enactments relative to fines and payment for yam-so done m school furniture. n"? hid a. truly uproarious timei

The wily years of the ma cen- hilly saw the war at its height. The boys. armed with Weapons o: every ‘himlfilm. firearms included. took the school and held it against the master. and gave them selves up severally to looting — "souiisicd pow folks oi their gear—geese, fowles and peatr-to the sklander of the hush and magistrattis." What s furore 'in civic head. quarters!

As the years went on. the deter- mination and resource of the boys increased. for it was regal-dog s; 5 traditional duty. handed on to them by their p.- ‘ecessors, to can-y on the campaign until the authorities capitulatcd.

The rebels reckoned that, if they began their demonstrations in good time before Chs-ismas, the chances cf the vacation being assured would be greatly enhanced. Accordingly, in 1612 the scholars of the Gram- mfil‘ 5011001. B01118 School and Writ- ing School held the Sang School with pistols, swords. and sundry other military weapons from the 1st to the 3rd of December.

The Town‘ Council, combining with the bishop and the clergy of the town. suppressed this, the wild- est outbreak to date, by committing some of the ringleadcrs "to ward." It is interesting to note that among these were llew Cumming, brother 0i’ the Laird of Culfcr. Thomas and George Gordon, brothers of the Iaird of Oiuny. John Forbes. son of the Prior of Monymusk, and Robert Parguharson, son of John Far- quharson. of Invercauld. The scions of the noble houses thus early showed their talent for leadership!

FATAL AITRAY

Aberdeen had the dubious honor of inscribing in its records a case of insuboa-dinntion "wherooi there is no such within any other burgh.” This time the Council blamed the weak discipillne of the masters, who in future v/ere to be held respon- sible for any trouble at Yule. But Aberdeen was not unique, for im- prilonments also took lace at Ed- inburgh. The palin or .. ldness

must be awardccthowcver, to the -

boys of Dundee. who In fllhtinl for their ‘unnmer play“ on one oe-

Chrisflias D01] ~ in Own Home

E lather, Father and Children

Inn Special Guests at ' Family Faust.

h Illls 000K ILIOT

M: ALIIJBI‘ flad we're not going to our Grandmothers ifor Christmas this year," , Mrs. Will confided to Mr.

Will a week before that great day. "Do you realise we've never had a Christmas here in our own home, just ourselves and cur fam- ilg?"

"Yes, I've been thinking of that," Mir. Will rwlied. “let's keep it just ourselves, and give the kiddies one truly home Ciaristmaa to remem- bar."

As usual. Mr. and Mrs. Will were in complete agreement in their ideas and emotions. Mrs. Will sigh- ed rontentment. Mr. Will sighed contentment, “too; for after all, such harmony as theirs is not so common in this workaday world of wives and husbands.

But as Christmas day grew near- er and nearer Mrs. Will suddenly realized she was nursing a sick conscience. 'l'here was something she had not the heart to conde to Mr. Will. New, Mr. Will had a sick conscience, too. There was some- thing he had not the heart to con- de to Mrs. Will.

But fortunately everything was straightened out before Christmas that day of peace. dawned.

Billy, their oldest, didn't know what the word conscience meant. Of course he had heard mother and father whispering about how nice a strictly family Christmas would be. He had heard them, buf-

perhaps he hadn't understood vieir sentiment. Anyway, at luncheon two days before Christmas, he sud- deniy blurted, "Say, Mom, I've asked Jim Larkin to our Christmas dinner and the tree. You know his folks are in Europe, and he's just staying on at the school. Thought he'd like it here better. More homclike."

"Oh, bother, Billy," Lucy cried- thirteen-year-old Lady Lucy. "I've asked Patty Brown. She hasn't any folks anywhere, even in Europe. Just that sncbbish great-aunt who's giving a. big house party, all old folks, and doesn't want Patty around. She needs s. home Christ- mas more than your Jim!"

Father was eyeing mother anx- iously. Her bright smile amazed him. “Well, I'm sure there's room for them both. I am glad you have such kind hearts. children."

But now Mr. Will spoke timidly. "I'm sorry, mother. but I. too, have asked a guest. Couldn't help it somehow! ‘Iliat young Miller at the office. He's so cut up about his mother's death, and a boarding house is a dreary place to spend Christmas." Mr. Will's voice was timorous. almost pleading.

But Mr. Will's bright smile had now turned to a calm. relieved one. "Oh, that's splendid, dear." she said. “For, do you know. I myself have invited that pretty little

Gladys Haverhill. She looked so woebegone when I met her at the grocers Saturday and asked her whether she was going home for Christmas. She said a poor school teacher couldn't travel way across a continent even for a Christmas at home. What could I do! And do you know I've always thought Gladys and Ted Miller ought to meet. They're such nice young people-and Gladys is so pretty!"

So that's what happened to the Wills‘ precious family Christmas. But not one of the Wills felt that he had been cheated of anything. On the contrary! And Mr. and Mrs. Will are in closer harmony than ever. You see, they are the same sort of pe0ple—n0t s, ego common thing in workaday life. And Billy and Lucy are growing _t_i_|_>_rs.ther like them. casion actually killed a, douce magi- strate.

The Town Csuncils and the Church. which was itself still op- posed to the celebration of Cir-ist- mas, had finaly to admit that their efforts to abolish the traditional holiday were unavailing and that the Scottish schooboy was no mean fighter.

UNAVAILING

Even the enactments oi s horri- fied and wrathiul General Assem- bly. inflicting disciplinary punish- ment on scholars and masters alike, p. ‘need no effect. and the struggle went on until the beginning of last. century. By that time the vacation was legalized and varied through- out the country from s. few days in one instance to five weeks in the case of Trinity College. Glenal- mond.

Thus by a dour and determined struggle. lB-Qtlflg over two hundred years, did the youth of the country uphold its traditional rights, and finally establish peace and goodwill in the schools at ihe apropriatc season.

EIASTUS‘ CHRISTMAS TREE

"Where's yo‘ gwine?" was the question. as Erastus passed by with a good-sized Christmas tree. “Yse been where 1's gwlne.” was the rather enismaticai- answer.- C. O. Hasard.

CHRISTMAS _ PATROL i l

I! I‘. I‘. FIELD

“You are listening to Station RRKX. Montreal. During the next hour we will present the Christmas broadcast of messages to officers oi the Royal Canadian Mounted Po- lice now stationed in the Arctic Circle. Fersonsl communications will be followed by a brief summary oi outstanding world developments. Please stand by."

Five Mounties sat huddled close to the compact receiving-set. As the voice from the radio paused, the stillness inside their log cabin grew almost suffocating in its intensity. The expectant silence was broken only by the muffled shriek of a blizzard raging in the darkness outside, the sharp report of stones as they racked under the onslaught of the cold and the wind whist- ling through chinks and crevices formed by uneven logs. A film of white snow crept under the door.

A cheering fire roared through its brief span of life in the wrought-iron stove. replenishment forgotten in the thrill of the mo- ment. Cold and monotony of the barren wastes, which perforce must be called "home," were thrust into the background. The radio! A small comfort but how tremendously sig- nificant. The only remaining bond with civilization.

“What's the matter now I won- der?” Voicing the group's im- patience, Lieutenant Frank War- ren was the first to speak. "Arc you sure everythings all set for reception, Jimmy?"

"I haven't touched a thing since he stopped talking." the "engineer" commented. “But I certainly hope nothing . . J ssh . . .‘

Once again the voice filled the room after what had seemed an al- most interminable delay to the lis- tcners-in. Messages came thick and fast now. Familiar greetings from distant homes. Then. . . .

“A message to Lieutenant Frank Warren. Andrian Bay Post. We have the sad duty to perform. lieutenant, oi informing you of your mother's sudden death early yesterday morning. Mrs. Warren passed away quietly following a short illness. Please accept, with those of your many friends, our most sincere sympathies."

That Frank Warren was visibly shaken as s. result of his sudden bereavement, news of which had sought, him out even in this distant outpost, could be observed only from the droop in his habitually erect shoulders. During the few moments that elapsed between messages, murmurs of condolence found their way from the lips of his comrades; murmurs which in their very simplicity proclaimed a deeper sympathy and understand- ing than would more eloquent speeches.

The lieutenant and his compan- ions were guardlans of that bound- less and rugged country—the Can- adian northlands. Daily they pitted themselves against a cruel existence, fighting continually for their very lives. Each one of them knew how to take a blow and understood how to stand behind a friend who had received one.

Once more the voice from the ether rapped out above the con- tinual staccaic of static. -

"Among the news announce- ments is the following official statement: ‘Police headquarters an- nounced that Tony Lamont, alias Joe Morrow. is on parole and is be- lievod to be headed into Northern Canada. Royal Canadian Mounted Police are asked to watch his movements . . ."

The announcer droned on. Fin- ally the broadcast. seemingly all too short came abruptly to an end.

Young Lieutenant Warren re- mained seated, motionless and sil- ent, durlng the broadcast. He now rose and, striding across the room peered out into the gathering storm. Framed against the rude window. he was oblivious to the trickle of snow, borne on the wings of the wind. which found its way through even the smallest cracks.