The Princeton union. [volume], December 24, 1914, Page 6, Image 6

About The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976

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CHRISTMAS WAITS AT
Popular Old English Custom Growing
In Favor In America.
H, Santa, can't you come again
Just see the dolly that you ga*Oe I
She's gone and clipped out of my hands
Her head is all that I can sa*Oe!
My daddy says that you can't come
X/ntil another year has passed,
"But years are *Oery, -Very long"
Just thinK hobv long a year can last!
PUBLIC CHRISTMAS TREE.
Christmas "waits." those bands oi
singers familiar in England for several
centuries, have been less numerous in
recent years, but the custom, with cer
tain variations, is gaining ground in
the United States. The municipal
Christmas trees which will mark the
great holiday in many towns and cities
this year will have the singing of
Christmas carols and anthems as a
part of the exercises in connection
with the trees.
The town of Burlington, N. .1.. has
kept up the custom of the waits since
colonial days. Each Christmas eve a
band of vocalists, recruited from the
choir of St. Mary's Episcbpal church
start out an hour or so before mid
night and sing carols and anthems in
various sections of the city. They visit
the homes of the rector, the curate and
members of the vestry and sing before
their doors. As these homes are situ
ated In widely separated sections of
the city, the singing is heard by prac
tically all of the residents
Citizens of the town who may have
retired early are usually aroused by
the singing, and windows in upper
floors are thrown open. As the sing
ers move away after finishing the car
ols the listeners yell greetings to their
neighbors, close their windows and re
turn to their cozy beds.
In many of the houses before which
the singers render concerts the occu
pants are expecting them, and they are
invited in to partake of refreshments.
They can linger but a little time, for
they must cover their arranged route
before the chiming of the church bells
ushers In a new Christmas.
I lo*Ved my dollyoh, so much!
My heart most broKjs lauhen dobvn she
fell.
*But. Santa-'let me bvhisper it""
Another doll might do as bvell.
Jfcf
GIFT LADEN PINATAS.
Unique Holiday Frolics Which Delight
Children of Mexico.
About ten days before Christmas in
the City of Mexico the puestos in the
Callo de San Diego begin to grow
festive with evergreens, flowers, bright
berries and other greens brought in
from the .mountains by the paisanos
to delight the eye and tempt the purses
of~the promeuaders. In the booths of
the neighboring Calle de San Juan
are displayed fruits, nuts and candies,
and still others offer angels, shepherds,
sheep, mules, oxen and other objects
suggestive of the Saviour's birth.
Probably the greatest attraction for
the Mexican children are the pinatas
Peddlers may be seen sauntering along
the streets carrying long poles which
are strung with varicolored pinatas of
every description, draped with tinsel.
These represent flowers, fruits, ani
mals and even men and women, and
each contains a jar filled with goodies
TJiey range in price from 25 centavos
to several dollars, according to their
degree of elaborateness. The pinata
is suspended from the ceiling or hung
in the courtyard. All the family gath
er around it. A child is blindfolded
turned around several times, then given
a stick and told to find and break the
pinata. If he fails after three trials
to locate it-he surrenders to the next
in turn, and so on until a lucky blow
shatters the pinata "and the contents
fall, to be scrambled for.
Christmas Sentiments.
The real spirit of Christmas is giv
ing, not getting.
As you would that men do unto you
do ye even so to them.
The world is full of the people who
talk so much of what they can do and
what they are going to do that they
never have, time to begin Christmas
tide is a splendid opportunity for ac
tion.
Wr ftsiaSf
Sermon In Won
of One Syllable.
An innovation in sermons was the
one delivered by the Rev. A. Smythe
Palmer, M. A., D. D., vicar of Holy Trin
ity church, V.'anstead, England, on the
birth of Christ. This sermon is ep*
tirely i of one syllable
HnEwordstellsswhanoGofor.
1*'Mt'sH$
speak the mind of God
who us and would have
us know thinks, for
if it were him .we
rouid not know at till. "Go did so
love the world that he gave his own.
one Son, to be born at this time for us,
to the end that all who trust in him
r-hould not die, but have the life which
lasts for aye." He came and "dwelt
with us" on earth that men might see
with their own eyes at least one pure
life, lived free from sin. He was made
"flesh of our flesh" and "bone of our
bone." "God with us" in truth, but man
no less, true man and true Goda child
like one of our own. That is the
strange thing, so deep that no man,
wise as he may be, can quite take it in.
He was to be "God with us," but at
the same time "a worm and no man"
less than a man in the grief and pain
and scorn which he bore.
The texts take our thoughts back to
the birth of this day. It is a birthday
for the whole world to keep. AH men
can say:. "To us this child is born to
us God gave this son of his love. I
have my share in it." And so we are
all glad of heart and make our church
gay with plants and flowers and sing
our hymns of joy and keep the feast
with gifts and good fare. It is the
birth day of all our hopes. Now, it was
good news of great joy that the host
from on high brought to the herds who
kept watch on their sheep in the fields
And it is still so. For us, as much as
for them, was born in that small town
one strong to save, "Which is Christ
the Lord."
It is old news now, and I fear it falls
on our dull, cold hearts like some old
tale of long past time which has lost
its charm. Oh, let us not shut our ears
to it as some of those first men did!
When he came to his own his own
would not take him in. They said.
"There is no room for Mm here"no
room in the inn when he came to it.
It was not an inn, you must know, like
one of ours, but a mere bare court
where those on the road might resta
"khan" they call it in the east.
Does it not seem to us a sad and a
strange sight that a young babe should
be shut out in the cold nightGod in
want of house room? A poor place, at
best, as rude and rough as we can
well think, and, such as it was, quite
full with the crowd who had come first.
The host of the inn sends them off
He tells them there is a cave at the
back of the inn where the beasts are
kept they may find rest there, if they
will. That cave, where the birth of
all time took place, is still shown in
the rock. A great church built there
marks the spot. Then, poor, mean and
cold, it was the best place he could
find to lay his head.
"The fox has his hole and the bird
of the air her nest, but the Son of Man
hath not where to lay his head." So, in
that cave in the rock, the stall of the
ox and the ass, in the crib out of which
they ate their hay, the newborn babe
was laid. Just think what all this
meansGod made flesh, God boru as
man in this world of ours, that he
might find a way to bring back man to
God! He hid his might, and men hid
their face from him. None but the
herds who kept their sheep saw er
knew of it till they fell to the ground
in a great blaze of light, and a host of
bright ones in the sky sang such a
song as no choir on earth has sung,
which gave praise to God on high,
"and on earth peace, good will to men."
Those herds had faith to go and seek
the child of whom they were told. They
found him in the crib, and they saw
more than their eyes could see. They
knew that in that weak child was the
power of God to save. And so these
good men, when they had bow'd down,
went back to their flock, struck with
awe,, and "gave praise to God for all
they had heard and seen."
Shall we do less? Shall we not, fob,
go home and give thanks on our part,
with joy for what we have heard? And
in all our joy let us find room for the
one guest who should riot be left out
room in our hearts for him whose word
is life.
THE BLAZING YULE LOG.
It Holds Precedence Over .the Christ
mas Tree In England.
The Christmas tree was rarely seen
in England until made popular by the
German husband of Queen Victoria,
and. while it is universal there at thv
present time, it is the Yule lo and the
mistletoe that hold the center of at
traction. Long before England became
a Christian country the ^ule log was
burned in honor of a pagan deity at
the winter solstice, and the infectious
spirit of cheer and good will which
prevailed at that time survived when
Christianity spread abroad.
The festivities in England begin with
the lighting of the Yule log on Christ
mas eve. In many parts of the coun
try the whole family, including serv
ants, gather about the hearth and
"beguile tbet long evening with rural
games, legendary jokes and oft told
Christmas tales." One of the oldest
customs observed in England is the
singing of Christmas carols from house
to house by Christmas carolers Some
of the carols sung today are at least
400 years old. ~v ,i
Christmas Bells. f.:
i heard the bells on Christinas day if
Their old. familiar carols play
And. wild and sweet. '""I-
The words repeat *v
Of peace on earth. Rood will to meni
-I^ongfellow
$f*l*9*ri% gyivj^
The Tfcree Kiiitfj
By .HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.
"*s
Three kings came riding from far away
Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar.
Three wise men out of the east were they,
And they traveled by night and they slept
by day,
For their guide was a beautiful, won
derful star.
The star was so beautiful, large and dear
That all the other stars of the sky
Became a white mist in the atmosphere.
And by this they knew that the coming
was near'
Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.
Three caskets they bore on their saddle
bows,
Three caskets of gold with golden keys
Their robes were of crimson silk with
rows
Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,
Their turbans like blossoming almond
trees
And so the three kings rode into the west
Through the dusk of night, over hill and
dell,
And sometimes they nodded with beard
on breast
And sometimes talked as they paused to
rest
With the people they met at some way
side well.
"Of the child that Is born," said Baltasar,
"Good people, I pray you tell us the
news,
For we in the east have seen his star
And have ridden fast and have ridden far
To And and worship the King of the
Jews."
And the people answered, "You ask in
vain
We know of no king but Herod the
Great."
They thought the wise men were men in
sane
As they spurred their horses across the
plain
Like riders in haste who cannot wait.
And when they came to Jerusalem
Herod the Great, who had heard this
thing,
Sent for the wise men and questioned
them
And^said, "Go down unto Bethlehem
And bring tidings of this new King."
SENT FOB THE WISE MEN AND QUES-
TIONED THEM.
So they rode away, and the star stood
still,
The only one in the gray of morn
Yes, it stoppedit stood still of its own
free will
Right over Bethlehem on the hill,
The city of David, where Christ was
born.
And the three kings rode through the gate
and the guard,
Through the silent street till*their horses
turned
And neighed as they entered the great inn
yard.
But the windows were closed, and the
doors were barred,
And only a light in the stable burned.
And cradled there in the scented hay.
In the air made sweet by the breath of
kine,
The little child in the manger lay.
The child that would be King some day
Of a kingdom not human, but divine.
His mother, Mary of Nazareth,
Sat watching beside his place of rest,
Watching the even flow of his breath,
For the joy of life and the terror of
death
Were mingled together in her breast.
They laid their offerings at his feet.
Tlie gold was their tribute to a king
The frankincense, with its odor sweet,
Was for the priest the paraclete,
The myrrh for the body's burying.
And the mother wondered and bowed her
head
And sat as still as a statue of stone.
Her heart was troubled, yet comforted.
Remembering what the angel had said
Of an endless reign and of David's
throne.
Then the kings rode out of the city gate
With a clatter of hoofs, In proud array.
But they went not back to Herod the
Great,
For they-knew his malice and feared his
hate.
And returned to their homes by anoth
er way.
Christmas Tree In England.
The Christmas tree has not the vogue
in England that it enjoys on the west
ern side of the sea. but it is not exactly
unknown. The poor and the middle
classes go in for trees to only a trifting
extent but the great folks of the west
end and the bTg country places all a I
low tbeir gift giving to center about
graceful evergreens that Norway and
Germany -send in.
Holiday Wisdom.
EthelIf you're, not going to accept
Mr. Koyne why don't you tell him to
stop calling on you?
Claricfr-I am, right after Christmas
raw*s*^ ty&si?1
FRIENDS TRIE
HAND3TRUE Sf
I "HE little dog drooped what
tail he had,
The broken doll fainted
away,
And the poor Teddy bear was
filled with despair
When the new doll came to stay.
"Oh, have you forgotten old
friends?" they cried,
But the little girl didn't hear
As she cuddled with joy her new
found toy
And sang in its waxen ear.
^IsSfcj
THEY SNTTGGIiED CLOSE TO HEK
BREAST.
OUT the days flew by, and she
missed her friends,
Though she cherished the
new love too.
But the waxen girl with the flaxen
curl
Played none of the games they
knew.
So she hunted around till she found
them'all,
And they snuggled up close to
her breast,
And never a word of reproach was
heard
As she whispered, "Old friends
are best."
John Rutland in Leslie's Weekly.
VJ^^fTfjtfcvZZS&'z^''
M^^^0i-
TAD'S CHRISTMASJHEAjmj
How President Lincoln Came to Grantr|
Son's Unique Request.
Tad Lincoln wanted a Christmas gift^
such as perhaps no other president's^
son ever wanted before or since.
"Father." said Tad, "there is some-'
thing I'd like for
jgiristmas,* iwf you'll'J&
give it to me."
*^Sl
estoon
^^8
As the son asked the question his
father looked at the boy over the rims-'f
of his spectacles in a grave way ana^
asked: clgfii
"What is that, my son?"
"I want a theater," said Tad.
"Well, my boy, I don't know that
have any objection," said the presi-"|*^
dent
HThere are plenty of them, lj|
suppose, in,the toy shops." ~jM
"Oh, but I don't want a toy theater,"^
protested the youngster. "I want a real"
one. There isn't "any reason why we
shouldn't have a theater in the White _-
House."
Mr. Lincoln was not at first disposed
to take the suggestion favorably, but
Tad, who was his favorite child and
at that time eleven years old, was per- isx
sistent, and at length the Indulgent
parent yielded. This was just before
the Christmas of 1863too. late to have
the theater ready for the holidays,
many preparations being required. But
it is a matter of history, though known
to few, that not long after the follow
ingTSfew Year's day the boy's ambition
was realized, a room on the second
floor of the executive mansion being
set aside for the purpose and a stage
erected, with gas footlights and simple
scenery. HOLLY FOR THE PRESIDENT.
Southern Belles and Beaus Brought It
by Stagecoach.
Before railways coaches changed
horses at Alexandria and at the capi
tal, and loads of young belles and
beaus went to the Christmas parties in
Washington, carrying to the president
and his family holly and trailing pine
from their southern homes.
President Buchanan, with Miss Lane,
"the golden beauty of the White
House," gave grand fetes to the young
people of the capital in 1858-9 on
Christmas eve. The maidens wore em
pire gowns and high combs. To each
guest Miss Lane gave a sprig of holly
berries as a souvenir.
Perhaps the most attractive event of
President Johnson's administration
was the Christmas party for children
given to please his nephews and nieces
and their friends. A platform stood in
the center of the east room, on which
sat the Marine band. Overhead were
ed silken flags, and flowers
bloomed everywhere. It was a fairy
land of butterfly coloringgold and
scarlet sashes, stockings and pretty
slippers.
Mr. Glumm on Christmas.
My old friend Mr. Glumm declares
That holidays are all a sell
They interfere with our affairs
And cost a lot of cash as well.
And yet his words cannot provoke
My envy for his hoarded sum.
I'd rather find myself dead broke
Than view the world like Mr. Glumm
"Now, keep as quiet, pussy, as you can be, because
If we make just a bit of noise we won't see Santa Clans." 3
He vows that festival events
Are but rehearsals for ill health.
He tastes no pleasant condiments
Unless, perchance, 'tis done by stealth.
But e'en dyspepsia cannot make
My views of life to his succumb.
I'd rather have a stomach ache
Than nurse a grouch like Mr. Glumm.
Washington Star
:si -rs$.