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The Voice Beloved , BY M. JESSIE LEITCH. Snow had Nellie was nn only child. There had day long, Tt fli i t H Eve *"" *""* TWiita arum nn oniv cnuo. inerw nnu oivmuuou i... ...... .,.... ...... .. mjl" ]>.> n falling softly all the woods ^.oftne^ y ^ ^ty.^en year, | coal and wood and apples and home- ^ approached the machine awkwardly, reverently. "There's a song on the other Mde." ho said softly and adjusted the needle nnd turned the little lever. , "Be it ever so humble, there'll no like homo," snng the voice that Nellie was nn only child. There had skimmed thick cream from a milk ; pan p]ace j, kc horno gririg the volca tnnt been a boy who died in infancy. His In the cellar that was very old-fash- WM unbe i )cvably fu u ot gMen not e 8 father could not bear to talk about jloned and very full of vegetables and that flooded U|e ]ltt , e room wRh mel . Holiday time Is the time for rich [ of it dropped Into cold water, will form appetizing confections, a firm ball. Then add two tablespoon- recipes that are as whole- ! f uls of butter, cook the mixture until some as they are good : it reaches the "hard-ball" stage, add Silence. with white! since little John had been burled In made pickles. ^ ^ ^^ ^ ^j g<> ( , litt]e ,, Ne])y ^ ^ hw ^ Q^ ~Date" "Creams.-Beat two one cupfu'l of nut meats and pour the It will be a white Christmas." said church. I the graveyard plot behind the village tfohn Dobbe, pausing to stamp the snow off his feet before he entered the kit- chen that was freshly scrubbed as to floor and fragrant with the spiclness tof Christmas cakes and puddings. Mary Dobbs, his wife, paused In her fluting of pie crust to glance anxiously at his hand. It was empty. He had gone to the village for the Twenty-seven years! i vw viii>jr "ow vut f v* ** / ii i i. Sometimes when John Dobba sat for table at each other It was Christmas a long time looking into the blaze of Eve the Mth since Nellie wejt the old cook stove on winter evenings,; his wife, seeing the loneliness in his eyes, would put down her sewing or her knitting and place a gentle hand on his arm. "Our John would have been a man " she would say, without Tne V finishing the sentence, or Just hold his '*> ' little "white covered" table ^ the spot- 9 nes on Christmas Eve. Truly she had tablespoonfuls of butter until it is ' whole Into a greased pan. When it is IM kitrhan and smiled across the not forgotten "the old folks at home!" creamy. Add one cupful of confec- ! cool cut It into square* !r ' '"" K There wore other record.. Holy tioners' sugar a little at a time and | Peanut Bars^-Shell one quart of Christmas song, beat the mixture well after every ad- roasted Spanish peanuts, remove and O Little Town of Bethlehem, the dltion. Add one scant tablespoonful ' skins and chop the nuts fine. Beat the hymn that Nellie had sung first of all of cream, drop by drop, and flavor the white of one egg until it is stiff, and when she was a baby, lisping the whole with vanilla. Stone a pound of while you beat add gradually one cup- words, and singing them all to one dates, fill the centres with the cream ' ful of brown sugar, one quarter tea- exoresi Durnose of getting the mall, finishing the sentence, or just hold his ' " ' ' " "" TTJEr: tc JL *:**. W^J^*^_*M r^vr r n . resolutely. said Mary _?M " y tune, and songs they could not under- mixture and roll the candies in sugar. ' spoonful of salt and one-half tea, J; h 8t and because the words wer. French Orape Caramels.-Place two cup-; spoonful of vanilla. Fold the peanut nd Italian. But the voice wa* Nellie's fuls of milk and one cupful of sugar! metta into the mixture, spread the was come to thcm mcroS8 the miles . , a gauc and gtir the m , xture who , e , a ar6( buttered the same unspokn grief was in hu Cold, John?" she asked, balancing j heart as was in her own. For every of tears couded the'* deft ta SS SSa '^A W? S*> the world f gj~* , She wiped them away soling If h^^he^re her child yearns sooner or later for a man child HerolcaHy John, ook ng straight a undOT . n . ath the last record untj , , t reachtg ^ ^j,^ ^ Ad(J t , n and bake , t in , glow oven . that the y f< ? und the ^ter-a real on. cupful of grape-jam oV marma- When the candy is done cut it into Christmas letter, full of tenderness lade and cook the whole until a little bar, with a sharp knife. ' She wiped them away rsmas er, u o nerns h w >P e ! ''" V and plar , g for ttnothe r Christmas when smiling instead of her husband. "NoTcold. ~A bit disappointed. I'd set my heart on that letter with a foreign stamp. It's not like Nellie to he old folks at home' the day boy grown tall. As age comes on John Dobbs looked all of his sixty it Is the ringing step of a man who is! ^ e j;f 8 , w " e ful !' young and full of strength and cour-l ! thi . nk I B go > age that they want. And "If Nellie and marry! sound of children's footsteps in the " , :' " rt ' " . J. they should be together. Next they her, did not see her tears, because his >. ,,,.,..:,, t , ,.., ,. ' to the express Mother, and take he said. "There The Christinas Spirit. Hoo! Ray! Christmas is her* again. How good it Is that it Comes every " Just then the jangle of sleigh bells >-v~>. old house." This was what Nellie's sounded in the yard. The old people years a, h. dragged off hl ' o"h"e \ mother woujd breftthe gofu to her . 8prang up , hope shining in their eyes, te.ced them in th* wx>db x and hung vo , ike Nellle . 9( ' c l utch ing at the very springs of their lls old woolen Jacket up behind the M ^ ioor. Nellie! Could it be possible marry? Mary Dobbs was not quite | that their little Nellie had corn found a photograph tho last, best picture of their girl. With shaking hands, they unwrap- ped the tissue paper, even tearing the year . And the greatest thing about bright little Christmas sen!*. Nellie! Christmas is the Christmas Spirit. Their "little" Nellie! Oh, of course, there are the big "She's just like Fhe used to be, only dinners, the chicken, the potatoes, the taller," her mother said. "She favors you, Mother." "But she has your eyes, John,' raid cranberries. But what man is there with a healthy outlook on life who does not take delight in such things? Mary Dobbs, reaching over to clasp And there are the numerous gifts, liis hand and then they placed the both going and coming, which are of ^ - - - _ itimu *MIX1 ** WJ*.J j^ii vi. w L/ULI1 BCUII11 Certain It was that little Nellie,' But it was only Jim Greggs from thej photo on the centr , ^blt, sat down especial ' icr" they called her In the news- j next farm and Mary Dobbs' hands and loo]^ at j t M jf tney would never folks. (I pie. into the oven moved that came from across the sea, were cold as she tried to put a note prima genuine cheer into the voice that wonderful to read her letters about responded to Jim's shout. "Christmas , w ., talg . " Mdt!Dgtigtmenia and concerts box for you!" Q{ & little-girl touch ofi Jim was lifting a huge box from tire of looking. As the clock struck twelve, John tn th t? suggest There is a Star. Once in the silent midnight skies there. gleamed A star that filled the earth with glorious light, And shepherds on the hillsides were afraid And wise men journeyed 'cross the' land that night This Christmas eve there is a star*. that glows Although across the night no radi- ance starts w Blelgh wh , ch was loaded with cep|a>> , gma ,, pine tree> 8undry , umpy ftheery old cook stove, glanced a rtlock above the lamp shelf and jfomething about getting supper. . She knew that there would be no other ^"^ hail until Christmas morning. ^ g,^',,; ^ i ong r.i nce di8ap . \ parcels that bespoke the presents for j a note "There was nothing else, John? she peared f rom }, er letters, every one of the Sunday School Christmas Tree, ofi co0 ,p are Continued, as he untied a bundle of wn i cn wag carefully hoarded to be which, for many years, Jim had been papers and felt for the glasses that read over ^^ over aga j n- There was Master of Ceremonies.. <fcrere pushed up into his grizzled hair. agsupance and confidence In those) "This young piano was lying at the "There's a card, some place. Some- g rown . up letters. And there was express office waiting for you, John," thing about a parcel at the express pride Sometimes her mother wonder- he said. "It came from Halifax and Office, but I called for it and it wasn t ^ if there ^ght not be a little vanity a deal of trouble they've gone to, pack- there. Here's the card you read it.' _ lt all 8eeme d so greatly of the world, ing it and painting your name on the "It's from Nellie! The parcel is the u j k of Nellie's about the gowns , outside of the box in capital letters, from Paris. Perhaps the last train she had to buy for her Ia8t concerts, 1 Look at that!" *asVt in, John? If you'd only waited!" the part i egi the friends, the dinner j "What can it be? Nellie must have Mary Dobb's face was flushed, her part i 08 j n strange cities that sounded sent it," said Mary Dobbs with shining yes were shining. B0 very very f ar nwa y. I eyes. "There isn't a soul in Halifax "I was so disappointed about the John p bbs rustled his papers be- ' who would be sending things to us letter that I didn't pay much attention fore the fire The kcttle wag sten m- ' unless Nellie." put the first record on again, tenderly, the Christmas tree*, and the Christ- this is an opportune time for all of us [And floods the world; hid in a little to be young folks). And there are and the notes of Home Sweet filled the room and their heart;. "It's a wonderful Christmas morn- holly, and the Christmas bells, red bells, green bells, white bells, and joyous decorations of all kinds and! prayer There is a star of faith within all hearts. Gladys Bryant. to the card," he said. ing. Setting it back, abstractedly, Eleanor Dobbs had been in Paris' Mary Dobbs fried potatoes as she had for five years. She had a voice. She done for thirty years, at supper time, studying Grand Opera. Her par- ! cut bread and opened a can of jam, "But Nellie is in Paris," said John. "This came from Halifax." "Let's get it in the house," said practical Jim. Across the threshold, fnt* were very proud of her. They fried bacon and eggs, made coffee,! into the lamplit kitchen, they dragged very lonely without her but took an apple pie from the oven nnd it. Mary brought a hammer. John Dobbs attacked the case methodically, saving the nails as he drew them out. It was a music box, the finest and the best that any of the trio had ever seen. Tho mahogany shone in the lump light Mary Dobbs touched it with hands that were tremulous and Eleanor had a voire and voices, her poachers had always said, were few 0nd far between. It had all begun years before when Eleanor, a shining-haired little girl of five, stood on the schoolroom plat- form and sang at the Christmas tree entertainment. So sweet, even then, were her baby tones, that there had been t< ars in her mother's eyes when she lifted her down from the platform. The <'li ilil, frightened by the applause which followed her little song, had hidden her face in her mother's lap and refused to sing again. Year after year, as she grew, "Eleanor was always Kinging about the house, at her lesions, at her play injring to her dolls, singing to her father as he sat before the oven door at night In the little farm kitchen. "Nellie must have her voice trained. It's u gift," her father would say. And mother, listening to the golden omething in the child's song, would dorc it silently and without telling anyone, go without a new dress that * might put tho money away toward ,e training of their darling's voice. ing," whispered Mary Dobbs whwi th designs, all of which are but outward ' died away, sweet beyond, expressions of that divine spark of love and good will which we please to term "The Christmas Spirit" We learn from Him Whose birth we commemorate ih-t it h more pleasing to give than to receive. It is not nec- essarily the most expensive gifts that mean most It is the spirit In which the gift is given that counts. The thoughtful word, the friendly deed, the kindly act, things that cost little, but carry with them a feeling of friendliness, and helpfulness, and good will, are the things that bring joy and are contagious. Forget yourself and try these things on your family, your friends and your neighbors. Then note the peaceful pleasure that follows. The true spirit of good fellowship toward others never fails to come back to you. It is "The Christmas Spirit." Says Germany Seeks War Andre Tardleu. n famous French- eagerly caressing. A card, bright with ,_ who gays that Germany has been scarlet ribbons, was tied to the inside , )repar i ug men and armaments undis- of the cover and in Nellie's writing tllrbcd for fourtee n months, and wer? the words, "Merry Christmas to char ge 9 United States citizens with the best Mother and Father that ever financ i ng the Imports of cotton and lived, from their Nellie." . copper, which amounted to twice the "I'm K'ad she mentioned your name amounts Imported by France. first Mother," said John Dobbs, shakily. "Open her up! Ix't's have a tune. These must be the records," nnd Jim Day Christmas Eve. flickers into dusk; the street lamps flower Like saffron poppies in the heart of night; The petals of the snow drop hour on hour Until firth blossoms like a of white. Looking for Immigrants Mrs. Horace Parsons, one of the ladles sent to England to ulect new citizens for Ontario. IN THE GIFT OF A GREAT BOOK YOU CONSPIRE WITH GENIUS "What shall I give my friend for Christmas?" "Do you mean friend, or is It only ^omebody you happen to know?" i "Friend!" with genius. Next to the great writer is the one who finds for him the light reader. Books carry the eed of life. Scatter them widely In the hope of harvest Plant them one by one in the mont "Wi;ll, nothing is too good in that . Give a skyscraper or one of the fer D tile , " oil y u t can thousand Islands or a Russian wolf- PV , Br ? R . n ? t u Tf* T Lund or a grand piano or a grain of, "*& >"" and , th mo ^ b d - ^ Hllim ,, ly universal means of expression. In I ''em is restoration and repose. In ; thum is the irresistible call to go on. There are plenty of good books and there will be more. What the world needs is better use of them. Business men declare that invention and production have outrun effective merchandising, that is, bringing the . right thing to the right person. In dreamed of books carried the greatest! no field ls this ^ lrue as ln literature, messages of mankind around" the Tha maS8 of peou .i e know ny hearsay And with all the rest, books. Or If you can't give anything else, books. Kor in them Is the magic 'I 1 ' that commands the universe. all the treasures of Books draw the stars from tho sky the pearls from the deep. Before wirel<*s telegraphy was ever World and across the centuries. Book* anticipate all discoveries and keep the precious past from the hands of thieving Time. Moving pictures of ancient civiliza- tion flash upon the silver screen of the reader's mind. We cannot go back that there arc such thingn as hooka. In a population of 9,000,000 a sale of 900 copies is called good, 9,000 la amazing. Not the sale but the situa- tion Is amazing. Part of it is the fault of authors, publishers und booksellers. But tho and make phonograph records of dead; greater lack is In the reader or in him lingers, but in the old poets the' who might be a reader, or in him who ythms of long ago sing to the Inner the arts and all the sciences nsmit their treasures in print. So might create a reader by a well chosen gift. Libraries are good, but what we need is more individual ownership and jpftch new generation finds the stored i use of books not as so much paper jnatfi lal for a continual recreation of and Ink and binding, but as means of life. he world. He who gives a book touches the plrit of life, plnys upon the keys of organ whoa* tones will sound per- ips In other Und. and in other ren- arles. The giver of books may be a con- Books are food to eat, books are air to breathe, light for the eyes, a path for the. feet and a hand to clasp In the dark. Give books. dive Canadian books) Grcggs, with neighborly frwdom, be- mn8 R nn i lo open a smaller box fastened Making Mothers Merry. Thc ol(leat Kn Ugh name for ,, Moddra Njht or Mothcr9 . N , ht In the ear , d wh(m QUr B ' y December 26th wltt .heavy cord. Jim took a record at Saxon forefathere hud just 8ettled random and put it in place. He want- j down , ^ eount thftt WM to ^ ed to hear the new music box. There was a moment's grating, whirring, then a woman's voice rang out-golden In Its clarity-full of ^j^Vwr ofTotWs" tenderness. Mary and John stared, i speechless, the color of sweet surprise ' Midnight and silence; calm, cold hills look down Upon a valley stretching still and . far; Low In the east beyond the little town Glimmers the Christmas candle of a A Broken Man. H. J. Daly, president of thi> Home Bank of Canada, who appeared recent- ly in court to answer charges of con- spiracy, as a weak and broken man, supported by a nurse. Hit appearance was followed on Friday by the seizure of Home Bank books and papers at tho head offices, by offlcers of the Ontario Attorney-General's Department. The rose papers refer to loans made to com- panies In which director.] of the bank were interested. flushing their faces, flooding their eves a lovely light "It's Nellie's voice!" Mary Dobbs O ne night in the year. A little later the name Yule was was sobbing. She was on her knoas beside the beautiful Instrument, her arms clasping tho nhining wood. John Uobbs made no attempt to hide the i n^hl, when men sang and told tears that streamed down his face. Jim sluing round the cheerful blaze of the How to Serve the Christmas Dinner No matter how simple the Christ- place-cards will enable both guests and mas dinner may be, some attempt ' family to be seated without confusion should be made to give it a holiday and will add to the table decorations. air. An appropriate centrepiece can If soup forms the first coarse, place be made by arranging evergreens, ' the soup in hot soap plates or bouillon berries, seed pods and other pretty cups, either of which should be placed things from the woods or the fields, ) on other plates and placed before each In a low basket or in a pie plate, filled person. One authority claims that with moss. everything except beverages should be Cover the table with a nicely lann-l handed and placed from the left An- dered table-cloth laid over a silence other authority claims that soup given to Christmas, and the rejoicings cloth andf at each plac , or c<mr> a J should be handed from the right They iLu. Jut* r!!*. !"5T..i!i n !?--Z! U U caUed - *r r nK * necessary} also disagree as to whether the plates i, silver and the napkin. At i should be removed from the left ot . dau K hter8 f had K one out the world strove to be at home on that Greggs took his cap off and listened with wonder and incredulity on his face. He had known "Dobbs' girl" all her life. "I love the dear silver that shines in. her hair " sang the voice. 'It's you she means, Mother," said John Dobbs huskily, and drew his wife into tho tender curve of his arm until the golden voice was still. Jim Greggs Yule log. an Informal dinner the large plate is not placed at the cover until the per- The old customs of Mothers' Night ion ig gerved At a formal dinnel . f a gradually died out, though they sti 1 cccktail of frult or .hell-fish, or clams The important thing is to haw the food served and removed as easily and quietly as possible. . . ^.. ...... w ........ v v ..vm. ...,.., v . ......... After removing the soup plates. survive In a few remote parts of Brl- or ^ on ^ half-shell may be place the main dish and the hot din. Its place has been taken to some placed , t .,,. covcr Mothering Sunday In v v i n North of England. On that day every- UMt8 If individual th dining-room. ncr P 1 **^ b** " ^e Poraon who is U ', crve (usually the head of the fam, " and "peppers" H y ). Vegetable dishes can b* placed ' . one who can do so still makes pil- Rre not U8ed lacp , ones Rt each ' , n front of other mwnber . grlmage homewards, and the mother end f receives the homage of her family. ONE DARN THING AFTER ANOTHER John Bull -"Step along, gentlemen, I'm getting used to It." front tho News ot the World. table. Bread, on plates or ily or obliging guests. The person bread-trays., can also be placed on the who carves asks each person hi* pref- table, with jelly, pickles or other rel- erence as to light or dark meat, places ishes. A serving of butter is placed it on the plate and passe* the plate to on each butter-plate, and the glasses those who are serving the vegetables, are filled with water. The napkin can who pass each plate to the person for be left flat. whom it is intended. When this course HOW TO PLACE TUB 8ILVKR. i is finished, remove the plates, the Flat silver is placed one and one- bread, jelly and relishes and serve the half inches from the edge of the table, salad. the sharp edges of knives toward the Arrange the salad on plates and plate. The bowls of spoons and the keep in a rool plac until served. The tines of forks are turned up. The glass crackers and cheese arc placed on the is placed just beyond the tip of the table, then passed from one to another, knife, the br^ad-and-butter plate a Remove salad plates, crackers, cheese, little beyond the forks. Sauce dishes pepper and salt, brush crumbs from should bo placed at right of plate, but the table with a folded napkin and a j if the coffee-cup occupies that space plate, refill the glasses and serve the ' push the sauce dish farther up. Place dessert, the necessary spoons beside the dinner TEA-WAGON A GREAT HELP. , knife, and the butter spreader upon tho The dessert plates, nuts, raisins. bread-and-butter plate. j and candy and certain desserts can be NO DINNER COMPLETE WITHOUT Tin i ready on a side table or a tea-wagon, HOSTESS. j which is a great help in serving din- By careful planning everything can ner. Ice cream, hot puddings and pies be arranged in the kitchen before the must be brought in from tho kitchen, dinner begins. Foods can be dished The dessert and dessert plates are and placed in the warmer or in a very placed before the hostess \vho serves moderate oven. The happiness of this course. Nuts, raiilns and candy guests and family depends largely are also placed upon the table. Coffee upon having the hostess at the table is poured in the kitchen and served and every one will be glad to help and with the dessert, unless It ia preferred, make the serving as light as possible, with the dinner. Sugar and cream are The call to dinner should be obeyed at either placed upon the tabl* or passed once. If guests are present, simple when the coffee U MrvwL