_ing through the fence, ~ Enliveniag the. Childless Bowens Rai Edith Brown Kirkwood. sent to move into the neighborhood; >. The Bowens were childless. It was turkey!" This year the parts had beer play- ed with the usual accuracy. Nothing: had been omitted. In fact the Jordan} bow had seemed a bit bigger and the | They were devoted to all the young- sters who came their way. Anyone pussing their yard on a bright summer day, never would have guessed that the dozen bare-footed boys and girls beneath the Bowen trees belonged in nearly half a dozen other homes in the It seemed that Nature ever before, if possible. According to custom, also, during the afternoon the families Had trooped Bowen house in turns or in grou For years the Bowens had been the |as'the notion "not to be Selfish with! objects of the neighborhood's holiday our children" entered the minds of sympathy, The overflow of feeling in }the commiserating double quartet of their behalf started in about the week | parents before Thanksgiving and from that day Each gorged child, in turn, told | until the New Year had arrived such! and retold the.tale of the annual on- | were the. looks of commiseration be-|slaught of thankfulness and four stowed upon them that the Bowens all} o'clock found Mrs. Bowen cutting out but avoided the highways and took to} pictures for the sleepy ompson the alleys and the rear gates. From: twins (released from their daily nap for the day). and Mr, Bowen_blowing Generation just forgot the Bowens. ko] January second until. about October . : first no one in the neighborhood! smoke rings, with the Leonard's seemed to mind the childlessness of{second and the Morrison's foufth the Bowens. If anyone thought of it} perched one on either knee. at all, it was to consider: it a con: Now evening had come a two venience. fagged, childless individual had "You won't mind keeping Billie and| seated themselves at their vorite Mary after school until I can get back | table, éach turning to the 'inHlividual from the city, will you?" queried little diversion which gave nerves' oppor- Mrs, Jordan of Mrs. Bowen just as, tunity for farmy aie before seeking regularly as shopping day came. "L' bed at an early hou don't like to ask Mrs. Morrison for she | For a whole month the neighbor- has so many ef her own, you know." j hood returned to a semi-normal state. Mrs. Brov@ knew. She kept the, The oldest of the Morrisons cast forrison's five regularly. Also the! knowing glances at the elders in the Sanlieiil! s three and the Thompson's group while the tots prattled of two. The little recital that went with | Santa Claus and his expected visit. each request was the same in each in-| Father Morrison, true to role, always and Mother! stance, except in the case of Mrs.| winked appreciatively Thompson, who alwuys added sweet-| Morrison carefully pressed her fore-' is: j finge r to hey jips and shook her head "You Know, i] dk yn't mind asking thi is | in warning. This meant that the favor of you for children «re such a' Holiday Spirit had started on his; ce 4 5 'os ; : i 4 free A Rome i ray Pa "} 46% = dg 'i : £3] P tar: 3 ~ & Pat > a Ve: . . i ' ory " i 7 if } ita ey? ay ee. a . shi = } Cae ; ; ed, aS } . J Pa PAS - a "Y j v4 iA 4 ~ : ut = - ie oat 5 igen ee SE Rai "Bowen, old man, you ought to know the fun of desing Santa Claus yourself." Buvelry when one hasn't a houseful sal ma dash and was due to sprin ig; yards and yards of gilt and nite obey own! nto the neighborhood at any mo- | tins sel. Every nook and corner of the It was only after the calendar had nll | house held mysterious packages slipped past October first and the! Three weeks istmas he| . Pp} pa ctober first and the ree weeks before Christmas he | original wrappings. iffonier: plum puddings were stored away and arrived at the Bowen door in nr ber swelled with doll dresses and the price list of turkeys was being person of Mrs. Thompson. There, hats, new shoes, baby rattles and scanned, that the Jordans, the Mor-; came a staccato knock and before! treacherous jumping jacks. rhen risons, the Leonards and the Thomp-, Mrs. Bowen had time to pat her; Susan Leonard's miniature playhouse sons in turn Jaid down their papers and | stray locks into place, Mrs. Thomp-: ' furnished completely from cellar to dearer d | Son slipped into the room and thrust' attic, and Bill Jordan's modern tun Don t you fee! sorry for the | two long pasteboard boxes on to the' nel with river beds and lockouts ang Bowens with an emphasis on the! nearest chair. The pupils of her eyes, revolving lights arrived, the door to don't" that carried the sorrow of the were big with excitement and she}the spare bedroom upstairs was. years was breathless when she tarried on opened, the tWo boxes pushed in and From that time the shrinkage of tiptoe to explain: the key carefully turned. There was} Lowen neighborhood-importance was "Oh, not a minute! Can't stay al room for no one to enter. cn " ae inflation of Bowen minute. I've sent the twins to the | "There are the coal bin and the sympathy. Thanksgiv rnhing « . sympathy) lanksgiving' morning al- | Jordans on an errand so I could slip|hayloft left," remarked Bowen faces ways found the olde<t Morrison tear- ing across lots with a pan frem which | oozed the steam of a small pudding. The litdest Jordan came bearing a! derk brown dish tied with a pretty bow | of red and Mr. and Mrs. Bowen knew, | before lifting the lid, that within was confined delicious cranberry jelly. The | middle Leonard could be geen creep- |}. both hands | your i) if you don't. mind. YH | holuing firmly on two plates ere | Oe over every os while the twins together thus imprisoning' a wicy | mince pie, and /the Thompson twins toddled in, one carrying a small sack of nuts and the other one of raisins. over here and'I must get back béfore| they return. Will yo& 'hide these boxes aottis place? It will be so dear ef you!"" She was at the door with- out waiting for an answer. At the steps she turned to whisper to Mrs. Bowen, . os in the door: few words as she flew across the! road to her home. Mrs. Bowen turn- ed back into the room, slowly picked . After this the telephone rang four! up oxes and wended her way! times. When Mrs. Bowen had turn-| upstairs. When Mr. Bowen sought ed from the last conversation, Mrs.! his closet' that evening two long Jordan, Mrs, Morrison, Mrs. Leonard boxes -- on the a. and Mrs, Thompson each had cone "Wha "he bega her jn uiry: | "Dolils--for the iat twins," r Eble the children get over with- Sink af interrupted. out spilling everything? "Then it's bere!" : And each had added: "It is. Mrs, "Thompson brought "You don't know the fun you are! them over this morning. She's to missing by not having "co apr to dress them every day argund at this time!" pm - every day until ghe's » Annually, over Mrs. Bowen's facé| dressed the m not sure which there stole a look of worry as if she! she said ey anyway she's to be;here was being accused of having bribed every afternoon while the twins. eve the stork to stay away. Annually| taking their nap. What? Well, dear, Mr. Bowen only smiled or remarked:! your closet is the on! > place in the "Not half bad, eh, little girl? Now,| house the twins don't investigate, I if anoticr nice big family would con- keep that locked. You won't mind, Vig + eit you? You see she has no cig i +e net Leonard pie somewhat juicier than in into the ; Everyon ne else in ha wi vemph -- ante 8 |° A sharp whistle sounded in 3 'front hall. er! =OUT at ho A "there?" ead It was Morrison. Bowen, turning | toward hjs wife, was met by an "]i- dare-you-not-to" smile. i -- turn," she announced: r an Shave it here for Christmas eve but i -jit--it--well, it isn't quite ready | at the fobt of the. 'stairs stogd and----" | Morrison, hardly matte behind a} "Bhen we're even, dear." Mrs. mountainous packa Bowen flushed and laughed, "I've "Say, old man," (- calied, "the! been wondering. how I'd te!l you hat wife's been shopping to-day. You'they couldn't--mine's been delayed, can't chuck this under something, can you, and keep it until Santa Clas jand his reindeers come along? If's a big red engine for Jack. Say, he'll ;go straight up when he sees it. on ; Christmas morning, Bowen, old many, i you ought to know the fun of playing 'Santa Claus yourself. Here, take | this* enginé and make 'believe you have something to give it to. Just stick it under anything. We'll be over on Christmas eve. Much oblig- Mrs. Thompson and Mr. Morrison were merely the forerunners. by one the families came. No one dared touch the Bowen sofa in' the fear of disclosing hidden treasures' and danger lurked behind every bosk in the case. Nightly Bowen" jabbed his toes against the prancing front foot of Bill Jordan's hobby horse or the handle of Tom orrison's eM press wagon, concealed for the time . Ee beneath the ls In time, also, the Bowen attic came to resemble a cross between! evrgreen forest and a carnival, Four big Christmas trees stood ex-! pectantly in the middie of the floor, | hedged about by boxes of red and green and gold balls and yards and Ae " | tiously. o cares for a quiet smoke in his own house, anyway!" | There remained two days before the momentous day. No Leon- jard nor Thompson nor Jordon | Nor Morrison offspring Was. pera | mitted to | The small visitors, pudtie the. nuts and F picking them out of thé shells, won- dered why the Bowen doors suddenly were locked against them. If ques- tions became too insistent Mrs. Bow- en tactfully answered: =" "Well, am keeping' the house clean for Santa Claus. You wouldn't want him to-pass 7 by just because the house was all mussed up, would 0 an few households a: jate to the full the force of the combined holi y The Bowens were among the few. Three weeks as re- ceivers for the neighborhood efforts, three weeks as the absorbers of the neighborhood's enthusiagms, and ex- citement reached its climax ~ on Christmas eve. "Let's steal off to-night 'and have * Onrieteaas present. I've pharm +Fike----- d}up from the cellar," - finished Bowen. breakfast} Bowen suggested at the "Maybe 'we'll rot have the " CONSERVATION CONFECTIONS. "Bot the Thompsots and Jor- --_--_----- dans?" Mrs.. Bowen put the question Approved by Canada Food 'Board. anxiously. "To be sure," answored Dan. "Like- in meditative play and then looked up quickly 'at kis wife. "You won't amind if I can't bring your gift out for to-night, Nan? I had hoped, to i too," she' finished. "But you'll love! it, Dan. It's worth waiting for." .- Dan inwardly thanked the rulers of his good fortune that a Christmas gift for him could still bring to the eyes of his wife such a light as he > saw in them this morning. : On ' OES Every youngster in the neighbor-| hood had been bribed into bed by nine o'clock that evening but | did not come to the household | Bowen.. If the three weeks had been busy ones, Bowen wondered that $0; PEANUT SRITTLE. much could have been crowded into! 2. cups white corn syrup, % cup three hours. It was a three-hour Shelled peanuts, 1 tablespoon vinegar. | marathon. |B (From left 1. Glace nuts and fruits. -Four times he assisted in carrying ;erack when dropped in cold water | dropped in cold water. Add | just before removing of stairs; one hundred times, accord-' vinegar and stir in nuts just befare re- | Pour into a greased pan. Pour on greased | enough to | colored. |large shears or a sharp knife and place lin waxed paper to cool. a nice prickly tree down two flights; (temperature 354 deg. Fahr.). ing to his own computation, he' dived, Ving from the fire, under beds, behind dressers and into | |Pan. Break in pieces when cool. closets. When the last package had| MEXICAN CANDY. left the house it was midnight. | (Divinity Fudge). Strewn over the floor, were the books; 2 cups white corn syrup, 1 to 2 eg ed from the library in the| whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Boil the caiiage hunt; "scraps of paper, cord syrup to 248 deg. Fahr,, or until it and tinsel with a trailof pine needles makes a hard ball when tried in cold that marked the way from the attic, wuter. Beat the egg whites stiff and to the front door. pour in stony the boiled syrup, bext- "Suppose .we celebrate to-morrow ing all the time, Add vanilla and con- by having a cleaning bee and invit-~tinue-béating ur til of a consistency jng our 'thoughtful, unselfish neigh-| keep its shepe when dropped on waxe bors and their children in to help?"! paper. Nuts or fruits may be added queried Bowen in a weary voice. "Not | when nearly done. j " 2. Mexican candy. - 1 tablespoon vinegar. oil syrup without stirring until it will land corn syrup until brittle when and beat until thick and creamy. another thing to-night. We're going | --_ --_-- pa WHITE CORN SYRUP CONFECTIONS. - to right.) : 3. Peanut brittle. MOLASSES TAFFY. 2 cups molasses, 1 cup. corn syrup, Boil molasses Add vinegar from the fire. When cool until' light pleces with handle, pull Cut in' small MAPLE CREAM. cups maple sugar, 14 to 2-3 cup milk, 44 teaspoon butter. Then boll without -- ng to 228 deg. FPahr nti) mix in --= ym fire, add butter Pour into greased pan and mark in squares when nearly coo ; Water. Ke move to creep into bed this very minute.} I'm 08 tired. To-morrow we'll] And Shall | Silent sat | The shepherds sing; and 'shall T} The ttuashone bell jingled. It was! silent be? | Morrison. | My God, no hymn for Thee? "Say, Bowen, you and the missus My soul's a shepherd too; a flock it, still up? Well, get on your bonnets feeds tind shawls and join the crowd. We're! of thoughts, seh words and deeds. all going around to visit each others') The pasture is Thy word; the streams, Christmas trees. Aw, come on Thy grace Whiat's the matter with you? It'll' Enriching all the place. do you good. We want to give you; Shepherd and flock shall sing, two forlorn folks a taste of what it] my powers means to have children at Christmas! Qut-sing the daylight hours. time!" | Then we will chide the sun for letting | Bowen pushed the receiver into its| holder and stood looking at a instrunient-as if it were the sour of his troubles. Then he whirled pind We sing ony a Lord; wherefore , it- determinedly. , , 'Little. " he: ded, and alli night Take up his place and right: es > og}. Himself ee siaihle hold. da ae A willing shiner, that shall 'shine as Tangements"--he paused--"don't say|- gladly ee A word until I'¥e Aaished TF ve made As frost-nipt suns look sadly. Larrangements to adopt the cutest lit-| Then we will sing, and shine all our | tle blue-eyed girl you ever saw, but) wn day, she can't get here until tomorrow) Aud one another pay; evening. The thovght came to me| His beams shall cheer my breast, and |} that eveninb Morrison brought Jack's both so twine, engine--and--why--why what's-- Till even his beams what's the matter? JI thought you 'd| shine. | | ' sing, and my music | ! | --George Herbert. ; . + ---- Sp * | Bowen was laugh-) "0 Dent" Mrs, ing, while unbidden and unwonted A Christmas Heaven. | tears. stole down her cheeks, "Dan, A kel 'Oot Ya & sholteroatane =| : : r ' # "mmbrei roc ne he.tere anc ' you dear old love! Like it! You're "+ S&mbre! roct = Sater ae | Yl tall you what I've got for' And a laughing group therein. . 'You, too, Dan I've made arrange ; Fie winds may bellow with might afd ! Fi , Dan. + ma z - ; ments to adopt the darlingest brown- eyed boy you ever laid.eyes upon, but| until to- -morrow | main And the storms may clash and din, | But it's Christmas, Father Christmas, Hath the keeping of his kin. j game to me on- Thanksgiving night.' You said the beginning sounded good. How does the end sound? Within, a hearth fire all aglow For just a second Dan and Nan) Anda dear face at the door. Bowen pr looking intently at each. And it's Christmas, Father C hristm sins other. Then with one accord they Giveth greetings o'er and o'c opened ed their arms. Outside, a traveler in the snow, And a glad "Hello!" once more: | an!" cried Mrs. Bowen. "The circles, wonderful circles, where "Nan!" exclaimed Bewen, fervent-, They are gathered to-day; ly. The kindness, beautiful kindness, | Mian'e it glorious?" whispered Mrs. | there, Bow | And the welcome words they say, "We! "1 adopt the - 'whole osylum if you say the word, dear"! Bowen whispered in return, "I! dlp thought we'd wait until to-morrow) The Next Year. morning 'but out in the barn I've hid-| No backward glances shall hinder or den one grand Christmas tree with appall me the tinsel, gifts and €verything to! 4 now tite is heStin: go with it. You sce, they've made us! ang petter hopes and better Morrti-; call m . orphan! For it's Christmas, Father Christmas, Turn no prodigal away. i motives | 'The people I love who : And the They have hast The Origin of the Christmas Tree. The history of the Christmas-tree is difficult to trace. It has been connect- ed with Ygdrasil, the great tree of Norse mythology, and Christmas-trees and Muy-poles are known to o be relics lof that famous Scandinavian Ash. The roots and branches of Ygdrasil, the world-tree, or as it is sometimes called, the Tree of Time, bonnd together he aven, the earth, and hell. From it ull tribes of nature received nourish- wt. According to a Scandinavian legend of great antiquity the Christ- | Mas-tree owes its origin to the service jtree i been drenched with the blood of two lovers who had been foully murdered. | During the Christmas season flaming" \d, extinguish: lights that no Jwind™ ting the Christmas-tree- m may, "per 'Tbe traced to this tradition; whith no doubt was. strongly influenced by the fact that lights were (and still are) a feature of the Jewish feast of the jChanuca or Lights (December 10). Among the Greeks Christmas is called the Feast of Lights. sir George Birdwood has traced tha history of tho Christmas-tree to ~tha ancient Egyptian practice of decking houses at the time of ¢he winter -sols- jth branches of the date-palm the symhol of life triumphant over death, and therefore of perennial life in the renewal of each bounteous year, ------4p--__--_. Meeting at Bethichem. So dark the stables by lantern light That I cannot tell who is here to-night; I do not mind, for I need not see are here with me. They know the road to Bethlehem, Star and the sibging have vided them: i} Qut tbe press of horror 'They have sought again, 'and pain ened in by the humble door, And have =aee with us on the Eastern oo J do net cel to put out my hand To clas in theirs, for they stand. ] do net need to greet them aloud {For our silence speuks in the kneeling crowd, And, kneeling before the little Son, Sewers in hiding presente h st 8 |Our hearts and our lives are made ore gon wants us to go out with the res Than those-the past has won. ea eed of 'em to 'do' the trees. Let's go.' He reached for his hat and =| = o- "And when we come back----' "We'll get all Dan Junior's toys! Mrs. Bowen! interrupted joyously, "and "Decorate 'that tree to-night!" Blow, vee 0' tite world; Gee, isn't this great? : Why I thought I was. tired!" eace, On joy real Chrietmas joy' <= Tt was Heralds of Li May the Giver'of Gifts give unto you That pa is Good and that which is . +. Tru That flooded mother earth '} he -- te help. and the Courage to Divinest Liberty ! A stat that can Sing the whole year Blow, whistles 0' the world; throu, Whether the skies be gray or blue, May. the Giver of Gifts give these to And its"soul -- of music bursts forth - on the "When 'te sina of the angels is sung. a quiet dinner all to ourselves, Nan," A SONG OF PEACE ring, church bells, loudly ring, ~.. At btash of dawn 'her prized doves set free, Above this war-worn, a Ww oe to brood, The universal deluge ru Sybsides: and on the mount of Promise see ring, church bells, loudly shed Blow whistles o the world;. ring, church bells, loudly ring, h, ° is is a day of joy and merry mi For Peace descends to The earth bes grown ont with its bur- And h hopes anew in ae h up-spring! den of care, earts But at Christmas it amide is young, ' que PR arg aaron tag ' The heart of the jewel burns lustrous For felled bercini is H ish: irretny ' sence And ours the Victory! Blow, whistles o' the world; ring, church pells wing, with grief and pain , loudly ring! Stir sugar and milk over the fire until sugar is dissolved. sit ball wheu-dropped in eold which sprang from soil that had. the promise of Peace under ---Phillips Brooks. |