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7 i in r i'i T i': F ranQia A CHRISTfl.AS | STORY of LONDON !g , "Yes, jxm can have th-' tif,' f. r ninepeiu-e," Mid the stall woman, "only make up your minds one way or the other." She spoke to the children impa- tiently, dm not i'.nU nlU. busy as she was with the i , f < tliat i -wdfd a'>- .'i t : ie -tails 'of the li'nrki a ,\ n..i'.e their Chi ist'ii.;- i tin The in a i, iurned a- wife i ke and irowii--.! as the two null ti ITU res tha' . . :i a the e,- n -i of tie : nili.li'le to p'.n ' <!:. 'Ai.d U- qn "\\ on th'- lii T'i '\ mi"-''." I IK ; - II' t I , a t P : t .< ! ' half - : ' eager a o i *>:-. i.'l ! ji : ! n-id tiju. , tin t "i !' ' V ' ' r :t X'n i - ' "if >-.-'. . why d ii'i '. i a- t ' have t ' ' i ' it's .1 !;! : ' ' the ) \ explained.. He irt.-d up ;it i h-!ii, his f:i'-f pal. . ; . ' - itrow an'd -.' may. <l ;:>- thcv hnvc it for i ,] ; ,, , .,.).! ., i t i-,-- pi i; ,. . t!M"i'l s" ( .|n a'.i'e t ' make \:\< t -i.-ir minds," lii" ' :'! Wo i n. -HI e.\|:'ai ,. :|. II' i Imsb.-Miil !, 1.. ! lire!;. "It's down on the i > n t ored .-h TV - :i 1 1 lh"t nodded its fs-a:!i"> ' !: "I sieiii. The lit",. ' k h.'r h-.-i'l. "] wvit :' tn ," MI- i'.. ! . h;-. 1 ? }f h r ' . .-.. -i !!i''h '.'l ! .'4'lT.'i'''l'''i'. l i l i l l'i l 'I' ,' , !'"'_ stice at Cliristinas ! lift til-' s<i!il row.' ' he lid, The young, feilov; in ;'e.- tr:i,]i hesi- tated, the ircf Mill in h' hands. glanci <1 ;.''t I'i' v,i f e. Sir,' : Milled Yes, i/i\ ( . ;t . ' in i : . i' at him wa\ . p<in its In a n '"i hi-iii. ehe v ' ; d. "Bui -. li' .' i I tiel !' M ti laim of the living k.y -.j t - , i the dead, and ins nct'ii'i svel i ! i . -"'' " \,,,1 ... p , -d with! ( ' ri '- he called to the v, u , n hi* thin PB across l < irdfr.' ,i l( . ||;,,. ., ,. ' I 1 ii 'i ,, .. ' -aid tli- w unajl light of ti,- : p ;U M, V'''"', ' l " ' " f , '"' " '',"'' I ev 11 fee] betti r ii thai has a l)it <h inn and , ' "1> n : ing (! . "if it ;i [ u tree i won't !><> Tin-y H feel bettl r ii ti t 1 a bit of Imln." She niuli"ii'<l him to- .'.(]'! tin- ui--at . !u--t!'i : : m ih' IKK-!; ii . i. r .. ... . after In \\ . , : ! I he w.v it .'I'll well .1 in 'ilai.d .it -hmi :i '-iiiHi-K', ' '; liuntl little lri\r teemed < the ( in t;i ill" hard fa market. It w.'iil hvd. M'.th-v would have lit ' ' i L lier fl ho hud i'- > t-\y ni I"",; .-; i 'I >\ . now on H .'.I in tl Itle le'iiif ' ''at I i i hi ' ' m a t i i li;"l In- i me.;,il , , '','',' t" ' . II. 'i ; i" eli:' Iron h'l'l p ! :l,r '! i a'l as a rtirpri i t hi' tree b ' ainl ^ reveal <! n i-th il n lin'.' , of tin- i-tall. Sin'' tt iiv it fviiin him, hi-; b ay. I '< ' ( Is" f!:i"iu<, : > ," s ii:! I !> !>oy. He *ho k lii:s head. "Keep it." Sit ii:,',' cr<"-t in tin I rap, ih-'.v watched the children jirr-.:-. gladly away. The ^ir! <-tiM carried the ( 'itristnias tree, the h-.y i d it* j "S'-e. ' >.-'. : 'l a v lice, "lii. n vi ! . 'i a little tr' < as t ! K A I rat. i d draw ii up in the street jir-t lit de i Y How LT 'tall. In ii wi re a yoi iis; ID.-IM a::d a wom-i.n, ''ii !y lui-li.-M ' and wifv. 'I I' Irui'l < f <! Min' aroiPid ill'' mail s ai in. .-nd ihi >'.< p mournin)) in uliieh i 'n v, ( man was <lre M. l,(. I " '.'. itn to il 1 . "I "It, Ili'l-e." . .' Ill lit. li:a 1 he : : ' <>l it V. el i I the |:t:-( , loo. T" V. Ilia'l I ,('ke I ab .it her w iih snd yes ;!. th jH-iM" 'lit Ii ils br'i/'il ;;;: Hunt -. i' f: ii f;il:ing nio-.v ;i'ii! it^ group <>" Hi' ! TV pii rr'na-'-i -s. S!ie as think- in.''!':; .llt'eir .r.e ill the <' in ;:!> lip i. n the hill ii'ii! of a ( 'hrist ma IH",rr t,.i come . -.! ' i It wiis jn-.-t a yea ' a - i '.at i ';' \ had hoiight a tree lik'- 1'iis, Airl tin year they had .11 lo the (MI iia iuark<'t agi: : ii. iinl tin y houp il n i tor the liviii;:. In t (!'< di a<l. It vva-, for tin- liti'e ra\ e hi.'\oiid the hill. ' I' 1 .' 1 1 him. J<ihii, to bring it," Raid tin- won. an. "the 1'ttle tree at the end of the counter where the two children are standing'" lint th<- tall man had heard al ready. "Tin 1 tree, nadam," he said, coining out with it in his .nil 1 - from the doiirw-ay |..< the sita.ll, "Certainly, and a fine little tree it ia. one shilling, nia'a-m." The young fellow in tho trap handed a. shilling to the sUllman, reached over fixxm the tra-p and took the tree. The children hud turned from tihe stall, followed (Hie tre to the side of the trap. The little girl held to her bro tiler's arm. "They're baking our tree," she Mid. Under the gaslight, the little face beneath the red hood showed pajie Jid stricken witlh disappointment. The woman in the trap nod heard. 8he looked down ait the children, .nd her oyes rested a moment on the little girl. "Vonr tree?" ethe eaid ; "wre for iiK U> huv jtl" ' \\'e hi almost bought it mi!' p- !! '< : wo didn't co-lint to give ns I'linli. Vjfcause of the tin! we wore just to say we ex t lly, I ; monej le-l'.l fa,-it in his haii-d. Tli. v v. ei-c making for the to\ stall. 'I'i-e youiiff bu'-bfiixl tuin.'d to his w r e. H r e\i-s. (.,,,,_ ||. K j wandered. wen- I'i 'I 'ir. r s.'itllv oil il litt le 'lly wn ,'it !i in i lie sf :>M. " I'iint I" !> one.- 1 ic"f<l her. Sir' sh .:'(! ]( d. "No, !> t that ." i 3 e li'i. il with ! ears . ! I ! i '-,.<! i.- !'!e, e.'lllirll! 'il?ht of i : i'- 1 'i! .I) <'lirv;:!Mt!ie "ini , rctch- n its nalc sweet II'.M mg, "I! : lr'a * he s'ii<i. She lo'ikcd. H"f eye.-, too, were eanir'it a IK' ' sdied. "Yi-s. 1 ' sir- -aid slowly, "let us buy it for he,- II i-- fre.-h and . ive.'t .'K! fair." She was thinking of the '' : !<l s'tii had lost. She bent Jior head. "It has, nothing to do with i' ' ; li. " 'he -.a'd. S(n; HOLIDAY ADVICE. w me bits of advice niiaii who has t.he true Here are which the \\< 1 ' i lay spirit bi her heart whould follow : l-'irst, fmi-li u)) all chopping as mrii as po sili!". 'Imi-re are a.lways Rome lasl -iiiiiiii'tp- purchase's wees- sary. .Soiiieone ,ha.s her-n forgotten, or MiMii'tliinp nw<rc!:s.ary for the I rec <ir the ^'lockings has been for- gotten. Hut sit down now a.ml make out. a list of the things you know about now that you need be- fore ('hi-istm.-is and buy lh cm tu- iii-.irruw if possible. Second, d in't plan to do more t bit n you <MUI do without making yourself ill. If yon feel wrvous and riinhed wiih work to finish your gifts, don't finisih them. Send letters <v~ cn.rdis instead <rf tho gifts you had planned to make. lieniembcr, that you owe it to your fowii'ly not to bo iill or tired to the point of oxnaustion or nervous on Christmas Day. Send your Ohritnias gifts an early &H you <vui send tlnMn. The aittraclive. tugs that are sold now to put on Christmas boxo t<) warn tdio.se who receive thorn that t.he boxes are m>t to be opened until can be used on the boxes to sent now. Rut rcinember tjint t.jie express men and the postal clo.rks and carriers will be overworked for the next (three days, and try make their work oa&ier by your gifts at once. The world Is n cage in which hu- manity is tamed. Money may help a man who helps himself. "I really don' l see how I am going to ge.t through this C'hrist- imas! " sighed little Mrs. Evans, t.he dressmaker. "1 want to make it happy for mother, you know, and give her all the comforts she needs; but my expanses in other ways are pi'i-tty heavy.' 1 Vt.ii surprise me," ;aid her .1-, Mrs. J5ak.'r, who had run hi with a tumhk-r >f jell'- for the i Id lady. "The coHi-g- nirls like you so much, and give you so iniu-h to do. that 1 supposed you were i|inti prosperous. " "Oh, there's work enough," re- j.,ined the other, a bit wearily. "Hut the girls an- thoughtless. They oidi-r exi/L'iisne dresses, often at fin- slioi'li's; p,,>..iblv notice - and pay when the fancy takes them. Mi;st of tii.-m are friendly and plea.- am spoken, and a few of diem pay promptly. Tiie.-e ar- not the rich ones, either. You can depend much more .m the poor girls, who li:r, e to plan closely. A bill means more to them." "It s u shame,'' murmured her friend, sympathetically. "Did you notice that tall girl who wa^( just going out with a suit case and a box as you eae in?" asked Mrs. Kvans. "That's Miss Rich- ards. Isn't she handsome'! She's a Koplu more ; and they say she s one of the most popular girls in col- lege. Well, she came in here a week ago, and said she'd just got to h:i vi- a dress made to take away this aflt moon. College closes to-day for the holidays. She's going home with one of the other girls, and there's some special party in her honor to-morrow night. She coax- ed me until I promised to do it, though I had more on hand already than 1 knew how to put through. "\\Y11, the dress turned out a 'beamy. 1 wish you could hav seen it: pale blue diarmeuse, with Irish lace; just the thing for her complexion. And this afternoon in she sails, just before t raiulim.-, and says it's 'wonderful,' and she's '.su much obliged, Mrs. Evans.' -She can hardly wait to have it put in the .box, and sails out again with never a word about the bill. You'd think it might occur to her that I might have some special plans for the holidays, to say nothing of the fact that 1 bought the lace and find- ings out of my own pocket, and shall be out that much extra until the bill is paid." "It's simply outrageous!' ex- claimed Mrs. Ilaker. "When do you suppose she will comle.-ivml to pay you!" "Oh, some time in the middle of the winter, perhaps. Hut I've no doubt she'll buy a lot of line Christ- mas presents for her friends. Ami I ahouldn 'it^ be at all surprised if she even seiiit me a pretty Cihristmas card. Well, I guess Christmas cards are about all I shall be send- ing tihis year." "I call such performances down- right dishonest I" cried the indig- nant Mrs. liaker. "No, it's not thait," replied the little dressmaker. "They re good girls, and are ur?- to pay some time, tnit they just don't atop to think. And I don't believe they've been taught as they should be. I hear Miss Richards is planning to do settlement work among the poor. I guess the poor could teach her a fe.w things about paying for thing" promptly." "T guess they coidd," said her neighbor. DCNTS FOR CHRISTMAS. Things to Be Avoided During the Merry Season. Don't send celluloid Christmas cards to your friends. They are dangerous. Don't use cotton wool for Christmas decorations, or for dressing up child- ren as "snow fairies," or adults as Santa Clans. It is almost as inflam- imable as celluloid, and may be even : more danperous to life and limb. i Hemember that there is never a [Christmas passes that does not wit- ness numerous fatalities due to ne- j gleet of this rule, and some of them I are of the most shocking character, as. for instance-, when five little girls were burnt to death at Chesterfield the Christinas before last owing to a ; spark falling upon one of their cotton- , wool dresses. Don't have naked lights on Christ- inas trees. Only BO recently as la. t Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Haei/.e, prominent members of New- York's "Four Hundred,!' were burned to death through lighting candles on a 1 Christmas- tree, erected In a drawing- room for the pleasure of their child- ren. The tree dry as tinder, caught fire, and soon the house, with all Its costly tapestry and valuable furniture and art treasures, was in flames. Mr. and Mrs. Kaetx.o could have escaped by walking out of the front door, but instead of doing so, they rushed up- stairs in search of their youngest child. Better bar snapdragon from your list of children's games. If you must have it, however, be careful not to stnrt replenishing the dying flames in the dish by pouring spirit on them out of a bottlo. There have been dozens of fatalities recorded owing to thin idiotic practice, and hundreds of minor accidents. The flame Is very apt to lep up, and communicate with the spirit in the bottle, which then, of course, explodes, with disastrous re- sults to all concerned. Small white china dolls, known as "pudding dolls," are put by many peo- ple into their Christmas pviddings in order to surprise and amuse the children. Don't you do this. The little ones are apt to swallow the dolls, under the Impression that they are al- monds or bits of suet, and If they get stuck in the nir passages asphyxia may very easily result. When pulling Cliristinas crackers, do not nmove the "snap" from its or- munontal outer case, or cover; neither i is it advisable to grasp the ends of the ' case, and tear the whole cracker apart | in the middle. Tho proper way to pull a Christmas cracker is for the two people concerned to grasp the opposite i ends of the snap between their fore- j linger and thumb, and give a short, 1 sharp pull. In this way any small flying parti- cles resulting from the explosion nre eniiRht and arrested by tho surround- ing caKo. There are ninny Instances of people, especially children, having been blinded through neglect of this precaution. Remember that the Christmas cracker snap Is made from fulminate of mercury, probably about the most powerful explosive known to science- its strength is many times greater than that of dynamite and although the quantity placed inside each indi- vidual cracker is very, very small, it Is, nevertheless, sufficiently large to do Irretrievable damage- to the eyes of a too Inquisitive child.. London An- swers. How to Cook Your Xmas Goose The goose is the time-honored Christinas bird. And there are even more ways of stuffing and roasting a goose than there are ways of stuffing ' and roasting a turkey. Before the stuffing, however, comes ' the choosing. And this is an import- ; ant part of the peparation of the Christinas goose. A goose is never fit to eat after it Is three years old, and is far better when it is less than three. The young goose has smooth, yellow legs, free from feathers. Its breastbone bends ! easily if the goose is tender as it i should be. If the feathers are left on the wings, as they sometimes are, ' they should be sharp and pointed in a' young bird, blunt in an old bird. The windpipe in a young goose is flexible and easily moved between the thumb and fingers. The flesh, of course, should be plump and elastic to the touch. The i feet should have short, sharp claws, as i the claws of an old bird are lortg and blunt. So much for the choosing. Next comes tile stuffing, and about this there Is a good deal of difference of opinion. Some persons put a few pared ap- ples and onions in a goose and remove them when the goose is cooked. Here is an old recipe for stuffing the Christmas goose: Season mashed i potatoes with pepper, salt and butter, sage and onion juice to make a savory stuffing. Fill the goose with this. Another old recipe calls for bread crumbs, chopped apples, sage, onion juice, salt, pepper and a little butter. Still another stuffing Is made in this way: Cook four peeled and cored apples and four onions in a suucciian until they are tender and then rub them through a sieve. Add to them jhalf a teaspoonful of sage, pepper, salt, i half a teaspoonful of thyme and a cupful of mashed potatoes. After the goose is stuffed rub it well with lard or sprinkle it thoroughly with flour. Put it in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper, add half a cupful of boiling water and roast, ! basting often, until it is tender. Cook I the giblets and chop them. Mix them i with the gravy in the pan In which the goose was cooked, thicken slightly, !skim off the grease and serve as gravy. Here is a way to cook a goose with a different sort of diesslng from any of those yet described: Hub the goose the night before it is wanted with salt, pepper, sage and sweet niarjorum, in- side and out. Make a dressing the next day of a handful of seeded raisins, the same amount of currants, a cupful of chopped sour apples, a mealy boiled potato, some butter and bread crumbs to make enough to fill the goose. Use no spices or other seasoning. A Ballad of Christmas With the old familiar sign The festival divine Kuddies the snow-clogg:d way, Butchers' and toy .shops flame Because the Lord Christ came T-o wash our sins a>vay. Without 'tis merry sn-.-\ving, A-roa-ring and a-alowing; \\ Uiin the wine is flowing, Aiitl men and maids are jolly \\iiii im*t!et<-e and holly Because the Lurd Christ gave Himself our souls to save Yet underneath the singing, The fiddling and' the flinging, A th-illgkt i c:i<l::'it - Sta/Jw Ilk:- a sue Men, - -:'i like a sr-r?.t hicid.-n, Laying its fiagprs chill ' 'i the heart of mirth That laughs for Jesus' s birth. (Out on such mel.in-h.jly, \Vi.h nm;I&Uie and holly I) From an old bock I road, Somewhere within ray head The si'.'.iry lini-ei Of a grim easHe h '-i. In ]. AJI 1 knig'a.ts and rii - T-, And ladies clad in \a . And s great feasting there, Torches and vivorU in air Thfn in s -me lull of mirth. 1'r- m far -ben- at h the earth Can?? thre a wailiiig The wild, v.as it. waiding? A wi ice of w<;e EO tai I held the fe.isters fas-t : Ho mlt'ht the lost in Hell Pierce l".r a li-Ule 'i ii- pi :'.,-' of Wiuh uncouth On?e more the feaste's i.i.u?hed,' cozened their fears an-d quaffed 'Twas but the knaves that lay, Far from the ligk of day, Beneath their dancing feet, Hatting and ra\ing. Chained dc-v.-n 'mid rats and s!im' (';'; out of space and time Souls not worth -a\ i . S<> kept they Lord Christ's day In tii'.' time fled away. \Vh:it was my thought, thought Heaiken tho whi-pt rine; snow Agair-t ,,he pane : Li<r;i Christ ! tin' ind -doth WonT A wi'd rji'rain ; L'liid'T, O music, p'ay. Nimbler, O dancers, ic.ile-- Xuv 1 music, cease to p'nv. Dancers, a spar,- abide, Hearken yon wai'iiny The wind, is it. wailing? Nay. 'tis the folk that lie Out in the nig'ht thore, The men that slime and die Vt\r from th? lisfnt there ; Frcm the oubliettes nf pain. From wheel and r:u-k ;i'id chain, Beneath your dancing feet, Trij iing s.> Het:, M> .-v. ?ct. l-'rom .full: that rav; 1 .T-, il r it, Forsaken a ad. forgot. (Amies the wild wind''; refrain, ('.'mi's all that wailing To-day as lung auo. I.-ong as the wind shall blow, Long as shall fall the snow. (Hut merry is th;- </reet, Aiul 'in?rrv is the hall, And a merry Christmas, all!) SHEPHERD'S VISION DEPICTED. Announcement of the Birth of tha Saviour. SKKMS TO ME. Seeims to mo the st-ars shime brighter Cihrist.mia.8 night ; Seems to me tihe snow lies whiter CJiritmias night ; That the solemn trees stand And the frosty moon sets later, Ami the/ hush 'is stiller, greater, Christmas night. Swins to me ad things are fewer Ohristnms night; Seems to me pljul tihings are truer Cihristin'a.9 night ; Seems to me th bells ring cleave? From their steeples, louder, nearer, St.- ems to me the whole world's den re r Christ innis night I PRAISES FOR PLUM PUDDING. "I have no patience," said one of our j best-known physicians to the writer, "with the people who heap abuse on i that grand British institution the; Christinas pudding. They are mar- j pleasures, who would, If they could, i rob life of nil its enjoyment. Why, so i far from being harmful, plum-pudding' Is a most nutritious dish; and, if prop-; erly made, at least as digestible as, most foods. My sympathies are all with the boy who demands "another slice." . If there Is any danger at all in pluni- puddlng, it is because it comes last in a too liberal meal, and thus has to bear the blame of the courses that have proceded It. This is Its misfortune, not its fault; and, even so, It would be harmless enough if people would only restrain their appetites a little, eat at the proper time, and assist digestion ' by excercise as they do on other days. Our advice to all who wish to enjoy their Christinas dinner to the full with-' out fear of consequences is to eat it in the evening not at midday when the digestive organs are at their best; and to help digestion by providing plenty of fuel in the shape of oxygen. This la best done by walking. London Answers It must have been about writes Thomas Nelson Papt- In Scrlb- ner's. Tlie moon had crept slowly up the sky and flooded the hills with light. The oldest of the slu-plierds was on watch, while the others ylept Many things revolved in his mind- the promises to Abraham anil tu his seed forever the words of peari- that the traveller from Nazareth bail spokon, swept through his memory. He began to dream. And the first thiiiK that struck him was the stranjro behavior of the sheep in the folds. They rose from the ground and facing towards the mountain, knelt as lambs kneel at their mother's sides. Hut they \\t-re all still, as still as if carved of stone. And while he wondered, suddenly there stood near him so suddenly that it was as if he had dropped down upon him a presence. He had no time to question a light a glory un- imaginable-brighter than the moon more glorious than the sun like tha glory of the I^ord. It awoke some ol the others. It was round about them, and they were sore afraid. Then a voice sounded In their ears --and tha angel said unto them: "l-Var not; for behold I bring you good tidings ol great joy, which shall be to all pruiiie; for unto you Is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, and this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped In swaddling clothes lying In a manger." Astonished and still terrified- stun- ned beyond thought the shepherds lay as they had been found and sud- denly there was with the angel a multi- tude of the Heavenly host, praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to men of good will." Then they went away upward up into the Heaven and only the shepherds were left on the earth with their flocks. When they re-'. covered their courage and looked up, the sky was as usual oa clear and cloudless nights and only the moon was shining- down, flooding th" fields with light. They liegau tu talk In low tones of what they had seen .=uul heard, and to wouder what it all meant. . ... i i . . :