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+ A 5, a pots 3 X "a tr | ia w NO 8 J 3 Ay = KE J J \ 1 AL w ; CHRIST 5 The voices of the boy choir ruse " above the rich roll of the organ as - John opened the door and slipped: in- to the warm, shadowy depths of the church--piercing high and sweet: O Holy night! . + The stars are brightly shining-- © What was it the music made him think of? Of course--the buoyant flight of a breath-takingly beautiful silver p'ane, lifting. dipping,: soaring. And nothing could be more -beauti- ful than that. It was cozy and pleasant to sit here making pictures in your mind. But that wasn't the only reason John liked to come. He: liked the music. What was more, he thought a little guiltily, he liked it because it was Christmas music. ~~ . Of course he knew now that it was nothing but a bourgeo's fairy story-- about the little Lord Jesus and the Star and the strange magnificent kings 'with their rich gifts of' gems and myrrh and frankincense. Anton had explained all that to him. If Anton knew he came here: he would be hurt and angry, even though he only,-slipped in after delivering his papers for a warm place to stay till Anton came from the lunch room where he waited table from early 'morning till five." Anton - disliked all churches with a bitterness that John * only vagpely understood, but which, out of his adoration for this moody, tempestuous, but to him always gen- tle big brother, he loyally tried to cmulate. For this particular church, Anton had a specially contemptuous name. He called it 'old Spencer Mor- row's fire escape." Wien John asked him why, Anton's mouth twisted in that bitter, angry way. it had lately as he replied, "Be- cause 'the old' pirate is fool enough MAS STORY . b \ ; ELINORE/COWAN N to imagine the fortune he put into. building that. monument to supersti- tion will save the mean, grasping "little thing he calls his soul from the mythical place he calls: hell." When He Played The Violin _ John hadn't asked any more ques: tions, because if Anton got too much 'excited he would go on talking. for hours instead of taking out his vio- "lin, tucking.it tenderly under his chin, and playing there in their little room as only Anton could play. : And Anton must keep up his prac- tice, because any day someone might send for him again to come and play, - as they used to do before hard times. Then Anfon would get out the black suit with tails he kept so carefully packed away, and his white! shirt, and 'go off down the street, his slim, beautiful fingers ] _.strument under his arm: Sometimes he took John with him. : On such occasions, John would have to hold his breath and grip the seat tightly to keep from bursting with excitement when Anton came forward--lithe and dark and hand- some--Ilifted his head, and began to play, his face a little pale, his dark' eyes alight, as if above the heads of the audience le were secing things strange and beautiful beyond the or- dinary ken. ) . . . When Anton played his vio- + 1in, he seemed to forget all about "monuments to superstition" and even "the totalitarian state." It was only since Anton had had to work in the lunch room instead of playing that he had been so rest- less and bitter. . It had all been very different two years ago, while Mother was. still alive. Then, on Christmas Eve, there would be wreaths in the windows, and candles everywhere; and when Anton came in from playing some- where--a' little pale, and with that: wide, shining look his dark eyes al- 'ways wore when he had played and played well, of having come slowly back from far places of enchantment --there would be cries of "Merry Christmas," and surprises for every: ope. Afterward, Anton would play Christmas music--ending always with "0 Holy Night!" For a moment John remembered it all--the brightness, the warmth, the spicy evergreen smells, the musie-- and the surprises--with a wistful nostalgia which brought to his eyes tears: he angrily wiped away. on his worn coat sleeves, ~ No Surprise Expected caressing the in- i Well, there wouldn't be any sur- ? prises this year. Last year he had bought Anton a "man he had been serenely nodding. .odds with the law, but you never o® I<} surprise with some of his paper mon- ey--a truly splendid scarf pin in the shape of a tiny violin, . That was when Anton had explained to him™ for the first time about the prole- tariat, and had talked about the nec- essity for "class loyalty," and the gross absurdity of "bourgeois senti: mentality" about religion and Christ- mas. No, John did not think he would try surprising Anton again this year. And he knew this time that there would be no surprise for him, either. So he had made his own plan. It would not be quite the same as be- ing surprised, of course. It would lack that breath-taking moment of almost unendurable happiness and suspense' that came just before 'the gift was actually unwrapped. But the plan had its points, The money he had managed to save from his paper route would buy the tools he needed to finish the model airplane he had been "working on since last summer, It would be the most beautiful model ever built, and it would really fly. His fingers--no less magically supple and sensitive in their own way than Anton's, though John did not know this--itched to be at it. He would wait till the day before - Christmas, carry his parcel home, and put it away unopened until Christmas Eve. Then, when Anton had gone, he would get it out and open it just as if it had been a real surprise. He was still planning hap- pily and -jingling his jmoney in his pocket as he left the church and turned through the park, when he saw the old man again. Park Bench Sitters The old man was sitting huddled on one of the iron benches inthe park. His hat had slid off, the book he inevitably carried had slid from his grasp to the dead [leaves at his feet, and his head drooped on his breast, its silky white hair fluttering in the faint breeze. # oe John saw that he was asleep again. It was the old man's deplorable habit of dropping to sleep at the most in- opportune times that had. first caught John's attention. Park benches, John knew from shrewd observation, were not spots to sleep on with impunity. Yet the first time he had come upon the old while a ratlike youth expertly rifled : his pockets. "At the sound of John's feet on the 'gravel, the old man: had awakened with startling suddenness, and the pickpocket had fled. John was just about to lift a shrill cry for Larry, the park cop, when . the old man "caught his arm with a swift dart of a thin old hand and said, "Hey, son, let him go! He's welcome to anything he found in my. pockets. Don't bring that confounded officer over here asking questions. Can't a man shut his eyes in peace for a minute with- out getting mixed up with the law? John considered this wisely. Child of the street as he had been these two years, it was not strange to his philosophy that park bench sitters often shrank modestly from the at- tention of Larry. It did seem a little strange that such a clean, guileless looking old gentleman should be at coud tell. A Situation Grasped His suspicions were still further confirmed by an. incident that oc- cufred while he was talking with the old man several days later. They were sitting together when, in the midst of a sentence, the: old man glanced over his shoulder, start: ed, scrambled to his feet, and with' a finger warningly at his lips, scur- ried into the bushes that flanked: the bench: A man was hurrying down . the Be -- -- M---- walk from the avenue, looking sharp ly from left to right. John made his eyes very blank as the man ap-: proached. "Have you," asked the man, "seen an. old gentleman about here? He'd been wearing a gray overcoat and carrying a book." © "Sure, 'Mack. 'Bout 20 minutes ago. He took the Seventy-Three car, going south," John lied hardily. "Have you-~does he come here of- ten?" : "Naw," said John. "And I'm around here every day sellin' my papers, He was--was just walkin' by." When the man had disappeared, the old gentleman emerged cautious- ly from the bushes. "Well," he said, and there was a friendly twinkle in his old blue eyes, "I guess we disposeq of that busy- body. Son, you show an aptness at grasping a situation and a finesse in _action that should take-you far." "Don't Believe In Christmas" Now, when John saw the nodding old figure on the bench, he felt a troubled sense of responsibility, as he so often did in the case of Anton, "Say, listen, Gramps," he began as the old man started awake at his touch, blinked, and smiled up at him a little vaguely, "ain't I told you it- ain't safe to-go to sleep here? Look; what happened the" first time. Any- how, it's too cold." It was indeed cold. The first real frost of a late season was in the air and a few feathery flakes of snow were drifting down. "Say," offered John, moving a step nearer, "I know a good: place. if you want one. It's warm in thai church over there. I'll bet you. could slip in and stay, and nobody would ever know. There are cushions too, and sometimes there's music." . "Ah!" said Gramps, and turned to view the church with sudden interest. "Now that's an idea! Put old Mor- row's fire escape to a practical pur- pose, eh? Good joke on hini!" . For by this time, of course, the old 'man knew all about Anton and the international brotherhood of man. As John turned away, Gramps has- tily added, as if he could not bear to be-left alone. "Hey! You're not going, are you?" John: hesitated. jingling his money. "You sound like a bloated capital- ist," observed Gramps. "Most five dollars," admitted John with a glow of pride. "And it will be five by to-morrow night." "Imagine having that much money in one pocket," Gramps sighed. "I wonder if I'll ever feel that rich again. And I suppose: you're planning to. spend 'it all for Christmas. pre- sents." J . "Heck! We don't believe in Christ: mas at our house." : John tried to speak with a calm superiority, as. a good: comrade should; but he choked up a little over the. words. en arr d Has To Bo "Shared J - "No Christmas -- but of course! The observation of the Christmas myth is the lowest form of bour- geois sentimentality, isn't it? And yet, unless my memory fails me, Christ was a carpenter, and He also believed in the brotherhood of man." John considered: this in startled silence, He wondered if Anton knew that. ; "Then what, if you'll forgive my curiosity," asked Gramps, "are you going to do with all that wealth?" So John told him, a little reluctant- ly, about the tools. The old man list- ened attentively. They had often talk- ed of the model before. Gramps knew a lot about planes, for an old man. "No doubt your decision is a sen: sible one," Gramps said slowly when he had finished. His voice sounded suddenly tired and flat. "Certainly thore's no bourgeois sentimentality about it. Your brother should be proud of you--and after all, not be- lieving in Christmas can't be a more forlorn: business « than not having anyone who really cares for you to share it with, . To be really hannv, Lg LNT pid Christmas has fo be shared. . . . Well, I must be getting along, and --" he smiled a wry little smile--"I think I shall take your very practical advice." John watched him as he made his way a little stiffly across the park to the church; ofie of his shabby old books clutched under his arm, look- ing very old and tired and lonely. Int A Back Pew John found Anton already at home, anxiously inspecting the fine black suit with tails that had hung so long unused. At last, it seemed, Anton ERR was going out to play his violin again, A note had come to the res- taurant that day. It was to be at someone's house, on Christmas Eve, and he was to have $560 for it. Anton was 50 happy that he was almost in- coherent. The next day was clear and bright; but a heavy snow mantled the ground and the trees bore nodding white «plumes, It was too cold to linger in the park, but when John slipped ifito the church, he saw the"old man, sit- ting there in a back pew, listening to thé music. John was glad they hadn't thrown him out, He looked so sad. however, as if he were: thinking unhappy thoughts deep within himself, that John' did not appronch him, but, slip: ped out again into the snow. And as he went, his hand involuntarily clutched at the precious money in his pocket as if he felt it slipping away from him. For somehow, as he remembered that quiet old figure in the church, disturbing echoes of words crowded in upon him: £Christmas can't be happy unless it's shared." And the old man had no.one who cared, to share Christmas with him. That _meant that there would be no sur- prise for Gramps, either. And prob- ably Gramps still liked surprises as well as anyone, Gay Parcel John fingered the money in his pocket and swallowed a monumental lump in his throat. Well, suppose he did buy the old man a surprise, what should he choose? How cculd he possibly guess what Gramps really wanted. unless-- but of course! A new book, a beau- tiful new book, so that he needn't carry around those shabby old oncs any more. John didn't know much about books, but after he had wandered about the book store, looking at cov- ers until he was dizzy, he saw just the thing--a fine big book, richly bound in soft reddish leather with gold letters. "That one," he said, pointing. It was expensive--$5, the salesgirl pointed out. He could get the same book in a different binding, much cheaper. "That one," said John firm!y, and hurried out with the wrapped book might miss Gramps if he waited till tomorrow. Fortunately the old man was still there, his white head. drop- ped on his chest. He woke instantly when John touched his shoulder. "This is for you," said John, hold- ing out his parcel, a little breathless with hurry and embarrassment. "But it's a surprise, and you musn't open it till Christmas Eve." For a moment Gramps looked up at him as if hardly believing his ears. Then he took the parcel with the gay red and green ribbon the lady had wrapped it in, and looked at it. "Thank you' he said at last. "Thank you. I--this is a surprise. You have made me very happy. I--I wonder if you will do something to make an old man even happier -- spend a part of tomorow evening ~{-with- me. We -- we might have a snack to eat and manage a very plea- sant time of it together." { "It's Christmas Eve Anton had already gone when John went out next evening. John was sur- prised when he found that the house at the address Gramps had given was so large and imposing. Gramps couldn't really live here. But perhaps he was a janitor or something and lived behind. John rang the bell. It was some time before anyone answered. John was about to go away when the door opened and a man turned on an overhead light and said, "Oh, yes. You are to come right in." John, who had a street Arab's trained memory for faces, stared. But this was the man Gramps had run away from in the park. Then, right behind the man, was Gramps himself, smiling and holding out his hand. : "Oh, but, sir," cried the man, turn- ing reproachingly, "you shouldn't be out here exposing yourself to the night air." os "Don't be an old , maid, Hodges. It's Christmas Eve." Gramps didn't seem to be at all afraid now. "Aren't you satisfied with hounding me all the year long? Come in, comrade," They went through a warm hall: way into a great bright room where men were sitting and standing. about. At once John felt at home, for they were all shabby men such as he had often seen lined up outside soup kit- chens or employment agencies--men of all nationalities and complexions, but all strangely alike in their sullen, beaten look. Now they didn't look sullen or beaten, only expectant, and a little watchful perhaps. In a few minutes there was dinner for everyone--an. amazing dinner-- with Gramps, in a rather rumpled and to John's complete undoing, An- ton, of all people, sitting at his right. - After everyone had eaten enorm- ously, they went into another great room, and there were surprises for everyone from a tall, softly lighted tree. John had to pinch himself to believe that his own surprise was a set of delicate tools such as he had wanted with a longing that hurt, but finer than he had ever hoped to have. under his arm before he should change his mind. He went Virectly back to the: cuurch because he was afraid he suit, at the head of the long table, Christmas Facts During' 's Time Festi- vities Lasted for Twelve Days Christmas has not always been a season for festivity, and when Oliver Cromwell was Protector all fun and feasting was forbidden at this time of the year. There are a: great many other things about Christmas which people do not know; the fact, for instance, that Norwegian farmers give their cattle tubs of home-brewed-ale on Christmas Eve, or that at 12 mid- night on the same day people in Madrid eat 12 grapes for good luck in the coming year, In Hungary they consider the needy, and all the richer citizens are levied so that the poor may have sufficient to eat and drink, Tow. many know that there. are 175 different kinds of holly, that during Shakespeare's time Christmas festivities lasted for 12 days, or that Christmas has been celebrated on more than 100 different days in vari- ous parts of the world? Our pics- ent holiday on December 25th we owe to Pope Julius I, who fixed the date in the year 361. Smallest Churches Accommodate Six A church in Guernsey, Channel Islands, has accommodation for six "people, and is claimed to be the smallest in the world. It was built by a monk from stones, sea-shells, and home-made cement. But it has some strong rivals. Hedge End Church, in Hampshire, Eng., holds only eight people and was built as a form of memorial to those who fell in the Great War. Hackney, London, has a church, attached to some almhouses, which can only accommodate a congrega- tion of 14; while the village of Grove in Buckinghamshire, has a church built for the benefit of the 16 in- habitants. At Eldon, Hants, which has only nine inhabitants, the church has but one door, and, it is claimed, Sojptlest font in England. The Great Surprise' Finally Gramps, whom everyone was calling "Mr. Morrow," took down the last parcel--square and bulky-- and said, "Now this is my great sur- | prise." John recognized it by the ribbon. It was the book. His heart sank. for there were rows and rows of books about the room-----some even more shabby than the one Gramps had carried, in a special case, carefully locked up. And he had given the old man a book. But Gramps' hand was on John's shoulder, and Gramps was saying heartily, "Why, I never in my life had one as fine as this!" For the first time John remember: ed that in his haste yesterday he hadn't even looked at the title. Now he craned his ick to read it. The book was calied "The Holy Bible." Then everyone sat down, and Anton tucked his violin under his chin and played--German music, Itatiammusie, Russian, Polish, and Hungarian music, and an Irish love song-- something for everybody. And as" he played, the faces--Polish, Irish, Ital- ian, German, and Hungarian -- were no longer even watchful, but soft and kind of shining. : ; When Anton had played a long time, he stopped and said to the old man, "Now I think we'll have a little real Christmas, music." He looked at John for a moment, and Anton's face, too, was soft and all shining as he began to play "O Holy Night!" + the | "Jolly -- * Century to Complete Netherlands Had "Early Christmas" Night of Dec. 5th Was Observed + As St, Nicholas Festival In Holland AMSTERDAM--St, Nicholas paid a visit to good little children of The Netherlands on St. Nicholas' Eve. With 'his Negro servant, Black Pete, the saint appeared astride his white horse, as is the custom cf every Dec. 6. At twilight, all the family are at home, The doorbell rings, and there are St. Nicholas and Black Pete. The marvelously informed saint ques- tions each child on his behavior, and presents are given to the whole fam- ily. Goes Back To A.D, 345 There follow servings of 'Bishop wine" for adults, chocolate milk for children. St. Nicholas songs are sung until late. This "Early Christmas" goes back to December 6th, the year 845, when the Archbishop of Myra (St. Nich- olas) died after being imprisoned by Diocletian and freed by Constan- tine. The prelate's surreptitious be- stowal of dowries on three daugh- ters of -an impoverished citizen sup- posedly started the custom of pres- ents on St. Nicholas' Ive--a custom later transferred to Christmas Day in many countries. Once the Hollanders tried to abol- ish St. Nicholas' Day in favor of Christmas, but St. Nick and Black Pete were casy winners. ' Glove Pledges You may be unaware of it, but if this Christmas you send a pair of gloves as a present, you are making a symbolic gesture, In ancient times gloves were sent to mend broken ties, patch quarrels 'and cement' friend- ships. They were supposed to repre- sent the handshake of friendship; in the Middle Ages they were used as pledges of faith, and a king's glove was a guarantee of safe conduct in his territory. Queer though: it may scem, gloves were not first worn in cold countries, but in Egypt, where many fashions originated. The oldest pair in exist- ence was found in the box of royal robes in King Tutankhamen's tomb. It was not until the eleventh century "that Europe adopted the fashion, and in the thirteenth century the glovers "of Perth founded their famous com- pany. Senta C laus Loses Pair of Reindeer Claus was anything but and all because of his rein- Santa deer. Just before what was to have been Santa's triumphal entry into Bluff- ton, Indiana, one of his four reindeer broke a leg in trying to escape from a barn to the snow-covered country- side. Then a second deer broke away. Santa finally got the other two harnessed to- his sleigh, the smile back on his face and was off down Main St. in a cloud of snow to cheers and surprise of some 1,000 children, who thought he always drove four reindeer. Peasants Forecast Christmas Weather In some country districts of France a custom is observed which is sup- posed to enable people to forecast the weather on Christmas Day and throughout the coming year. Twelve onions are placed in a row and on cach is placed a dab of salt. If by Epiphany the salt on any onion has melted, then the month represented by that particular onion will be wet. If the salt on the twelfth onion is dry, then Christmas Day, also, will be fine. At Baux, in Provence, shepherds hold a watch-night service at which they pray for good weather. Each arrives carrying a lighted taper and a lamb and prays before a crib, as the shepherds did 2,000 years ago. PY Biggest Cathedral Liverpool's Magnificent Edifice' Will Surpass Even St. Peter's . England already the home of 'the world's largest building (the mam .moth Earl's Court exhibition builds ing), has under construction what is expected to be the world's largest cathedral, surpassing even 'St. Pets er's in Rome, 3 It is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King at Liverpool. Cons struction was begun in 1933. It may take a century to complete, It is ale most within hailing distance of the unfinished Anglican Cathedral, on the same ridge, overlooking the city, The Anglican Cathedral, begun in 1904, will Lo finished in the 1950s, To Cover Five Acres The Catholic cathedral will cover five acres, more than twice the area of its neighbor, which is the largest Anglican: cathedral in England. It will cost more than $15,000,000, and will have a dome 168 feet in diameter, The styles of the two' buildings are radically different. The Anglican cathe edral will be modern Gothic; Sir Ed. win describes the style of the Cathe. olic cathedral ag renaissance. The first will be of red sandstone, the second - of brick, of which more than 2,000,000 will be required in addition to thouss ands of tons of granite .and . other stone, : Although work on{ the Catholle Cathedral was started fogr years ago 'and has progressed steadily, the work is still underground. Thousands of tons? of rock have been hewn out, and the crypt walls are rising toward ground level, Oldest Settlement Said Located In Northern Ontario Not In the Southern Part of the Province--Mouose Factory Post Was Established In 1670, "The fact that Ontario's oldest get- tlement is not in the southern part of the province, but instead is far to- wards its northern extremity, fs somes thing that is not generally known," ob- serves the Canadian School Journal at Moose Factory, on a small island, where the Moose River, a mighty stream eight miles wide at that point, empties into James Bay, a Hudson's Bay Company post was established in the year 1670, It was not until many years later when the Temliskaming and Northern Ontario Rallway was extegded the last few miles north from the power devel- opments along the Abitibi River and brought to tidewater on James Bay, that this far northern settlement lost something of its isolation. Town of Moosonee The town of Moosonee grew up about the railway terminus. A few set- tlers moved in, a few children being there demanded a school. Three miles away, out on Factory Island, there was the Anglican Mis. slon School that_had been serving the Indians and the small white popula- tion for many generations. A public school was opened on the r~nland in about 1933, an old railway coach, serw ing as the first classroom. The following year Moosonee recelv- ed its present school building. Like other new schools in Northern Ontario this one is the last word in design and is among the most fully equipped: of all the one-roomed schools of the pro- vince. The attendance is usually about 15 pupils. Telephone Provides Outlet Teachers who go there are still somewhat {isolated as compared with other pailts of the province, since ex- . cept during the summer months there | Is a train in and one out hut once mn month. Moosonee has telephone con- nection with southern points. In case of necessity, a plane can be called from Cochrane In a very short time, but usually one becomes resigned to the fact that you are there till the next summer vacation, There is compensating charm in living in such close touch with the type of life to be found only in the far north--an odd mixture of the very old and the really modern forms of life. The year or more that a teacher spends there gives a background . of knowledge that would be impossible for anyone to acquige in a casual read- ing of, or visit to, that wonderful part of our vast province, Unusual Sundial Registers Night A builder in California has just completed the world's most remark- able sundial. It shows not only the time, but it has a globe attached on id are shown those parts of the ay. The globe is set in the same relas tion to the sundial as the earth is in relation to the sun, and -shadows thrown by the sundial project _on the globe and cover miniature continents in semi-darkness, The sundial hag been set up in the grounds of a &chool and it has aroused immense interest in geo= graphy among the pupils, Reo SEY EAT a