Daily British Whig (1850), 11 Dec 1908, p. 17

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. . . ! Sixty Years Ago. In the village of Elstow, Bedfordshire, the John Bunyan in his. early married days, Christmag¥sixty years ago) was spent in a4 fashion unlike the Christmas times. The home in which' the writer White, in' Canadian Baptist) spent his Christmas in Elstow sixty years ago, was that of a substantial farmer who tilled four hun dred acres of the rich larids of Bedford vale At midnight' the church bells peeled out in merry the birthday of the Prince of Peace. By the early hour of three o'clock on morning, the Waits stood around Christmas carols. The band of musicians was led by good old master Hall, the church sexton, a devout man fifty years of age: It was a brilliant moonlight and a very cold winter's morning. A stream of music broke forth in the air, as if fairies might The moon beams fell casement of the old The sounds became soft and ethereal, and s¢emed to accord the stillness of th#™-carly hours as the sounds receded and became more tender, and gradually died away. My head sank upon the pillow and [I fell asleep. In dreams I saw the little infant Jesus and His tender mother Mary, walking beside the manger cradle, with the horned oxen for peace and humility, When I awoke in the morning the events of the night seemed ike dieam home of ofl Canada in these (EK. O tones Christmas the house, singing be on brightly fashioned more with their revels, through the gpartment companions, a scene of one long drawn-out Then 1 heard the sound of little feet pattering outside my bedroom door. ly a choir of an old carol, Present small girl voices chanted forth "Rejoice, our Saviour He was born, On Christmas day in the morning." I slipped on uddenly, and girls, lovely as clothes, behold a seraphs my opened the door fairy group ot tiny They were going the rounds of the house, door, their little singing at every chamber Christmas song, in a simple tless manner Little children had chanted UE old centuries Breakfast we adjourned to the parlor, and we had effect ive and pleasant singing \ uly { grateful feeling and exultation of heart was experienced as carol for over, sudden we Si "Now Christmas is Let us cease dumb, Let us call all our neighbors And when they appear, Let us make them such cheer, i As will keep out the wind and the weather." come, to be together I'he tered Chris cheer, packed for the the village master and mistress of the forces to distribute had sick and the hoping for nothing Christmas gift-mak were told There was house mus baskets of been ther tmas carefully which aged, the "Do true needy in good, again' --the spirit of Al the messengers of nimble in getting around omething truly cheering in the triumph of warmth of heart, breaking through the chills of ceremony and seImshmessof-rwieked-warld, I'he old farmers said as the last basket disappeared, "I love to see this;day well kept and poar in the comfortable farfn and the thatched cottage \ pleasure Christmas distributing the gifts of Providence, to make others happy in their own homes." | bells *y SAI 1 : mercy to be by rich home it is on day I'hen began to chime for church, the bells that three hun ago called John and his to worship on that eventful the arrow eight nearly years Buny dly young wife Sunday, when of conviction entered Tis soul, as he listened to the sermon preach cd by Christopher-tlall; on "The Sin of Sab bath-breaking I'he whole village turned out last Christma old Conqueror un ddy ta worship in the stately built by the niece of William the 1078, as an atonement for the murder of her husband, the Earl of Hunting don, a m lotd. Near a thousandtyears of Christma iows have fallen upon the Earl broad but ten centuries' havé not washed that foul deed from the pages of history I'he nusicans church acre since, SNOWS the man clarionets, full places, the out in their fiddle, the flutes and the lot of wind and village choir was force were all in with the Big Ben the violins, the motley two saxhorn, quite a I'he tentorian tring mstruments parish clerk gaye out the hymn. in tones, "Hark, the herald angels- sing, Glory "to the new born King." I'he how was smartly drawn across the wellw resined strings of Big Ben, and the sundry in struments sent forth a mighty sound; the con gregation joined with heart and voice, and the lofty old roof of the church echoed with the sound raised to the ,praise and glory of God After the minister preached a short and simple sermon from, the text "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, goodwill to men prayer, I'he service ended, the congregation quickly dispersed, hold the an was a sight to be rush to the wvillag bakery for their dinner, all piping hot, baked while the owners were worshipping in church Lach paid one penny to the baker, no excuse in those days for having to stay away from church to the family dinner. Soon all reached their The lord of the manor in his hall, the farmer in his house, the laborer in his cottage, all provided with abundance of the bounties of God's Good will and contentment reigned supreme; the spirit of the Christ was.abroad m the land, and every one enjoyed a happy Christmas bering cook homes. goodness The Siltan's Archbishop. Next to the Sultan; no with man in than Archbishop of ( Turkey is re Shethk-ul anter Mohammedan religion He J nterpreter - oft the first empire, Privy Minister and he alone can appoint attached to the 3 t I'wice Supreme Court of palace, anc Ss garded the Islam, described as the bury of the the supreme more awe Koran, x 1 magistrate of the Seal, x1 ducati 3. etc, fficials various cmpire every Justice, lec: dec gaod were living, an nl) 1¢ of + THE BEAUTIFUL GIFT OF LOVE. What can you give for Christmas? It is not the gift tha Biit the love that goes wi The remembranc That fills the life with g And the eyes with happy tears, I'hat warms the coldest winter Of. the heart along the years. What can you give for Christm Just keep your tired, hands still, For a gift that is wearisome doing Its message does not fulfil; But a simple memory token Of love you can always send, That will breathe a silent greeting From the heart of friend to friend. Locating Good St. Nicholas. Do you know who our dearly-loved Santa Claus really was, that he was a C hristiag-pish- op, and that during his life he was always' do- ing good, helping poor people, protecting lit- tle children and the sick and suffering? It seems' strange to think of our Santa Claus go- ing about dressed in everyday garb, a kindly- faced» man, filled with a desire to lessen the sadness of the world. We have been so used to picture him only as our good Christmas patron, entering our homes by way of the chimney when all the house is dark and still, with' a sack back full of toys and books, and the other nice things that come to one at that season. St. Nicholas was the child of rich parents, who JivEd in Asia Minor, but they died when quite young, him all their over his he was leaving wealth, He must have been very lonely, but he filled his life avith charitable and the care of the people. He was the patron saint of many, but especially of sailors and school- boys. First he was an abbot, and in that way named St. Nicholas. He after wards became Archbishop of Myra, where he died and buried In "May, 1087, his re mains were carried by pious Italians to, Bari, on the Adriatic I'hey are now - rest in apsplendid church which bears his name. The/people round about make a pilgrimage to his Shrine every year. No one secking food on that refused by the priests, while accommodation is given to as many pilgrims as the edifice -will hold. On St. Nicho December 6, a great celebration takes place in his honor. Early in the morning the populace takes his image from the priests and carry it through the town. At night the city is grand ly illuminated acts came to be was coast occasion 1s s day, Subscribers For Over Sixty Years. When the Whig had reached the end of ifs . sixty-first year {in 1895) it extended 'i warmest greeting to those, subscribers who had generously patronized it:during this long period. Thoug list was one. None of idvertisers the business sons, © 1en in d been cqnstant sul lf, considering th vicissitudes Mrs. E Kingston; John I Doyle, Thomas Ray, burg. i A WIFE'S LOVE CHARM. i v There are many traditions as to the origin of the Christmas tree, among which there is none more charming than that told by the loving Gertrude, wife of Henry of Wartenstein, Henry had returned home after a two years absence with the Crusaders in the Holy Land. Eastern suns had warmed him, and Oriental customs live somewhat changed higgGerman character. With a woman's true intuition, the good wife saw "that her dnd was unhappy. She heard 1 describing to some friends the beauties of the southern coun- try, the charm of Italy's blue skies, clear air, and celestial flowers and, fruit. He told of a Christmas Eve he spent in the South, where, in the church, lit with theusand$ of candles, the picture of Christ looked out from a wreath of roses and branches gf laurel. How to make the coming Christmas partake of some of these beauties now became the constant thought of the devoted wife, One day, in walking through the wood, observed the evergreen trees with their heads rearing toward heaven, an inspiration came to her and she exclaimed, "O fir tree! You shall win back my husband's for his fatherland and his home. You shall adorn our church,at the next Christmas! I will load you with nuts and apples, and hundreds of lights shall make you still more beautiful." People came from all over the country round to see this wonderful tree and the was followed throughout Ger- many, and now in 'almost every land the Ger- man Christmas tree brings thoughts of peace and love to the whole human race. seemed to she love example Most Zealous of Worshippers, During Ramazan the great business of the Mohammedan world is religion. The little square before the Hissar Jami, the great mos que at Smyrna, is crowded with mid-day wor- shippers, none of whom have eaten or drunk or touched cigarette or narghile, since sunrise, All 'are preparing for prayer, washing faces, hands and feet in the fountains, waiting silent- ly in long rows, hundreds at a 'time, to take their turn on the crowded floor of the mosque. Mohammedanism is the most democratic of Rich and poor, Kurdish porter and Turkish pasha, mingle without a touchof dis- tinction in the common act of worship, unaid- ed by a single visible symbol of faith. The Sultan's interdict has been removed, and the the prophet's religions mosques in the cities; save only cred mosque of Eyub, the disciple," or buildings in fanatical been again thrown open to sightseers, who, if they are very sa- "beloved quarters, Christian » ¢ discreet," are safe from a wor? rebuke than a stare or a frown. have Very few of ton remain old time Scots of Kings Among those still liming is David During the past few the old 'generation passed to last. of these was Capt. John Paul hav¢ been made in Scotland mants for old age Gilson, . Princess street years ny. of rest he ngement View Saviyg c the expense lof "@btaining certificates baptism. he N aids 1904 on the 19th he pre n i he Aul rig Ayr is going on very factorily.. Thirty men art at present at- work on the structure. 'years THE FAITHFUL INDIAN LEGION. Many instances of remarkable gallantry and devotion to duty. appear in the "Story of the Guides," by Col. G. J. Younghusband. ' This is a corps of native East Indians, fourteen hun- dred strong, with twenty-seven British offi- cers, King Edward is colonel-in-chief. It was raised in 1846, to furnish not only fighters but also men who could, at 4 moment's notice, - act as guides to the troops in the field and col- lect information. In one of their expeditions on the northwestérn frontier, from the tribes of which many of the men were enlisted, they camped near a village, the home of one of the guides. His relatives and friends~ entreated him not to fight against them, and he deserted carrying away two rifles.' "How many men of that man's tribe are there in the regiment?" demanded Colonel Jenkins, There were seventeen, all told. "Parade them all here," said.the colonel; and they were duly paraded. "Now take off every scrap of uniform or equipment that be- longs to the sircar." Each man did as he was bid. = -- "You can go, and don't let me see your faces again 'till you bring back those two rifles," said the colonel. He hoped that they might overtake the fugitive,-but he was disap- pointed. Day followed day and week succeed- ed week. The matter had been 'forgotten; the vacancies had long since been filled; indeed, two whole years had passed, when one day there walked into Mardan cantonment a rag- ged, rough-bearded, hard-bitten gang of seven- teen men, carrying two rifles. It was the lost legion. Of those two years' trial and struggle, wounds received and 'given, a stark, unburied corpse here and there on the mountainside, days in ambush and bitter nights of silent, anxious watch, they spoke but little; but their faces beamed with honest pride as their spokesman simply said: "The sahib told us never to show our faces again until we found the rifles, and here they are. Now, by your honot's kindness, again enlist and serve the queen." we will The Points of a Good Editor, A man who runs a paper Should know every human caper And hold up the torch of knowledge like a gleam: ifig midnight taper; He should be profound as Plato Pliant ad 2 boiled potato, And as humble to His 'patrons as a street and crossing scraper. He should honor in His journal Every captain, crank and colonel And dish up their proud achievements in a hodge- podge cooked diurnal; He should puff--the hardened liar-- ~~ Clubs and concerts, church and choir With long adjectives sonorous--sweet, seraphic, and supernal. He must write the funny column That makes all its readers solemn, With the fashions, frills and flounces, and--what-d'ye-call-em ? Quel] the copy fiend's wild revel, Squelech and massacre the devil And put on a how of thunder that shall petrify and spell "em, furbelows He must be a news reflector" Of the lyceum and lectur' ' And rdin down his taffy tofrents on tite veteran milk inspector; V, He must be a promptMidviser Of each foreign king" and kaiser, And keep out his Reyok telescope to dodge the bill collector, \ Faithfulness in the Family. Jishop of Durham, Parents, you are the first and truest repre sentatives of Christ to your families. Be true to your divine commission. Train them in the nurture 'and admonition of the Lord. Imbue them with His ideals. l.et them catch from Him through you the conviction, kindled in the dawn of life, and broadening and bright ening with its day, that God is real, 'that the unseen'is fact, that duty is greater and sweeter than selfish pleasure, purity than indulgence, obedience than petulance, and godliness than gain; that their glorious call is to love and to serve; that they are created for a life which shall leave a sad and a sinful world the better for their existfnce. Tell 'them also something of the 'struggles and sufferings round them Tell them also of that vast world further off,. where pagan. and Moslem' kiiow not the bless ed Name by which gan lives. So you shall not anly be your Ford's evangelists for the children and the home; you shall train in your measure a generation which shall make church and nation glad as they pass your influence on Flowers for Every Day. » When Joseph of Arimathea journeyed to Glastonbury, in Britain, to preach, he stuck his thorn-wood staff in the ground. And, on Christmas day, the dry stick budded and-blos- somed; so runs tradition. said, "the thorn of Christmastide; In the natures To this day, it is Glastonbury#blooms at blessed Christmas even the apparently dead to loving kindness and thoughts of others aré apt to blossom in good-will, putting forth fragrant flowers of gracious gifts, and words touched with love season, . and tenderness, but for all the days, and then there would flow forth continually some of the rich "fruit of the Spirit,--love, peace, long- suffering, gentleness, goodness and faith." Astronomers are looking for the Halley. comet, supposed to bé the star that guided the ise men to .Bethl¢hem.. The comet (discov- red by Halley in 1681), is headed toward the earth, and may appea time within two It is a large, brilliant star, with a mag- nificent tail * A professional hypnotist in. New York has d for $23,600, Any Part of his small assets was 500 interest in.the Futi Home Journal. notised- out of $23,600 are kely to have future homes of a material kind: The for Aberdeen rec the a water supply mmended a reservoir in the Avon valley as a permanent source of supply. engineers reporting on WITH ALL GOOD WISHES FOR CHRISTMASTIDE | s-- INSURANCE ALL KINDS OF IT THOMAS MILLS 79 CLARENCE ST., KINGSTON Kindly bear me in mind. "Phone 102. IN FANCY BOXES CHOCOLATES Ganong's, Perrin's and Cadbury's These are put up in fancy boxes suitable for Christmas Gifts 50c. to $5. | Tom Smith's Crackers | | 1 | | Prices: CREAM GOODS AND FANCY CAKES. FRUIT CAKES Get them from us and you get the best. fr R11 TOY ID Plain and Almond Iced. 302 King St "Phone 141 GIBSON"S Red Cross Drug Store " THE HOUSE OF HIGH-CLASS. CONFECTIONERY " McCONKEY'S CHOICE OF ROYALTY AND HUYLER'S | Delicious Chocolates and Bon-Bons A man is known by the candy he sends or dives s at "Xmas or any time through the year

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