h , came to each

_:,

I JlChristmas on the l. A iSalonika-Front

once again. A time of reminiscence, re- collection and reflec- ‘

the year, float - ' " back into the mem- m‘ "“’“""

cry. "Along thejar- ‘RRMDGIZPKQ _

mm! Dame line of the war years Christmas t" u 511581118 remembrance o! bet-

] mes gone by. To many today it is a Peasant Pastime to peer back through the yem“ and I Pt e. for a moment, a fleet- ‘ng glimvss 0! the weary times when uie x2321 herald to the day of peace on earth

good will towards all man was gunfire

It takes little to carry the memory back He: 22110-410115 of a Christmas born to more plea-

nt sounds than the bark of guns carry us to that wild country once known I; the $31- gins‘; Prim“; Christin“ Dfly was very near. dawn 6.“: tract. the darkest hour before its blackhe J11 . gaunt hills. clothed in satanic er s“ ss, arose on‘ every hand. Deep bould- mcreargleyg tiiyavines. impenetrable in tho ni ht. ed m st e wildness of the scene, and add- flu toyb ery- Uncaniiy silefice brooded over of. h e _made more eerie by the sudden cry

dd ‘illlllgly Jackals. Then distant -gunfire Ema ts note. Slowly the dawn rose. The c f wok Silenc- The gullies filled with flllflllllg mists that floated ever changing Iconoi in the morning glow. From over me if‘ .2 came the strains of music. faintly at bus. then louder._nnd Christmas Day was

orn to an old familiar carol. “Hark the Her- ald Angels 5111K" A tune so reminiscent of Christmas Eve at home. The camp awak- ens. n Heads are thrust out of tents. “Hey. boy! ‘shouts a voice. “A Merry Chflgtmgg l dont think.“ A warm day with little to remind one of the festive season. All that could be done to celebrate the occasion is 60m‘. but there is little else than memories. One wanders from the camp, and. gazing across to where the guns are booming, won-

_ ders what they are doing at home. Thus,

mdfll’. ssDumas said, do all bitter oxper]. ences become pleasant recollections. and Christmas n fascinating season to recall

' ~ théllk. .

THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS u

SHOPPING

1* “Wis svarcely be said that Her Majesty does but little of" her Christmas shopping in F“"“'“'\I although her children and the YfillnEsl‘ members of the Royal family gen- eflwy love to gaze at shop-windows and ex- plore the wonders of shop interiors. choosing their presents with as much zest and infor- mality 11$ any. suburban lady.

And the wise shopkeeper is he who affects to ignore their identity and treats them just R8 any 0!‘ his less exalted customers; for if n9 Yewmllzes them and shows it. he may never see them again.

The Q1199" by no means confines her Christmas patronage to the holders of her Royal warrant: and many a tradesmen sup- plies her Christmas wants who does not.ex- hibit the Royal Arms above his door.

DRY After day large selections of presents‘ are submitted to the Queen by trusted emis- saries of the favored tradesmen. These emis- saries have to run the gauntlet of s. small army of footmen and Court oflicials before they reach the lady-in-waitlng who ‘acts as the Queen's intermediary. The goods are all arranged in a special room. where the Queen examines them at her leisure, and makes her selection with the assistanceof 32in of her relatives as are with her at the

e. . '

These presents are of all kinds and all prices. from an article of jewellery or a roll of costly dress-material to a watch and chain or a costly toy for the younger generation.

The Queen's favorite presents are said to be epergnes. dainty bonbon dishes, richly- bflllmd books. and silver-photograph frames: but. whatever form the presents niay take, each is chosen with the utmost care by the Queen and with u. perfect- knowledge of’ the taste of the recipient. -

Although no one could conduct her_"Chrlst- mas shopping" under more favorable or less adruous conditions than the Queen, not one of her subjects probably finds the task so exhausting or takes more conscientious pains in choosing suitable and acceptable gifts.

$10,000,000 FOR A CHRISTMAS GIFT

When the average Londoner sits down to his Christmas dinner, he allows no sordid consideration of cost toqualify his enjoy- ment of it; and thus his dgregate banquet is well calculated to open the eyes with won-

er. .

As in fancy we look at London's tablcgroan- lng under its mountains of Yuletide delica- cies. we are prepared- to’ learn that nothing less than a cheque for two . unds will meet the cost of this one Ga ntuan

The plum-pudding alone will turn the scale (if it does not break it) at 1,200 tom- Its weight, in fact, is so enormous that a doosn regiments of brawny-aimed soldiers could scarcely raise it an inch from the ground: and it would taxlthe strong-thin! a thousand horses to transport it. To its making go flve million eggs. 400 tons of ‘railns, and other ingredients in proportion: while for flour it demands all the wheat" that could be. own on in area at least-as large as It. J ‘en's

w um mum "lanai-e" of " Umdoir-withi ‘ms

as, 1.-

"London ‘Calling. . . ”

Continued from page 1

He had iccollected Marioninthe‘ whimsy of the moment. He had re-

calledatheir last meeting; had re-

called the fact that she had not

answered him between those dances. '

when he had asked her to be his wife-but had flushed and had stood upright, laughing like a boy; “Heavens, John, I simply can't mar- ry the whole family of the Morti- mars. you know!"--Only so much; then a sudden whisking away from him. away to his brother Anthony. who claimed her for that nexh-last —dance.

He had sat and watched them . . . there had been no doubt left in his mind. she had already become engaged.

The lilt and the clatter of the tune to which they danced was in his failing ears; he could ,.hear again the ripple of talk and the singing of light laughter th‘ had filled the warm and flower- cred room . . . arid could glimpseywith- in the drab shadows of the hut, the wlll-d-the-wisp light of Marion's last roguish smile. She had turned to him with that gay triumph on her lips-when she whirled post again, and looked for him, he had gone.

And London had not ‘seen him again . . . -

Mortimer raised his head and picked up the pen again. Hisgeyes dulllng. and his heart thundering, he bent over thc will he was mak- lug.

"Yes. Tony boy. you always did get the uttermost best out of this strange world-funny I never did

. . Wonder why? . . . And here I am, like a damned fool, making over to you now the very stuff I'm packing up existence for! . Wonder what sort of a riot you and little Marlon‘ll make on '11 matter of six thousand a year-eh? For, even if the fellows who find mo take every bit of ‘black’ and sand in this place, they can't toncli that I've stowed away in the bank -—:1nd it's worth a hundred thou- sand if it's worth a penny."

'And in such manner John Mor- timer. who never got anything out of life-or so he said-with a cer- tain grim grace that was heroic. willed to his brother the huge for- tune in_crude platinum that he had riven from the Arctic shore on which it seemed his bones would soon be lain-among the minions he would, leave behind for luckier men totfind

“PlatinumJad-platinuni . . . . Ten times more precious than gold ——that for me, and pots of it. A

r millionaire three or four times over,

old ‘boy, and the whole riot of it can't get me a biscuitthe more nor an ounce of meat! And I've got to leave it. nastily too-leave it to you who took something a thousand glines more precious than it all from

e . . hate you to Hell? I really ought to. y‘know!"

Tony had forestalled him; ,.

. Wonder why it is I can't _

A blob of scalding water dropped ‘

on the bluelng hand that held the pen. Another sputtered on the paper. John Mortimer looked at them stupidly.

“Good Lord-and I thoughtlwas laughing!" he said.

. . . . An hour passed, and the will was concluded. Mortimer wrap- ped it iii oiled silk, and pinned it to_hls undershirt. He banked up the stove to its fullest capacity, and lit a little of what remained of his tobacco. Another hour he let slide by. Reckless now of consequences, he sat. and smoked. and dared the creeping death of the frost to do its worst. The fire gloomed over once. redly . . John Mortimer laughed and got to his feet. There was a wildness in his manner as he drag- ged out more fuel--a madness in him as’ he rammed it down on the mighty blaze.

‘Then he turned-to his remaining food. Yea. he told himself, there was Just sufficient for two days more . . . with trembling hands he turned thc lot out. and heaped it into one tempting pile. .-

"I say, Tony," he talked to the" silences. “just don't bother me for half-an-hour or so-I'm going to have supper! . . . Talk to you later, old man." v

He crumbled up biscuits and pelnmican.‘ l-le opened up his last small tin of tea, and, putting a can of ‘lifeless snow water on the red- liot iop of the stove, set about mak- ing tea and soup. Two cubes‘ of sugar lay at his hand. He picked oneup. and crackedit in his mouth. The flame of it poured through his veins and made him sway . . .

" ‘ Codi" he muttered. “I'm pre ty bad! . Didn't know I'd got so far on the journey as that"

He looked at his hands. and saw their livldlty. The fire of the sugar -tlie=marvellous heat giver of the Arctic-had warned" him that gen- eral frostbite from starvation and mglgler had begun with him.

face grew grey Ind hlseyes e

stared. Silently now he busicd him- self with his pitiful “soup?

Slowly he cooked it, getting every drop of its strength pooled to- gether for his last meal. Slowlynhe while, it cooked. he went over "his mmaining . so he

- revels.

I

. ‘rote-grins i

l ' -_YARN.S‘

O 44¢! ‘

“LAh DEFANA”

,.___.

The little Italians who live in Florence haven wonderfully long Christmas celebration. Their Car- nival time gifts at Christmas and lasts until ove Tuesday! Parties. entertainments, dances,‘ and l sorts of Jolly things happen during Carnival Time, and the chlldronre- , ceive toys and sweets galore. ‘Ibcir. own "special" day. however, is "Twelfth Day." During the even‘- lng of this great day the boys and girls busily -ciean their shoes and put them in a conspicuous place, for during the night "La Bcfan" ' will come and fill them with pre- sents. "La Befana" is supposed to be an old woman who wanders eter- nally over the earth; but on this night she alwayl manages to got back in time to plesent her gifts to ‘ the little Italians. '

CHRISTMAS DAY LONG AGO .

In all civilized countries Christ- mas Day is celebrated with feasting and merriment. Today we have many new ways of enjoying e festive occasion. but it is interest- ing to look Iback to some of the old customs that were especially popu- lar in England years and years ago.

A huge log, called a.Yule log was alwaysia feature of the entertain- ment. In the home of the rich and at Court an ofllcer was appointed. called the Lord of Dlisrule. and it was his busin to superintend the In Scotland he was called the Abbot of Unreason. Over all the games. confining. music and dancing he was King. S0

I popular was the Lord of Mlsrule that

preachers had occasion tocoinplain that some people paid too much at- tention to the gay side of the fes- tival. and not enough to the religi- ous aspect. - Of course, all the houses an

'0 churches were decked with ever-

caste.‘ “you've left me izohcr than you knew. you hell hound! Jove. I thought I'd finished up all this Juicelong ago! Well, well. Civiliza-

tion,"'.l'm going to listen to you once .-

again-r-er? . . . A flno supper, a goocrflre. a better pipe. and a. bit of music-now what the devil have I got. to grumble at, all things con- sidered." He afllxed tliabattcrles’ leads to the powerful set. and twlrledits dials-a confused scream- ing commenced. "It's goingtofunc- tlon-g-it is . . . damme it isl!" l-le was shouting, but did not know it. "Corns on, world-let's hear your volceonce again!" I ,- ‘ lle- heard ships snarling and spattering at one another ‘out on the ‘oceans .

"Hello, old packets-oorryisnd all that," you know. but I really can't

stop ‘to over-hear your‘ pleacontcon- _ to you all.‘ though! Best of luck-best of, luck.- . .. Hello, NQW,.Y0ll_U-~lh0l't wave '

vcrsations. Good-bye

s ion. . .0“, what ivrccketl

' Hello! . . . " Hispface poled and. he staggered.‘ ~Lo

backjrom the lot. He had never

- . . I-fe laughed and screamed and waved his hands. l‘ I '

Before him. loomed

American expenmental station. re- _

ceiving London clearly, was re-

traiismitting its program.

' And there, in the snow wastes. a

man from England heard the voices __nnd the laughter and the songs of

_~ England steslingout to him toglve

him . . . death! . For Mortimer gulped lip his care- fully prepared soup. and gave him- self up wholly to the sounds from the air. The flre_he left unattend- ed andunhccded. . . l-lls carefully arranged hut was disordered —. he danced wildly about it‘ to the tune of "anhotol band far away. » V- Iheiprogram ended. He heard a voice bidding everyone "dood- nlght"_. ‘. . Then was reliance.

- "I'm going to London," John Mori- .

times told the set quita_serioualy. "Good-night to you. tool"

A madman walked out to the snow. ‘

irregular mass in the

‘Elli l? 1am. w“ “- Y"

_-"l-Ia. the isLondohfl-hogiold his ,

unmlttene hands.

‘ 4"" “"4 tongue ‘a dish

IN THE DAYS OF ~ MERRIE ENGLAND

l’ T Ooaiinuodriom we i But iinenua ieasung oi the past was not all of this magnificent and orthodox character. _ For example, a. Christmuibanquet in Charles L's time include such noveldore as a "soup o! . a dish ofzgrsen fish buttered with eggs, a rabbit stuffed wlth-Oylffirlpsnd a spiiinage tart" —c1l, doubtlcasfexoollcat fare, ca- pecially whcn-Lccompapicd byoock- glee GlhAlY-“llok and Gauoony ; -,. . ~ More, Jeannine to our rmodern Wlwflllld have. tho dinner w WWI! Perm uit . doom-ut- mas Day. i658, yvliiohhcoiicistcd of "A dish ofmarrow-bonlc; a leg of. muttonnmd s loin of veil ‘three qiulloti and adonn _ dish. mace:

an and I .. d hill” o

greens and mistletoe. but perhaps the most famous feature of the re- joicing was the boat's head, with an apple or orange in its mouth.‘ that will always be associated with the old-fashioned Christmas. '

THE STAR OF [BETHLEHEM

Many, many years ago, as we all know. a. party of. poor Shepherds saw a brilliant star that moved across the sky. It led them to Beth- lehem, where they found our Lord, a. tiny babe, lying in a. manger. In a very beautiful hynui. which we sing at this period of the year. we celebrate the {guiding of the shap- herds. Now it is strange that the g man who wrote this hymn was not a very good man, although he was the son of a. clergyman and became Poet Laureate of England. He did not live in a very nice age. It was notcdnsldered disgraceful w drink. and he was a drunkard. but he

wrote "While Shepherds Watched

Their Flocks by Night." and ls re- member ehlefly by his Sacred writings._

THE DUTCH “SANTA CLAUS”

Just as we look forward to our hrlstmas Day, which we celebrate n December 26, so the little Dutch

boys and girls look forward tot-heir St. Nicholas Day, which they keep on December 5th. 8t. Nicholas was a. Bishop who was. chosen in the

.Mlddle Ages to be patron saint of

Amsterdam“ He was supposed to reward good little children for their

goodness, and to punish bad little

children for their badncssl But he hardly ever had any punishing to do; everyone was-good when 8t. Nicholas Day canes around. Little Dutch boys and girls still believe thatthe good saint appears every December 5th in the evening. and leaves toys n the shoes whichare set out invi gly to attract his at- tention aa he‘ passes.

St. Nicholas ‘Day is very much like our own Christmas. Day. Ev- eryone gives everyone else presents. and there is much merry-making. But in‘ Holl _ ‘ they give their pre- sents ln a. cry quaint way. It is not oonslde right send aplain parcel with‘ the ‘ plentls name written clc y u n it. and your own name a ttle card inside. You have to‘ disguise your writing, and ‘you have to fold the presentin lots of dlfmrent wrappers. soma- cach. until the person for whom it

send a tiny present,

brooch or a ring. wrapped iuataciia

a paper and packed in a band- ! \

HIS ‘MAJESTY THE

- - ‘TURgEY How He Ge many 001T -

y. ' . v l o" ' - .- -. , , ' Christmas Tree i vv= v~-.-—v v v vvww-Q DECEMBER the Nth-Christmas Evcl y Bumpdhpd helped his father to put which mu mistletoe and all ‘iiie little dccora . no fill?- go to make n. iolLV Christmas.’ ' , was. in "bed, trying . ‘ eyes open so that he might eomodowxithe chimney and End goodies mm his stocking foot/of his bed.

I wo ‘how many boys and Iii-ls have tried to keefiawpke like Billy-all o1.’ you, I'm sure, and yet I'm iuat as sure that none of you ever did keep" am -

Billy wasJupt _ oi! when he heard

a funny little ‘ . ‘ then he saw, looking through the" Holly Gnome, chief

of the Christtriaai. vcs. He was’ a. funny little feilowand a gloat friend ofhlllys. "Hallo, Billy.“ he laughed, "trying-m keep awake? I'll pop in and tell you a story."

‘Thmliolly (ii-toms popped» in and sat on Billy's beds piliywvac wide awake ‘in a sec- Oflds - "Have you ever wondered why there is always a. fairy dolly placed at the top of the

' Christmas. 'I‘ree?"~asked'I-Iolly. “I'll 0911 you!"

he said, ' settling. himself down» comfortably.

"Now once upon a. time, there lived a little l‘ _

' girl whose name wasDoris. She had no father

or mother andrsho lived with a wicked 014 lady in a llttlelog hut inthc forest. The oid woman was very, very cruel to her, more el than she had ever been before because it Christmas ‘Eve, and the snow lay thick and white over the ground. "G01 you Doria and find a. nice pretty coloured butterfly for me or you shall have no Christmas, dinner :tomorrow," she‘ said. and with blows, ‘and unkind words one drovepoor-lsoris out of the house. Doris knew that it was only a. way of stopping her having a-Ohristmns dinner, because everyone knows that there are no butterflies about when the snow is on the ground. '

"Out into the snow went poor Doris. How cold it was. rlerpoor littlebsre legs, feet and hands looked as it they were frozen like the earth. andaoon alwbeganlo cry;

"Just than I came along with my lamps. ‘Hallo little girl, why are you crying?‘ I said. ‘Youshouldbe very happy at Christmas-time, for Christmas Day‘ is really the Children's Day. »

" ‘The old woman says I must find a butter- fly or I shall not have any Christmas dinner. but there are no butterflies at this time of the year.’ answeredllons. "- ' . " ‘Now Pllseo about that in a. few minutes,’ > " " .1122;

h top waving the lantern, so ‘ that Santa could ace his way.

I said, ‘because I've some very important work l‘

to do. J ins down tom thepky. He comes down the rainbow reall , for the rainbow is always there althoug you can't ‘always see it, and

on the earth. Come on with me to help Santa and then I'll see wliatjl ‘can do for you.‘

"ropi- little" Doris smiled , tears. and so olwe wentthrough the snow. my lantern making pretty lights as it. flashed on the white snow. _As we went along we talk- ed about her life in the cottage, and oh, Billy. 1 did feel sorryfar Doris.

ffAt last ‘we i’: had the place where I had is shins my l n could sec where hawasto land. ‘ ‘Now we're ready Doris,‘ r wd , ‘You are the not little girl who has ‘ever been Santa. come down

to earth from Toylcnd when he lives. I -..‘