The Bottineau courant., December 20, 1917, Image 11

About The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
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Christmas Is Still
I a Religious
Holiday
Christmas holds a unique place aq
a yearly celebration. The observance
of other holidays has changed, but
Christmas has yielded none of its ori
ginal sacredness. It is now, as at first,
essentially a religious day. Its reality
voices a song of fraternity people
grow at this season more generous^
more Indulgent, more human. It is
evangelistic for the destruction of
malice and ill-will—differences be-i
tween one and another are forgotten.
Tear by year Christmas devitalizes
selfishness, and consequently the day
to a powerful factor for good. Great
characters step from the spiritualized
atmosphere majestic deeds of charity
leave their blessing and example evi
erywhere. Yuletide is not merely a,
period of gift bestowal or solely a time
Of thoughtfulness. Its significance is
more profound. Feeling is immersed
in kindness. Conduct is adapted to
what is highest and best.
The first plain Christmas, of whicl^
that of today is a sublime issue, dlgnir
fled sacrifice. The Good Book says:
"And there were shepherds watching,
and keeping the night watches over
their flocks." A manifestation of per
sonal sacrifice. Those who would be
rich must give. The gift need not bei
monetary. Giving is without limlta-1
Hon—If a singer, give to others a glad
aong if a millionaire in experience^
give freely of advice if a table ofi
plenty, share the repast with those
who are not only physically hungry,)
but thirsty for sympathy if invested
with geniality, become a prince giver
of laughter, of service, of encourage^
ment. Be constructive. Followers o^
this doctrine draw from the season a
rich return In happiness.
Donf Really Mean It.
"Wishing your friends and neigh
bors a 'Merry Christmas' is a pleas-)
lag custom."
"True, but I hare conscientious scru
ples against doing so," answered the'
thoughtful man.
"What do you mean?"
"I fear a great many people say
•Merry Christmas in much the samej
spirit that they ask, 'How do you dol^
They don't care a hang how you da*-*
BKchange.
Ye Chrystmass Tymc
•for* •verle kyndneue ye have
Uponne jroure fellow® menn*,
Ubonne thys Me—d chryatmasss day*
tUturne to you aff&lne,
Aad maye eche togge whyche Masstlii
high*
Uponne your* yule-tyde fyre
BalUct in tongues of living flam*
Tour* dearest heart'* deiyre.
—Marlon V.
The Boy's Idas.
^Qee whin, Bill Green's la lack/*
"What's the matter T"
^EUs folks use twin beds."
*1 don't see anything lucky aboot
Hat for Bill."
"You 'don't They've got two beds,
to hide his Christmas presents under'
lastead of one."
Community Christmas Trees.
Many towns and villages get mud*
satisfaction and advertising out of
Community Christmas trees. The comi
siunlty tree brings the people together
Uto til# open and if well managed Is
sferth white in any community.
KING rf THE CHRISTMAS SEASON I!
HI I HI H+M• TIM I I I
Christmas
Br CHARLES VIRGIL TEVB
Heart of youth, 'tis
Christmas time—
Be singing!
Every bell in every clime
Is ringing.
Eyes are sparkling, lips
are smiling,
Greetings merry, gifts
beguiling.
'Matters nothing what
your age,
Santa has the Yuletide
stage!
Turn the page of yester
day,
Forgetting
All but that the mystic
hour's
Begetting,
In the leading
if
If*
actor's
mission—
life's great promise,
Love's fruition!
Heart of youth, yours is
the play
On the wondrous Christ
mas Day!
HINTS FOR BELATED GIFTS!
Bags and Aprons Are Easily and
Quickly Made and They Are Al
ways Acceptable.
For many weeks before Christmaaj
the household is busy with needle,
crochet hook and tatting shuttle, fash-'
toning Christmas gifts for family and
friends. But, there always are some
belated gifts, that must be made dur
ing the last few days, for friends that
we would like to remember.
In such cases there is nothing more
quickly or easily made than bags and,
aprons, and one never can have too,
many of either. Laundry bags, stock
ing bags, darning bags, piece bags and,
bags for soiled handkerchiefs can bei
made of chints or cretonne, and fancy
work bags, purse bags, and handker*
chief bags may be mads of ailk and!
ribbon. Several of these bags can eas-j
ily be made in an evening, and they
are always acceptable gifts.
And aprons—no woman ever ha^
too many aprons. A few yards of ging*
h«m, percale and butcher's linen made
up into aprons, which would not re-t
quire more than a day to make a good
supply, would go a long ways as glfta
to busy house mothers. And caps, also,
At this time almost every woman
wears some sort of cap when doing
her house work, and a neat, washable
cap makes an acceptable gift, and rej
quires little skill in the making. And
so with these practical and quickly
made gifts onfe may be able to catch u
with Christmas remembrances, eve:
though belated until the last few
before Christmas.
Opening the Pat Pun*
Too many fat purses respond ool|
to the magic formula: Mst to
i
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20,1917. THE BOTTINEAU COURANT, BOTTINEAU, NORTH DAKOTA PAGE ELEVEN
How the Mistletoe
Came to Mean
Kissing
We decorate our homes with sprays
of mistletoe at Christmas time, but
few of us know the history of it as a
Yuletide symbol. Pretty girls are
kissed under it and a great deal of fun
and nonsense are carried on apropos of
It, but no one stops to think of how
ancient a decoration it is or how sacred
it was once thought to be. The ancient
Celts in their Druidical religion had
two great festivals, one in June and
the other in December, the latter being
equivalent to our Christmas. In both
of these great festivals the gathering
of the mistletoe was a sacred rite.
The Druids believed that a potion,
prepared from mistletoe would in
crease their flocks and that the plant
was a remedy against all poison. It
was believed to be a curative for many
Ills, and this belief is still to be found
in many remote places in Europe. In
Lacaune, France, for example, it is
always administered by the native
dwellers as an antidote for poison.
In the northeast of Scotland people
used to cut withes of mistletoe at the
March full moon these they bent In
circles and kept for a year to cure
hectic fevers and other troubles. In
Sweden on midsummer eve mistletoe
is diligently sought after, the people
believing it to be possessed of many
mystic qualities, and that if a sprig
of It Is attached to the celling of the
dwelling house, the horse's stall or the
cow's crib, the trols will then be pow
erless to injure either man or beast.
Many German peasants also consider
the mistletoe a powerful charm against
evil spirits. A similar belief seems to
have lingered among the Romans.
When Aeneas descended Into Hades
he gathered, to protect himself from
the infernal powers, a branch of mis
tletoe, which Vergil calls the golden
bough.
The custom of kissing under the mis
tletoe goes back to the days when
Thor and Odin and all the other gods
of the Northland walked and talked
with men. Baldur, the son of Odin
and Frlgga, the Apollo of Scandina
vian mythology, the flaxen-haired god
of sunshine and its attendant bless
ings, was loved by all earthly and
heavenly beings save one—Loki, the
god of earthly fire and its attendant
evils.
How of all the things animate and
Inanimate In the world, except the
surly mistletoe, swore never to harm
the sun god and how Lokl slew Baldur
with a branch of it, has been told with
beautiful poetic power by Matthew
Arnold..
In conciliation, hoping to soothe the
passionate sorrow of the mother, Frlg
ga, they dedicated the mistletoe to her.
And now sin and solrrow had hallowed
it for henceforth it was to grow, not
as a symbol of bitterness and hatred,
but as a sign of tenderness and love.
But the gods decreed that It was to
stand for these things only so long as
it touched not Loki's kingdom, the soil
and for this reason It is never seen
growing on the ground and we our
selves always hang It high on the raft
ers or chandeliers. And now that it
was the plant of love, the custom arose
for enemies to become friends under
the mistletoe for lovers to pledge
their troth beneath it and for those
who met there to kiss as a riga sf aft*
festtesMrte feMowshlj^
Peace to Men
of Good Will
By CHARLES F. THWING
The angels' song, "On Earth Peace,
Good Will Towurd Men," can also be
translated "peace to men of good
will." This version Is timely, as well
OS correct for the Greek. For peace
can and shall come to men of good
will, and It cannot come to men of
bad will.
Who is the man of good will? It
Is he who has a choice of happiness,
of righteousness, of goodness for till
men. It Is he who desires that ni u
may be blessed, and who tries to
make the desire effective. The man
of good will does not hate. Neither
does he incarnate hate in any weapon
offensive or defensive. lie is free from
revenge, and is full of forgiveness
for the penitent. He may not forget
Injuries, but, what is more important,
he is eager to make injury the occa
sion for helping the offender to over
come the evil within the heart or
will out of which the injury sprung,
lie is capable of mighty Indignations,
but he does not suffer himself to be
conquered by them. Without being
impassive, he Is calm in the face of
wrong, and he Is very patient, be
ing more willing to be the victim than
fihe agent of evil. His hatred of all
sin and his love for the man who,
despite his manhood, is guilty of sin,
rre alike strong and lasting. He Is
free from suspicion, he thinketh no
evil. He loves his neighbor, not only
as himself, but even more, being more
eager to do Justice than to receive
Justice.
The qualities and elements which
constitute the man of good will also
constitute the commonwealth of good
will.
Such a commonwealth Is a common
wealth peace. Willing good to oth
ers, others will good also to it. Arm
aments In such condition have no long
er any function to play, and they melt
away. The battleflags are furled.
Wars cease and rumors of wars aro
not heard. Men become brothers in
mutual service and happiness, as they
are brothers in origin and destiny.
A
Christmas Prayer
By Fndwic T. Cmrdoxm
Most gracious Lord, forbid the sword
And dull each gleaming blade
Se it thy will, tonight, to still
Each deadly cannonade.
'the straying sheep seek out and keept
The blackest ones retrieve,
That he may kneel, for peace appeal.
Upon this Christmas Eve.
The winter frost, December's ghost.
Its spangled robe has spread
Across the mead, each shrub and weed
Now lies suppresbed and dead.
Trom out the gloom a hollow boom
The season's message tells,
From metal throats, where hatred gloats,
Instead of Christmas bells.
The sentry's boon, the full white moon.
Which clouds anon conceal,
Rebukes the blight, with silver light
Of each stern gun of steel.
It clothes the plain where lie the slain,
Contorted yet serene,
II garments rare that spirits wear.
Translucent sheets of sheen.
Ibr deaf the ears of kings and peers
To sorrow and despair,
And men still pray in pits of clay,
Entrapped, like beasts in lairs.
^fhlle over earth the Saviour's birth
Is heralded once more,
TVom placid lea to stormy sea,
From seared to sheltered shore.
Though peace on earth reigned at his birt
In David's city then,
And vale and hill sang of good wiU
From Him toward all men,
Tbnight the breath of hate and death
Is breathed from many a soul
Fach watchful group and soldier troop
Has slaughter for its goal.
With upraised arm, still each alarm
Which shall ascend above,
Bid thou the age of war's fell rage
Give way to brother's love
And In thy might forbid the fight
That wages day by day
And lead each race with radiant faoe
And firm clasped hands, away.
The Christmas 8plrit.
(As the Bystander Finds it)
"Gosh, this car Is crowded. Wonder
they wouldn't have a little heat I"
"And I want to arrange so that if
he doesn't like It you'll exchange It
after Christmas."
"No, we're not going to give a thing
this year, except to people we positive*
1/ are Indebted to."
"Cash 1 It was a sweet dance,
Mayme. And Mr. Ficzleface, he said to
me—Cash 1"
"Thank the Lord Christmas comes
only once a year!"—Exchange.
Deliberate Extravagsnoa
"What are you going to give your
husband this Christmas V
"I haven't decided. I want to dOj
something really fine for him, though,
and if I find that I can afford it I
think I will give him eggs for break
fast"
Remember the Children.
Make the children happy on Christ
mas and one's-happiness will take care)
of Itself.
A CHRISTMAS LULLABY
Half an hour before midnight on
Christmas eve In Mexlo the litany
of the God Child" is sung. It Is after
this that the world-famous lullaby
song of all Mexico, the "Roro," Is
heard. Every Mexican mother knows
this "Rock-a-bye" song, which Is sup
posedly for the soothing of the infant
Jesus. In time and tune It Is not un
like the American song "Old Gray
OQQSSL**
Many other nations besides the M®
leans have their Christinas songs, bat
not many have extinctive Tatettda Mfc
ROTH, N. D.
{r
Christmas Greetings
To airpatrons and friends who have
i. 1 U «l
contributed to make our business a
I
success, we extend a hearty Merry
Christmas and a Prosperous 1918.
Farmers Elevator & Supply Go.
Grain-Fuel-Flour-Twine-Seed
Farm Machinery
"Treats You Right"
BENNIE DAHL, Mgr.
City Boot Shop,
H. N. WEKSETH, Manager
HARNESS RFPAIRING
A SPECIALTY
We repair your shoes while you wait. Par
cel Post orders filled same day received. Cut
the high^cost of shoes have your old ones re
paired. ^Afctrial is all we ask.
To The
Christmas
Shopper
To all those in quest of things dear to the fem
inine heart we extend an invitation to visit our shop.
Because of our inexperience we realize that our stock
of finished goods is too small to supply the demand
but we have still many pretty things left to select
from.
Our policy has always been "low prices and
many sales/' and we know we have given general
satisfaction. Our stock of stamped goods and
threads remains unbroken and the needle worker
will find a great variety of patterns and shades to
select from, also many stamped novelties.
We have the sole agency for Royal Society
foods in Bottineau county. Make us a visit and see
the pretty finished pieces your friends have been
telling you about.
MILADY'S SHOP
BOTTINEAU, N. D.