Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 43, Number 35, 22 December 1917 — Page 17

OLD MAIDS' CORNER We sincerely wish that Flop Gault would say what she means! and not get so beattled such as saying Brain Powder. We wonder if anyone has such stuff. You know that she meant Brain Power. Dud. Kemper has been going to the shows quite a bit lately and he has eaten quite a bit of ice cream. He always has someone with him and Dud. doesn't do the paying. The Old Maids have joined a Stock Company and don't you know that Aunt Mahitable and Aunt Matilda are men too. The characters are as follows: Percival Tthelbert Walsh, Martha Eggenieyer; Juanita Tenrs, Beatrice Kelley; Betty Jane Hogin, Edna Mae Ruby; June Adams, Alice Eby; Humphey Jerirniah Charlesmint, Neva Showalter; Thomas Benjamin Daniel Miller, Madge Whitesell. The first thing that you will know they will be acting at the Murray. The old Maid's Corner will keep you posted on all their plays. As Pearl Bomer didn't understand how to wash trays in the Garfield kitchen, Aunt Matilda tried to show her but it was soon shown that Pearl knew just as much as Aunt Matilda. A girl came running up to Aunt Matilda the other day and said that she had something to put in the Junior and whot do you think it was? Well, listen and we'll tell you: Resinal Todd washed his face the other day. I suppose that you all know that Aunt Matilda had a beautiful black cat named Betty and that Granny Hodapp also had a cat named Thomas Schumaker Hodapp JuniorWell, you know that they had very romantic mistresses so they arranged a wedding for the cats without their consent. Betty had a lovely red ribbon for her wedding dress and Thomas had a beautiful new collar. Aunt Matilda went - home the day before the wedding ; and Betty was gone. She had - gone away the day before the wedding. The refreshments were all planned too. ' Dear readers of the Old Maid's Corner: I suppose you all realize that Tuesday Dec. 25th is Christmas. We aren't going to get as many presents as usual but we will not pout about that because we all know the reason. We said several weeks ago that we would like some candy but we would much rather folks would spend their money for Thrift Stamps. Our government needs money and I think that we all should be willing to do without candy and ice cream in order to help Uncle Sam. - - Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Yours truly, Aunt Matilda. LETTER TO AUNT MOLLY Richmond, Ind., Dec. 13, 1917. Dear Aunt Moily: I don't like this winter. Last Sunday it snowed so much that we could hardly walk around the school house. Our sleds were covered with snow. ' Did it snow at your house? I hope it didn't. Our hack wheels would ring like bells. You could hear the wind roaring. Down at the school house the snow came in throngs the windaws. The snow lasted all week. Your friend, Charles Lanier. KING'S HERALD TheDecember meeting was held nt the home of Miss Nellie Hoffman. There was a small attendance because of tu bad weather.

IIIUST came into this world to save mankind and bring them to eternal joys. E came unto His own, but His own received Him not. Everywhere the same answer: "No room."

H R

OUGII and cold was the manger that cradled the

Lord and Savior of the I

T was the worst season of the year, the road was bad and the weather was cold.

SHEPHERDS were called Christmas night.

HIS was the place which from all eternity God had chosen for the birthplace of His only Sou. ARY and Joseph knew from the prophecy of Michaeas that Bethlehem was to be the birthplace of the Mesiah. COMPANY of shepherds was watching in the field when Mary and Joseph took refuge in the cave.

M A O He began the very night 1 to value poverty and to BETHLEHEM TODAY The modern town is beautifully situated on the sides and . summit of a semicircle of hills. All about it are olive groves and vineyards, pasture lands and grain fields. It is in truth a "House of Bread.'' There is no more prosperous looking town and region in all southern Palestine. The town itself, its eight thousand inhabitants, lies a little off the fine carriage-road from Jerusalem to Hebron, and to reach it one has to drive up a rather steep and rough road running between garden walls and numberless buildings. As one gets into the town the road grows narrower, until at last its width would not permit two carriages' passing each other. For this reason the authorities compel all vehicles to enter the town by one street and leave It by another. The chief object in visiting Bethlehem. is to see . the . spot, where, according to the traditions of centuries, "Jesus was born." As one approaches Bethlehem, the most conspicicous building we see is tbe monastery connected with the Church of the Nativity. It stands at the east of the village and looks like an old fortress. The houses of the town are low and the roofs almost invariably flat. The: Church of the Nativity is not itself a large building, but the convents connected with it cover a broad area. The church measures about a hundred and twenty feet in length, by a little less in breadth. It is one of tbe oldest churches in the world as it was erected in the beginning of the fourth century. Russell Burke, St. Mary School. The grotto of the Nativity, directly beneath the church, is about forty feet by twelve, and the ceiling ten or twelve feet high. At the entrance to the grotto stood two Turkish soldiers to maintain order. There are two stairways, one used exclusively by the Greeks and Armenians, and the other belongs to the Latins. Near the foot of the stairway, there is a niche in the wall of rock, and in front of it a marble slab set in the floor, with a silver star in the center, on the star is this inscription: "Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary." Over the star sixteen lamps of silver are burning and they burn here from year to year. The Chapel of the Manger is a little to the right of the place of the Nativity and is- a recess cut in the rook. The tradition is that Christ was once laid in this raan-

RICHMOND. INDIANA. DRC. 22, 1917.

universe. first to the cave on the first He was born to teach us comfort the poor. ger; a few feet away from it is the Chapel of the Magi, where the three wise men came to adore him, and offer their gifts. The walls of the grotto are covered with richly embroidered cloth and. many lamps .hang from the ceiling, the gifts of kings and princes. The great festival of Bethlehem begins on Christmas Eve at 10 o'clock there is a' solemn mass at the church of the Franciscans. Towards midnight a long procession starts from the church for the grotto of the Nativity led by the monks and clergy with the patriarch following. After, him conies the consul of France who protects the sacred places of the Holy Land. The people follow next with a band of soldiers closing v.p the rear. Each one inthe procession carries a wax candle . except the patriarch,, who hold a wamen infant to represent the Christ-child. The celebration ends shortly after two o'clock In the morning Austin Brokamp, St, Mary School. 1 DO NOT WASTE Let "Do Not Waste" be your motto. If every one "would have this for his or her motto, we could feed many more of our allies. Do we ever really stop to wonder what our soldiers are eating? Think of this when you go to eat a fine meal. Why are we asked not to eat meat, wheat and sugar so often? Because our soldiers require these things to keep them strong and healthy. Algo because these things can bs ship ped easily. It everyone would try not to waste, we would get along better. One family may waste enough to feed another small family. You can do your bit in this way. Try it. Luella Masiers. RED CROSS WORK I recently heard from a friend who is a Red Cross nurse in France. She said it was very cold and her-heart went out in pity to see the poor little French children, half-starved and freezing, for they had very little clothing or foqd. My friend asked me to show my patriotism by saving. The Red Cross women have formed organizations and are trying to help soldiers and all those who are robbed by the Germans Geneva Schneider. Letter to Santa Claus Richmond, Ind. Dear Santa Claus: Plea?e bring me a doll, sled and blackboard. Bring ray brother a hobby horse and lots of playthings. I am 6 years old. Good-bye. Rhea Clark.

CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS In the beautiful story of the first Christmas as told by the evangelist, we read that the Maji were led by a bright star to Bethlehem, where they found the child with Mary His Mother, and having worshipped Him they offered-Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and here doubtless we have the origin of the practice of gift-making in the holiday season. Some Christmas customs, it is believed had their beginning in Paganages. It was about the time of our Christmas celebration that the Druids of old performed solemn religious rites in which the oak and the mistletoe were prominent. The mistletoe was -used as a charm against sickness and evil spirits. With the mistletoe we usually blend the holly and there are pretty legends clustered about the red

berries, one of the stories tells us that a drop of the Christ-child's blood at the time of the circumcis ion fell upon the green plant, hence the red berries. rue trimming of the evergreen tree is a special Christmas custom and hails from Germany. We find records of it in Strassburg as early as tbe sixteenth century. There is a legend which tells of a knight who traveled through the woods on Christmas eve was startled at the sight of a fir tree decorated with lighted tapors, some wero erect others inverted, and on the very top of the tree an infant with a hallowed head. The knight appealed to the Pope for an interpretation and it was decided that the tree mig'it represent the church, and the candles he faithful and unfaithful, and the infant, the figure of Christ. Herbert Markle, St. Mary's School. The Christmas tree was not in troduced into France until after eighteen hundred, but it is said that now fifty thousand treeVare used in Paris alone on Christmas day. Eugene Field relates a 'pretty leg end of the first Christmas tree. He tells of how at the birth of Christ, an angel was sent into a vast forest to guard a certain little tree, and. after protecting - it for three and thirty years, it was hewn down and made into the Cross on which our Lord was crucified. There is a novel custom in Swe den which we have yet to adopt; in that far off land a pet lamb is trimmed up and laden with the 'family presents,' then turned loose'in the field or garden while the member of the household run after it; Sure

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ly, they believe that "if a thing i worth having, it Is worth goto after!" In this the twentieth century, ou customs combine those of all tb ages, for we have the holly an mistletoe, the Christmas tree "an gift-making, the plum-pudding an Santa Claus. Paul Mulligan, S Mary's School. The Dutch Christmas A little Dutch girl was told t put out her wooden, shoes an Santa Claus would give her a pre; ent. Christmas came and she put oi the wooden shoes. The next mon ing she found nothing in them. Sh felt very sad about this because a" the other children in the neighbov hood had received things fros Santa Claus. The next night she again put ot her shoe and in the morning sh found a little bird in it. She calle that her present from Santa Clau. Ever after that on Christina Eve she put out her shoe for Sant Claus to fill. Contributed by .L retta Armel, West Ward Schoc Columbia City, Ind. SAVE EVERYTHING ; I think we should save all to food that we tan because' we don know how long this, war will la: (although I hope not very long) W should suve all the meat wheat an sugar that we can. We shoul have meatless day and one whoa' less day a week at the least. 'I have been saving the tinfoil an then put in the tinfoil box In ni assembly room. I have signed th pledge, not to buy more than Tlv, cents worth of carid a week ti tbe Christmas holidays. Althoug I don't eat very much candy. W don't eat very much candy and tbe eat some popcorn Instead of f much bread- Clara Mote. A TRUE STORY Roberts' little baby sister wa three months old. His mother ha, told him that sometimes habit cried for exercise. , , j One day ' Marjorje began to JeV and as her mother was busy ah told Robert to rock her. . "Well,, mama, said Robert, dido you'say that babies cried for exe. else?". "Yes." said fats mother. "Well, let her ejterclse then," sal Robert and was gone In a mfnute.Bessie Pence, 6B, Columbia City.