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The Christmas Saint Christmas eve. Streets whit* wits swirling snow flakes. Marionetta, behind the eounteri of th* flve-and-ten, peered Into one at the little ten-cent mirrors M was her business to sell. Marionetta WM crying becauM ftere was no Santa Glaus. More than anything she hated to go back to the tiny basement flat that she an4 mother and Jim called home, and tell Jim the truth. Jftn. or Jimmy, aa Marionetta sways called him, was crippled. tarionetta Insisted that he was loo ttttle yet to know about Santa She had gone without her for days and days and saved Bfckels and dime; to buy th Jimmy wanted. Taat rery morning she had start 4 ewt to work, her precious ssv SUP tucked away In her purt, her heart all but singing outloud Then, when she cot off the car, i Jn the motley crowd her elbow and her purse ww knocked from her hand. Mar- toaotta dlred for It, but another sired *t the same time and when bo otralghtened up a small, flying Orsre WM crossin* the street. That WM why her feet lagged on hr homeward way. or hand ML the door of the OMomont flat, at the dirty tone- nent BOOM where she llTed, sh noticed a big automobile drawing 9 at the curb, and an etacantly irsossd lady slumming. Showing Cl Bhe turned her back OB t)i- Viotaro, Rung open the door and stopped tasld*. "Hello, Sis." Jimmy rooked up rightly. "Tonight's the nlghtl" ilaxlonetta looked dully at her mother. "1 toot my purse," she said tone >ee(7. "Some kid snatched it this wrndnc. It looked just like that MoCarty kid that comee to play with Jimmy so much but h ran < fast I eonldn't be sure-." "Don't cry, honey." her mother aid. "We'll make out, somehow." There was a knock. Mrs. c'lai: went to the door and opened It. There stood the lady of the big mtomoblle, hr arms piled hie I) with packages. is this where Jimmy Clancy "Too ma'am." Mrs. CIanc> tteppod back. "Won't you com 01 r The lady stepped luside. Siie kept smiling at Jimmy whose eyes wore wide and bright. "1 met Santa Glaus down the otreet this afternoon. Jimmy," 'i" aid, "and b ssked If I would to-uxg these things to you. He said M wa going to he very busy to nlfhf Jimmy was feverishly tearing ai me packages, which the Tady ha<l dropped Into a big chair besi'.le him. Aa his hert'e desires enu- ed from t'loir tinsel wrappinss Jimmy shouted with delimit. Under cove>r of th excitement Markmetta drew near the p:t*n\ lady and whispered: "Tell me bow you knew aboni Jhnmy?" "Why, my dear, it's such :i strange story! This morning I saw. a little boy suatch a purse that someone dropped, and when he ran way I bad my chauffeur follow abn and bring him back to me. Ho told me be wanted to kf<*p the money to buy tome toys for a UtUe orippled fr!e>nd whose fo'.ks too poor to buy things for I promised him I'd play Claus to Jimmy if he'd pro salae me to wait on that corner for the girl who dropped the )>ur8e, Tory morning at th same hour, mtil he found her and gave It baeh to her." "Why," cried Marionetta. "Did you ever hear anything so like a fairy tale? That was my puree, and It really was Jerry McCarty, mother! There was such a crowd he couldn't see who dropped It He'd never have stolen but It wasn't stealing. And just to think that a moment ago I was doubting the Christmas saJnt!" The lady laughed. Then In that clear voice she said: "Well just to make you even more sure of him, I'm going to bring a famous doctor to see Jim- my the day after tomorrow, and I'm going to have him take Jimmy to a hospital and cure that bsd leg of his. The good Christmas saint doesn't want to find him crippled when he conies back next veer." The Cock Crowed Why does the cock seem to crow with unusual persistence during December? Our ancestors believ- ed It was to scare away evil spir- its from the holy season. They cherished many legends which made a hero of Chanticleer at Christmas time, although they eontinued to eat him with zest. The most widely - circulated story concerned the bird's behavi- our in Herod's palace on the first Christmas morning. The king had observed the lon- ely star of Bethlehem In the ky. and asked his steward to inter- pret its meaning. "It is a sign," said the steward, "that a greater than Herod U born." "Nonsense," commented the king. "I would sooner believe that the cock on my platter could crow." Whereupon the well- dressed fowl, lying on the royal plate, stretched forth a bony neck and crowed lustily. Simple Games For New Year's Party New Year's parties are always tun, but they will achieve new life and Interest if several new games are Included with the old favorites. Spelling bees and guessing con- tests have been played for many years, but a few modern varia- tions of these games can make them more popular than ever. Spell sdrawkcaB Little enthusiasm will probably be noticed when a good old-fash- ioned spelling bee is announced. Before the game is over, however, the guests will probably be wond- ering If they ever knew how to spell, because the words in this contest must be spelled back- wiards A UtUe competition will enliven the game, so arrange the guests into two or three teams, then tell thep that to save embarrassment the words will all be simple ones. Each contestant will toe eliminat- ed from tile- game when he makes his second miss, and the first team to be spelled down loses the game. After casually announcing that the words must be spelled back- wards and with no "second chance" if a wrong start is made, start the fame going with simple words such as dog, cat, boy and so on. When the players have caught on, make the words Increasingly difficult. To keep the game moving and to dispel any possible sus- picion of favoritism It Is best to read the words from a list pre- pared In advance. Guessing Time Anybody can estimate the length of a second, but few people know how long two or three minutes will last. Have the guests sit in a circle around the room and announce that you n;v suing to ask iliem to estimate the amount of timo It take: lor fo'ir minutes to pass. The Nativity (St. Luke II) I And there were in the same country shepherds abiding In the field, keeping watch ovar their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the> glory of the Lord slioue round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you Is born this day In the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ Hie Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there wai with the angel a multitude of the hea\&nly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the high- est, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Clap your hands when the four minutes Is to start. To prevent the guests from counting out the time to themselves pass around some more refreshments, or ii soneone can *play the piano, sing a song they all know.. This will not last more than a minute or two, and It will throw the players completely off count. Then sit in silence, waiting for the time :o pass. Soon the guests will beg;:i calling off "four minutes" anJ from there on the game will Uke care of Itself. The "secret of success" at a par- V at this kind Is to play eacii game only a short time before changing to a new game. No mat- tre how much the guests are en Joying a game, It is advisable top the game after a few minixe* and change to something else. Mothers' Night The oldest English name for Christmas is Moddra Night, or Mothers' Xight. in the early days, when our Saxon forefathers had just settled down in the coun- try that was to bs England, the day of December 25th was given over to feasting, but the night was dedicated to the special honour of mothers. They occupied the seais of honour, and everyone brought them gifts. Sons and daughters who had gone out into the world strove to be at home *r. that one night in the year. A little later the name Yule was given to Christmas, and the re- joicings of the day were prolong- ed into night, when men sang and told stories sitting round the cheerful blaze of the Yule log. The old customs of Mothers' Night gradually died out, though they still survive in a few parts of the country. Its place has betn taken to some extent by Mother- ing Sunday in the North of Eng- land. On that day everyone who can do so still makes a pilgrim- age homewards, and the mother receives the homage of her fa.m- ily. Add Gay Colors To Yule Candles Christmas candles for gifts or table decorations can be made at home from bits of discarded can- dles, and tne whole family may sav* fun doing it. There is no Hn.it to the shape and size of mold to be used. Card- board boxes such as salt packages or ice cream cartons are vory sat- isfactory. The canons in which buttermilk ia sometimes sold are good for th* tapered candles. Good results have even been re- ported with fancy gelatin molds of certain types and with jelly glasses. The wick may be tastend through a hole in the bottom of the cardboard containers, but in smooth-bottomed molds, it must be kept in plac* by pouring in a little wax at a timo around it, and then allowing it to harden. Arrange two smail sticks at right angles at the top of the mold and tie the wick in the centre to that it will be held securely in place during the whole process. Common string, the wick from in old candle, or commercial candle wicking sold at variety stores or in needlework depart- ments may all be used for the homemade candles. Dipped Candles All wax to be used in a single candle should be melted in the same container, as it is difficult to match colors. Wax crayons are good coloring matter, and some women have used lipstick with success. As the wax cools in the mold, a hole will be formed down the centre. Enough wax of the same color should be saved to fill this hole. Lacking enough old candles to make the large ones now so popu- lar, tallow candies can be made from these proportions: 10 ounces of tallow, V4 ounce of camphor, 4 ounces of beeswax and 2 ounce* of alum. Melted paraffin, wh.i is sometimes used, is hard to dye and breaks easily. To make dipped candles, one end of the wick is fastened to a stick or pencil, and the wick dip- ped into the melted wax for a short time. As many candles as can be fully immersed at each dipping may be made at one time. If the surrounding air is cool, it is not necessary to dip the candles In cold water. For a clear bright red candle, it is best not to use such darl: colors as blue and j.-ccn candles in the melting down process. How- ever, very often the layer of color is just on the outsi.le, and it can be scraped off and the rest of the candle used. Christmas Carols The singing: of Christmas carols originated in England. According to tradition, this is the chorus of the very first: "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth, Peace. Good will toward Men." A Real Christmas Wrapping Small Gifts An unusual way 10 wrap a num- ber of small gifts that are to be given in a good-sized Christmas box is to tuck each one In an en- velope mad* of either plain red, holly, stiver or gold paper. Wrap each gift first In plain white tis- sue paper, folded in envelope style, and seal the flaps of both th* inner and outer envelopes with contrasting seals. Patterns for the envelopes can be cut from ordin- ary envelopes by tearing one apart and either enlarging on U or trim- ming It down. Christmas Special A lattice crust sets off a color- ful fruit pie. It's made with strips of dough twisted or laid flat across the pi* at right angles. Bach strip should be moistened where it meets the rim of pastry. Another trick to ihow off the fill- ing, and at the same time make the pie a Christmas special, is to cnt out little trees and scars from the pie dough, prick with a fork, dost with nutmeg and granulated sugar, and bake In a hot oven a few minutes until lightly browned. Then arrange the pastry out-outs OB the cooked pit. First Christmas Tree In Strassburg, Germany, in 1604. the first Christmas tree ap- pears in literature. It is thought that the custom of using Christ- mas trees in Germany spread from Strassburg. When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, he introduced the Christinas tree custom into Eng- land. From the early emigrants of Germany and England was derived the custom of the Christmas tree in America. Accidents Offer Threat To Gaiety K can spoil the festive gai- ety of a Christmas celebration more completely than a tire or ac- cident in the home. There are sev- eral essential precautions which will help to assure a truly Merry Christmas. Don't risk using frayed cords and broken plugs. Don't handle el-.vtriral applian- ces with wet hands. Don't yank .it cords or run them under rui;s. Don't forget to liave insulated staples on iiand for stringing cords around. Don't overload your hoi.se cir- cuit. Usually 1,000 watts is ae much as any 0110 circuit will stand. Don't neglect providing plenty of extra lamp hullis of tile various sizes and rotors you're- using for Christmas cheer, so you can re- place hiirneU out one*. Don't put pennies in a blown- out HIM' A hlowii !'ii>'. is a warn- ing! Uou't :ia\ii liigil u .titugo lamp bulbs tioar fancy inflammable or- naments. synthetic materials, pa- per or cocon. W.itch out about usiiiu ' ami'"?, too near draperies, wall pa.pcr or woodwork. Oou't plan to liavo a row of candles too rloso t > a mirror or the h-.it may cnn-li it. An>: a-Uove all, don't Diirn real caudles on your cii i. < .ms tree unless it 'las lirsl h>'en :ii;;.'ou: Uly HnproofML "Oh. tookK, lookit. JUnnii*. Ooeen't It look Uke a real baby* Just "magine it's for me!" And UtUe Sally's face was radiant with tie imagined joy. "Ah, that's nothing but a dolll Tou girls!" and Johnnie's nose turned uip with disgust. "If you're lookln', lust lookit that!" and he pointed to a scooter that leaned proudly agalnet the wall In the how window. "That's what Santa Claus has picked out for me." And Johnnie's eyes- shone. A well-dressed man standing near them heard the words, and looked curiously at the ragged children. As he saw his wife ap- proaching, the children started on, but not before he heard the boy say to his sister, "It's no use 'niag- Inlng anything this year. Aunt Meg doeen't even have a chlmbley for Santa to crawl down, and he probably doesn't oven know that daddy and mother aren't here any more," and his brave lltt!e l!p quivered. Tae man turned to his wife, wno had Juet reached him. "Madge, took at that window." But her voice was shrill with a hysterical grief, as she exclaimed: "Oh, Phil, I can't look at those toys. You know I can't. When little Blsle Is dead, and we have no on* to make Christmas for." "But, Madge, tliat Is what I mean. We have someone to make a Chrletmas for. See tuose kids there, Just going round th< .-or- nor? They are the Mayne ! ran, whose father and mother wpr* killed in that factory fire !at month. They're living with their aunt, who already bus four ,-:nl- dren of her own, anil her husband lo only working part tima since the fire." He said no more but watched his w'fr anxiously. Her look of grii-f turned 3i.\:y to one of que*tion!ng an-1 then pleasure. "We'll do It'" she wluhur- : :n glatl tones. "I heard them i?ll eovii what they warvii," Phil saiii ;ov- ously So on (.".i.-i-im.is moriiiK ^>ai:.v and Johnnie were surprised to have an auto >tnv up in ; onl of their Aun' Mep's 'HHIS.V .ind have a fine hip in. in ask them to go home with liim - o dinner there, when ':'.">' ">! tak their coa;s and IKU<. t'.u-y t\>u::.i n lovely Christmas tv-e with a beau- tiful doll anil a ;>.-ri>ct:y grand scooter, and a iu-w Miit. for n!e and a dress lor S.illy w!ii<-ii made her t-yc* sparkle with joy. "We don't wan; you to go home." Mrs. Vigare *ind wLi"ii ill* children uepan to talk about hav- ing to go, after the '.iinnei' of tur- key and cranberry sauce and all the fixings. "We want you to stay. don't we. Phil'. 1 "Indeed we do, for we neeil a little boy aaul girl in our luu-.-." Phil Vlgnrs replied, with a hdvi'Y smile on his face. And he ad.;.-!, under his breath, us he gave lii wife a mighty hug. "This is real Christmas, Madge. I'm glad tuer< was plenty of room at this inn.' Candles such lov'.y The-- 1 ..... ii:-s things All . ..jer-tipped and bright. They K'.\-C the mellow radiance I like on Christm-is night. So I have lighted small red onco Upon the waiting tree; Tall green ones on the mantel shelf To show the room to me. But this so slender, silver ono - Much beauty cheaply priced I bought to mark my window sill With the halo of the O'hr:-'. Ami shepherd-like, :i:l through th* night, Wiiti-him; aiTo^s the hill, It will remind .-"im- traveler Of peace ami of good will. Pc'nsettia Lacks Yule Tradition The poinseitia has no Christmas- tradition. ro^ewiiiK' bca-itifu -,-fi and green iea\e< (the f!'<- ihemsejves be ing the small \ v centres) , and iu.in^ availa'i,. .kt this season, the hrilliance and color of this plant a:iil much to Christmas dec-masons. The plant is native to Central .'. meriea and Me.xiro and was a<l:>pteil ^onio- year-; :i',u t.o , It), a'.ion ' Or. Pohvxlt of Charlie-Hi. S. ( . It i modem and American.