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Marmee, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy Personified the, Spirit of Giving in Story, "Little Women" One of the most beloved stories in Ainerican liter- ature is "Little Women", by Louisa May Alcott. The Civil War-impover- ished Mardi family - the four "Little Women" guid- ed by. their courageous, firm yet kindly mother, Marmee, have, won gener- ations of friends as the years go by. 'No better time to meet the March ladies, than at Christmas. " 'Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents,' grumbled Jo, lying on the rug." (Jo, as you remember, was the "free spirit" among the girls, with animpulsive, outsýpoken way that some- times concealed -a warm and loving heart. "'It's so dreadful to be poor,' sighed Meg, looking down at lier old dress.' 'I don't think it's fair for some girls t o have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at ail,' added littie Amy, with an injured sniff. 'We've got father and mother and each other,' said Beth contentedly, from lier corner. The four young faces on which the fireliglit shone brightened at the cheerful words, but dark- ened again as Jo said sadly: 'We haven't got father, and shall not have him for a long time.' She didn't, say "perhaps neyer", but each silently added it, thinking of father far away, where the fighting was." But somehow the girls rallied their spirits, and determined to make a show of being happy, even if each one had a lump in her throat, thinking of her father in combat, per- haps lying on the wet snow with only the cold muzzle of a rifle against his cheek. Extending to you our besi wishes for mirth, beauly and Iran quility this Christmas and always. Thank you for your patronage. from all ofus at 5KIng St. E. 623-4321 piano and played lier "gay- est march". . . "Amy threw open the door, and Meg enacted escort with great dignity. Mrs. Mardi was bath surprised and touched; and smiled with lier eyes full as she exam- ined liher, presents, and read the little notes which accompanied them.. .. There was a good deal of' laughing and kissing and explaining, in the sim- ple, loving fashion which makes these home festi- vals so pleasant at the tii-ne, so sweet to remnem- ber long afterward... Before bedtime, Mar- mee gathered all the girls around lier, and, taking a well-worn letter from lier bosom, read to them ten- der words from husband and father. As love encircled the family, across the miles, in spite of hardships, ev-, eryone agreed - it had been a happy Christmas Day. j4 I~%>-~-J May Peace be wth you and your loved ones this specîal holiday season. Our best greetings of the season ta eveyone. Manager and Staff CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK 0F COMMERCE King and Temperance - Bowmanville Section Three The Canadian Statesman. Bowmanville, December 21. '977 7 r ains valued today as a Fran i &ýlkincen sle,%1Xe Obase for perfumr:es. the Treasures of thýle Magi, Was Once a VaIuabIe As Daod Development of a major commerce in frankincense and myrrh turned South Arabla, known as Arabia Felix, into a bustling trade center about 1200 BC. Camel Caravaris Wrapped in sheepskins or goatskins, the gum res- îns were carried in 20 to 40 pound bundles on camel caravans to factories in Egypt and other markets in the north. The Jews used frankincense to per-- fume their temples. Pliny wrote that frank- incense was so valuable that workmen at the f ac- tory in Alexandria, where it was processed, were forced to strip for inspec- tion at the end of each day's work~, - just as workers in today's South African diamond mines. The valuable resins also were taken north by the sea. So was gold, from the mines of the Queen of Sheba, whose monarchy was based at Marib, site of current archaelogical diggings to the east of here. Myrrh was regarded highly by the ancients as an unguent and a per- fume. It was use d for in- cense in temples and for fumigation. CANDLE LEGEND If you burn a bayberry candie during thýe Christ- mas holidiays, and the can- dle burns brýigh-t and clear, legend says that you will have good luck through- out the year' and a long and happy Mie. Ijsed as Medicine Frankincense was used as an incense and partic- ularly on funeral pyres. It also was considered val- uableas a medicine. No longer used in med- icine, frankincense re- Heres hping your Christmnas is auto..matically wonderful! Drive safely over teholidýays and ejyalthe wrmhand merrmentof the s, eason. f r9m the Mana em enad Staff of 331 Park Rd.S .- Oshi lawa SChilds' Ladies'Wear 137 wig St.iW. Bwanvile their meagre resources and buy their mother some presents. A dollar was ahl any of them had to spend;- they had hoard- ed their pennies for months to build up a fund for something nice for Marmee. And they wanted it to be a surprise. On Christmas morning they1 came downstairs to find that their mother had gone out on an errand of. mercy - an occurrence all to;o comxnon, in the eyes of their faithful friend and servant, Hannali, long, unpaid, but ever loyal. The girls waited for an hour, growing hungrier and hungrier, as they sniffed the aroma of buck- wheats coming from the kitchen. Finally Marmee came back, but only to ask the girls to sacrifice their own wants and needs this Christmas morning, and help lier carry a basket of good things to eat, along with firewood, to a cold and starving family near- by. Ail the "little women" felt that' this need, was greater than theirs, sa they gathered up the hot- cakes, the freshly baked muffins and the cream, and with Jo's arms heaped with firewood, the March- es made a Christmas morning visit to their neiglibors' house. Later, their own break- fast of only cold bread and milk seemed sufficient, be- cause their hearts were full of gratitude that, as poor as they were, they were able ta help those un- fortunates. 1As Marmee went into the kitchen ta thank Han- nah, the girls decided thal this wvas the moment- ta surprise their mother with the gifts. Beth rushed ta the old