HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1890-12-18, Page 13Fouuderiug of the Fearuaught►
A Sailor's Yarn of a O1i ietmas Tragedy
and Shipwreck in the Western
Doeall.
mann AND WOOED.
ED.
Some romaneists who wrote stories of the
sea delight to depict in glowing phrases the
Christmastide festivities of Jack Tar. They
portray him with a four pound chunk of
plum duff in his starboard flipper, a panakin
of steaming grog, hot, sweet and strong be-
side him on the table, while the fiddler
scrapes a jovial accompaniment to the work-
ing of his jaw tackle.
1t is clothing but idealism pure and simple.
Poor Jack'' lasn't Hauch jollity at this festive
period of the year, when in nearly every
home ashore good cheer prevails. The ex-
igencies of the ocean require perpetual alert-
ness, and some of the most disagreeable ex-
periences in niysea life, extending over forty
years, have happened of the ;25th of Deem,
bey,
But in spite of the howling of the icy
gale whose wofu1 shreik makes weird music
as it plays on the harp strings of the running
and staaditig rigging, the magic influence
of Christmas usually gg►akes itself felt iumy.t
sterious w,tyye on boar' a stnxan-tosgcd ship
If, through the avarice of the eiupowncr or
the utcaauleesof the skipper, no alteration is
made in the scanty fare of the foreeestle,- and
nothing but pork end peas or salt horse and
duff are served out to the crew, still Jack's
spirits rise; he xecegnizis that C'lr•istmas is
upon him ; reminiscences of happy times
ashore nrito from the cloudy manatee of bis
memory ; he thinks of his sweetheart or hie
wife; he burets into soul;, and out of adozen
lusty throats snide chariot break: our which
in sone odd way scents to plena: through
the strident lullowiug of the blast.
But every (',hristmts at sea dose etcome up
to this ideal.
I shall never for get oneinemoralde Christ-
mas Dey in the North Atlantic. It was
7R!ii., 1 was an able reatuan ou board the
clipper !•.aenar.jIi', one of the old packets
plying between Now York and Liv-erpo.l.
•' Nulty " ,lack Redfern was captain of her,
and he had for officers three of the rowdiest.
sea devils I ever shipped with. Tliey
feared not God nor man. They earned pis-
tols in their belts, brass belaying ping to
theirhoots, and thought no more of human
,ife than you would of crushing a mosquito.
Our crew was completed chiefly of what was I
termed in those days packet rats. They
were the very sewn of the earth, picked up
on the docks of Liverpool and New York.
They had to be ruled with ►. rod of iron, but
the Captain and his three mates were quite.
capable of handling them.
We were bound to the eastward, and just
before dawn on Christmas lety we were .
running) before a smoking •ontbwester with
the whole topsails set. My stars, how the
wind dial pipe : We were going; fourteen.
knots at least, with a mountainous sea
solloning ns and threatening every moment
to bralc over us ani) sweep our deeks fore
and aft. It was as thick as a hedge, to'.
Two 'ten wci a at the wheel, and although
drenched with rain and splay were persptr-
iug violently. The old packet was not in
the best of trim, and it took a :smart helms- {
man to keep her within four points of her
attend to. As we brought the wind on our
beam the three topmasts broke short off, the
vessel shipped a big sea, which filled the
desks and railed her over on her beam ends,
I had ruthedto the forerigging and clung to
that like grim death. ,How it was I
escaped being washed to leeward I could
Hover discover, but after the sea had ex-
pended its violence I saw five or six men
struggling to leeward in the sea, I could
plenty distinguish the form of the captain
on the top of a hugh comber. It appeared
that he had some on deck just as the zea
struck us, and was swept overboard with
six others. They all perished, as it was
impossible to do anything to help them,
Our own plight was bad enough. Here
we were d►smasted, on our beam ends and
floundering helplessly in a trough of theses.
The wind was blowing with almost hurri-
cane violence and we were straining so
awfully that foundering seemed im-
minent.
The mate came limping forward. Ile had
been dashed against the mizzenmast, but
grasped the topsail sheets just in time to
save himself. The watch below bad clam-
bered on deck and with awe stricken faces
gazed helplessly aloft.
the mate was a Haan of resources. He
sent a hand aft to the cabin with a message
to the steward to come forward with a couple
of bottles of rum. After serving out a
stuff ration to all rd us he gave us to under-
, stand that he was now in command and
meant to save the ship, and that if any man
failed to do his duty he would shoot him in
his tracks. We paw that he was in earnest
and followed his lead. Not a stitch of c:an-
vas reutaiued set, the foresail and 'mainsail
l:aviug blown out of tate het rope • The
topmasts ltad carried away just:t!.?..e the
sip, but the lower yards remained and the
lower ipasts -sere uinjured. The (leek was
a network of standing and running rigging.
(in those days wire wasn't need for stays
and shrouds), and the topmasts were in the
water to leeward thntnping against the sides
and threatening to dash them in.
It was the very worse Christmas morning
I had ever put in. We went to work with
axes and knives clearing away the wreckage.
It was nightfall before the spars drifted
elcar of the ship. When relieved of their
hamper and under the influence of a storut
trysail bent to the mizzen utast the ship
righted a little, and bowing the sea. rods
easier. The thick weather continues) and
the wind was as strong as ever.
When wo went below at xtightfati to
tnaatelt a hasty meal and get a little rest the
scene was wretched, By the dint light of .a
making, stinkin , slush lamp we could ace
chests floating to leeward inwater knee deep,
Oil skins, mess kite, bedding ---a11 were
washed about hither and thither in inextrie-
able confusion, The galley fire had been
out an day. There was no possibility of
getting any hot eonf a or tea. Our barge of
bleeuits was sodden, and two old bones of
salt beef with precious little on them, was the
only Christmas fare provided for us.
"WW'ell by the eternal "" cried Yorkshire
Joe, " if this ain't a nice Christmas dinner
fnrhoncst seamen who ►rave worked like
niggers all day 1 Let's go aft, and if the
cursed mate won't give us something to eat
Let's ent his heart out."
t' I wouldn't fool with the .mate if I were
you," remarked ',Inky Bill ; " he's a dead
shot and:you woutdn'tstand much show,
It would he better to break into the
store room and see what we can find
there."
Lots were cast and four nen were chosen
to accompany Lanky Bile aft, They
slipped down the companionway, watching
their chance when the second mate, who
was in charge of the deck, walked aft to
the wheel. the door of the store room was
on the starboard side of the companion
ladder, in a narrow passage whichled to the
main cabin. The door was open as some of 1
the stores had been fetched away owing to
the fearful rolling and lurching of the ship.
Tato steward, who had hem trying to scoure
v ings, was fast asleep on top of some
cases, overcome by woaryness tanel rob ably
an extra glass of grog. 'Bill seized Mian by
by the left hand, and holding the gleaming
point of a sheath knife close to his eyes, in. a
hoarse whisper said :--
"One word and I'll cut your throat. We
are starving and must have food and rum."
The steward was a I'ortugese. The threats
of the sailor had a great effect upon him.
He turned as white as his sallow complexion
would allow hit' and he would inako no
outcry.
The skipper was walking the weather
side of the quarter deck in fine spirits. He
had made some heavy bets that ye would
accomplish the run to Liverpool inside the
seventeen days and he was "cracking on
like Old Harry. The mate came on deck at
eight o'clock to relieve the second mate. .As
he pushed his head through the companion
way I saw him east an anxions look aloft at
the spars as if be expected them to fall about
his ears at any moment. The ship was
yawing about in an alarming manner. She
would come up three points in the wind
every now and again and as she felt the
influence of the gale on her beameverything
aloft would crack and rattle and she would
heel over until her lee rail was almost level
with the water, while big groen seas deluged
her decks. Thensliewould fly off under the
pressure of weather helm until she brought
the wind dead aft.
The mate went to the captain and said a
few words to him. What they were' don't
know, but I heard the skipper's reply. The
boatswain and I had brought a relieving
tackle to hook ou in ease anything happened
to thowkeel chains, and we were going aft
with it just as the captain exclaimed :—" I;
am going down to breakfast ; If yon dare to
take a stitch of oanvas off this ship while I
am below I will shoot you like a dog !"
Muttering some fearful imprecationshe dived
down the companionway.
" The old man is full of rum as he can
hold," said the boatswain to me as we walked
forward. " Those sticks will snap off short
like a carrot if sail isn't reduced very
soon."
I crouched clown under the lee of the
longboat and tried to get a few draws at my
pipe, which I had lighted at the galley fire.
In a few minutes the mate called me aft and
said :—"Joe, I can trust you, I ,think,
better than anyone else in my watch. You
are not quite such a scoundrel as the rest,
Go forward and keep a lookout. We are
just as likely as not to fall in with some ves-
sell bound to the westward and it is so
thick I can't see a hundred yards ahead. So
keep your eyes well skinned."
Forward I went. The scene from the
forecastle was one of terrific splendor. As
the stern of the ship rose up on the crest of
a mighty wave her bow would fell into the
hollow of another wave, as if she were going
to take a chive to the bottom. It was ire -
possible to stand on the deck forward with-
out hanging on to something,, so powerful
was the draught under the foot of the fore-
castle. As the ship yawed off before the
winch and the head sails got becalmed
there was such a clatter of sheets and such
a flapping; of sails that put one in mind of
pandemonium. I' diad, made a few trips
across the Western Ocean, but I had never
seen a ship forded through the water at such
a fearful pee. To tell the truth; I', was
badly seared, and there wasn't a man on
board the old packet who didn't feel nervous,
except perhaps the shipper, who was too
drunkfor anyfeelingat all.
Clinging't;t e ito which the foretop;
mast t sail do t•�ntusul Was belayed, PI
straieed my eyes through the fog, which en-
veloped the ocean like cepa I had been
at my post about hall an hour, when sucl-
denly loomed right up under her bows the
indistinct form of a vessel. She seemed so.
close that the end of our flying gibboom ap=
peered to be right over her.
Hard -a -part 1 I; yelled with it voice
franticwith terror.
The prate rushed' to. the wheel. The spokes
okes
were whirled'eound- and es the shi came to
the wing we pasted close ill de'r the ,stern of
a big ship. I hove to under a ;close. reefed.
maintopsail• and foretopmaststaysail.•; ,The
officer ob. bet giiarter'd'eck shook`his fist; and
hurled., curses at ,us', th'oiigh'we couldn't hear
131'..ri. In fact:" we ''hast something else to
Four raw hams were hanging up to the
beans. There was a case of holland gin
elono to the door. The hams and the liquor
were soon seized, and a bag was filled from a
barrel of fine white biscuits intended for
cabin use. With a parting admonition to
the steward to keep a still tongue in his
head if he valued his life the Hien went up
the stairway. As they reached the deck
the second mate caught sight of them. He
rushed at them, but was felled with a brass
belaying pin. and, rolled do wn to leeward.
The man at the wheel, who was .only there
as a matter of form, the ship being hove to
with the helm lashed hard down, seeing the
secondmate fall, joined the four sailors and
went down the forecastle with them.
Meanwhile the mate was sleeping in his
berth. •
I tell you, boys, the hungry men sailed
right into those hams and hard tack
with rare rapacity. Then filling their tin
pannikins with large supplies out of the
"square faces" they drank confusion to the
cabin. They were soon furiously intoxicated
1 was a comparative greenhorn so far as vice
was eoncerned,and the threatening demeanor
of these deamons terrified me. I had eaten
my "whack "of .the ham and had taken a
few sips of the fiery Schiepam which tasted
like liquid flame. I could see that these
fellows meant murder. I crawled into niy
bunk and kept quilt. I heard them plot
the killing of the first ancl third mates, and
this is how they arranged it :—Oneman was
ea stamp hard on the deck above thecabins
where they slept, and as they came up from
below the others were to despatch them
with sheath Infixes and handspikes. All of
them went on deck on murder intent. .,I
remained in my bunk with my heart in my
Mouth.
For two hours I crouched there,too fright-
ened to go on. deck. At last I mustered up
courage and crawled up through the eompan-
ionway. Not a. soul could be seen. The
gale blew `• as violently as ever, and to • my,
horror I could see the ship settling down . in •
the water. The buffeting of the, waves
caused her to spring aleak. There was a
light gleaming in the : skylight aft. I
managed tocreep along thelee side of the
deck. Peering through the skylight T could'
see the murderous gang lying on the cabin
Boor.. A couple of oases of brandy were
beside them and empty bottles were rolling
from side to side as the storm tossed ship
rolled to windward or lurched to leeward.
But where were the `: two officers 'whom the
gang had: doomect to destruction
I;; soon. found out. `As, I was intently;
watching , the horrid • spectacle below, ,the
ship gave an extra heavy lurch. I was
thrown'.: violently to .leeward, where the
water :alas knee tjeep. ,•,As I floundered about
helplessly in the water trying to regain my
feet something washed against me. Instantly
•
a
1
-' ,A .•
1
DECEMBER.
'What hast in store for us 3 A blizzard wild.
Oh zephyrs only mist)? Wilt thou be bleak
Or wilt thou bees gentle
1 sadly fear thoultt prance about and tweak
Ancinipecheek with blighting frost the nose and
Of mortals as they plod their way forlorn.
Nor sparing strong nor passing o cr the weak,
Thou tail end of the year, 0 Capricorn,
Pray tell us if the seasons to be Mild
So that our pipes for once mar fail to leak.;
Or whether thou, ellen! wilt be beguiled
Inti
11 hSonfindnedrs pilnumeabcWaaa aliworroawnatrlcshrok,
swcck,
In whom are buried ducats thousands mourn. f
.tot thou the ally of this piratestcek,
Thou tail end of the year, 0 Capricorn?
And then on Christnlns nay; when present
•
piled
On sek. presents thin whole joyous world doth
Shull ail ma friend then be unite reconciled
Or gifts llotlowlysklttsmen ntheniugirc way tt
pique,
And what 1 bane to give them wholly scorn?
1 ask thee for a candid. plain critique,
Thou tail end of the year. 0 Capricorn.
Exvor,
In pictures thou dost seem a very freak --
A fish's tail thou hast. a gnatish born ;
Tint thou ean'st tell tic nnuch, ee prithee speak,.
Thou Fail end of the year, 0 Caprieorn.
Joii t Rna-uiuert l:3axos,
df.„
r
I knew that it was the body of one of the
murdered mates. Another weather roll of
the ship washed the corpse and myself'
against the skylight. 1By the ray from
the lamp whioh sllnne on the face
of the dead man I could see that a terrific
blow had battered his head in. It was the
mate. 1 had scan.
enough.
fi
Going forward I was attracted by a gleam
of light in the galley. I entered and there
was the negro cook smoking his pipe appar-
ently unconcerned. He and I had always
been good friends. He slept intii berth ad-
joining the galley, and I soon fot►iid out he
was ignorant of the bloody doings which had
been going on in the cabin. Meanwhile
the ship labored more than ever. Whether
site would keep afloat until awn it was
hard to say, We were powerless. All we
could do was to prey for the old packet to
hold together till morning. The cook went
aft, and after alance down the skli ht he
went down into cabin, returning with a
couple of bottles of brandy. He told me
that everybody in the cabin wes stupefied
with drink and that it would probably be
hours before they recovered from their de-
bauch.
We continued our weary watch, the ship
settling down perceptibly every hour. 1
had a scheme to save our lives and after
talking it over with the cook we agreed to
try it. The jollyboat was hanging aft on
the lee' davits ; as yet she had escaped being
struck by the sea. As the first glimmer of
dawn appeared in the east we cast off the
grips of the boat, leaving her hanging only
by the falls. 'Wedging the two bottles of
brandy into a locker in her stern, we stood
by, one in her bow and the other aft, ready
to cut away her falls and let her go by the
run into the sea. The chances were a hun-
dred to one that the boat would capsize or
that she would be swamped. Luckily our
knives were sharp. We wated for a favour-
able moment. The ship gavealurch to lee-
ward.
" Cut quick, for Heaven's sake, Cook !"
I yelled. And he cut.
The'ropes unrove simultaneously, and with
an awful plunge the little boat was in the
seething, swirling, yeasty sea. Fortunately
she was a well built craft, and she rode the
waves like a duck. 1 got a steering
oar out aft and tried to keep her head to
sea.
The Fear;xaujht's time had come. The
waves now were making a clean breach over
her, forward and amidships, but her stern
stuck up well out of the water. She was
still close to tis, and if there had been any
life on the deck we should have seen it.
Away to windward we could` see a towering
wave moving along majestically and making
right for the ship, as if determined to en-
gulf her. It broke with tremendous force
on her deck. She staggered, and in two
minutes after she sank head first into the
oceau.
Thus perished the Feccrii wght with her
mirdcrons crew of packet rats, but her, cep -
'baba was responsible for her loss and not the
crew. I will not take up your time by tel-
ling you of my sufferings in the boat or of
the death of the .cook. 1 was picket up after
'four days of it by a brig bound to a French
port. I never told anybody of the crimes
committed on board. I even concealed the
name of the ship, fearing that I might get
into the clutches of, the -law. Thus the
story of the feunderiair, of the Pew -naught on
December 26th, 1855, is now first revealed'
in these columns.
The Cause of,lt.
" A little less noise, lease,"suggested the
P
superintendent, stooping, as he passed down
the aisle.' "There is too much levity n this
class."
ae We are studying Leviticus," explained
one of the boys. Y g
Theueen of Portugal is suffering from
R g
influenea,
ErVehT,
•
WILELT OREISTMAS MEANS.
Ce1ebra*ed as a YIoly Day Attire tlte,Yexr of
our Lord es.
At midnight on the thith of this month the
birthday of the Saviourof mankind willhave
been celebrated: for the seventeen hundred
and ninety-third bine, for Christmas was
first kept as a holy day A, D. 98. We have
no means of determining the exact date of
the Saviour's nativity. The statement that
the data was preserved in the public archives
at Rome, though asserted by some of the
early fathers, is not now generally credited.
As to the year prop :W.1 ince of opinion
and of such evidence es we have seems to
favor that of 4 or 5 B.C. As to the month,
December is the height of the rainy season
in Judea, and therefore, the fact, as stated
by the New Testament, that shepherds were
watching their flocks on its plains while stars
were shinin in the heavens on the night of
the Saviour s birth, makes it extremely un-
likely that it could have occurred in that
month. Many learned treatises have been
written and plausible arguments advanced
to prove that it must have taken place in
October, but the question will ever remain
in abeyance.
Icor the first three centuries Christmas
was one of the most movable of all religious
festivals. The Eastern Church observed Jan.
6 as the anniversary both of Christ's birth
and circumcision. But'in the fourth century
Pope Julius I. ordered an investigation of
the matter, and after long deliberation, the
theologians of both the East and West
united in appointing Dec.. 25 to be kept as
Christ's birthday. It seems not improbable
that in selecting Dec. 25 as the date of the
greatest event save one—the crucifixion—in
the world's history the worthy fathers were
influenced by a desire to supplant the many
heathen festivals of the Winter solstice,auch
as the Saturnalia or great festival of Saturn
and Ops, which began on Dec. 19 (or after
Caesar's reformation of the calendar, on the
17th) and continued for seven clays.This pre-
sumption is made more probable from the
fact that for many centuries the festivities
of Christmas were prolonged until "Twelfth
Night," Jan. 6, and even till Candlemas Day,
Feb. 2, while they usually began as early as
the night before. All Saints' Day, or Hallow
E'en, thus showing the desire of the early
fathers of the Church to make the heathen
converts to :Christianity feel that they had
lost nothing in harmless pleasure and enjoy-
ment by the substitution of the Christian
festival for the heathen one.
Not only did the Romans observe this per-
iod of the year as a time for mirth and re-
joicing, but many of our most familiar
Christmas usages are derived from the old
heathen festivals which Christmas replaced.
The custom of giving Christmas presents,
now so universally observed, was derived
from the old Rolnan Saturnalia, or feast of
Saturn, above mentioned, at which it was
customary for all the members of a house-
hold to offer gifts to each other. It is not
traceable, as hes been sometimes ignorantly
stated, to the New Testament account of
how kings and wise men mado rich offerings
to the infant Jesus.
The Yule clog, or log, the groat stick of
timber placed in the olden times upon the
Christms fire --was derived from the Saxon
feast of Jul or Yid, at which a similar piece
of timber gave the principal fire and the
principal light. The Yule clogand the sup-
e
u p -
erstitions connected with it are among the
most venerable Christmas associations. The
Yule clogs that blazed in the vast halls of
the old English feudal barons of the middle
ages were huge trees, and we are told that
even just before the close of the last century
the mansion of an English gentleman resid-
ing near Shrewsburywastotally destroyed by
fire in of too large a Yule log •
having been lighted on his hear "•etene.
When the Yule clog was not all t...: gee',
before dawn and burned into the Iight of
Christmas Day its ashes were carefully pre-
screed until the next Christmas Eve, and
were believed to bring good health and for-
tune to all the household, but should they
be scattered and lost death and misfortune
were thought sure to follow.
The custom of decorating churches, dwel-
lings and places of business with evergreen,
holly, , lat►aw, bays and mistletoe at the
Christmas season bas also a heathen origin,
being a perpetuation of an observance of the
old. ]British Druids, whose belief it was that
kindly sylvan spieita; sought these ornaments
of living green and hovered near them, un-
touched and unharmed by nipping frost, un-
til the death of winter.
Those same old Druids attached much im-
portance to the mistletoe, investing it with
a peculiarly hallowed and mystic character.
They regarded it as an emblem of love, and
believed that it typfiied the beneficient feel-
ings of their gods toward mankind. It is
doubtless to this old Druidioalassociationof
the mistletoe with love that the English
custom, whrchstill obtains, of enforeing the
forfeit of a kiss from any female who is
caught under a branch of it tat Christmas
time is traceable.
By the celebration of Christmas, with its
grand'liturgy, its magnificent music and its
pictorial and dramatic representations of
the principal events in the life of him whose
birth is commemoreited,theuhurch soughtto
replace these heathen festivities and to lift
up the minds of the people to something
higher and holier, though from the first the
day was regarded both as a holy commemora-
tion of a most sacred event and as a mirth-
ful, joyous festival In the middle ages the
festive observances of the day often so far
overtopped its more sacred features that the
clergy were frequently compelled to check
the unseemly merriment of their flocks.
The name of Christmas assigned to the
festival was derived from Christ and the
Saxon Maesse or Mass, and the two words
were combined to denote a special service in
honor of the birth of the Son of God.
Probably one of the most generally known
of the oldChristmas observances, next to the
giving of presents, is the singing of Christ-
mas carols. These were pions canticles de-
signed to replace the ribald songs of the old
heathen festivals, and the custom of children
and also grown people going about from
house to house singing them at the door on
Christmas Eve and being rewarded with
Christmas cheer and Christmas spending
money is maintained in many parts of Eng-
land even at the present day.
Conductirg Christmas Festivals,
If a Christmas festival is given for schools
in large towns or cities, the attendance
ought to be limited by tickets ; and teachers
ought to make sure that every scholar re-
ceive a present upon the tree.
This may be easily arranged for by con-
sulting with parents to find out if they . in-
tend to send gifts for their Children. Any
scholar not thus provided for, must, with-
out fail, be remembered by the teacher. If
the fruits of the tree are to be free to the
children, groat caro must he taken that no
child is omitted from the list.
In many Sunday-schools—and it is a beau-
tiful idea --a " scholar's tree " is prepared,
upon which the regular pupils of the school
hang one or more gifts which they have
specially chosen as suited to certain poor
children whorn they are privileged to invite.
A pleasing entertainment,game and a
gen-
erous supper are provided,besides a "real
live Santa,"
who presides over the festivities
and distributes the presents.
In country towns where there are fewer
poor children than in city districts, but more
olcl and invalid people living in solitary
places where the winter's cold and snow
shuts them away from the outside world,
a^;netimes the young folks, in. well-to-do
families, provide a tree in some hall os s-
try. Old and young are invited, and apn-
eral season cf gift -making is enjoyed. The
aged and feeble oaes who cannot be present
at the festival, are matt generously remem-
bered., their gifts being bung upon the tree
with the rest, to indicate that they are
reckoned as part of "the general life of the
neighborhood.
Among the various devices to present the
downcouting of Santa Claus from the roof
through the chimney, bringing his well
laden pack upon} his back, that of arranging
A fireplace upon the stage or platform near
the tree, is usually most satisfactory to the
little people. This may be easily prepared.
thus: ---
Take. a one -inch board, five feet long and
one foot wide, for the shelf of the mantel.
Nail this at each end upou two other boards
eight inches wide and five feet long, to form.
the supports of the mantel, also the bides of
the front part of the fireplace ; paint the
whole brick color. Then, when dry, mark
it in oblong squares in proper shape to rep-
resent bricks, with white paint or chalk -
Place this frame before an open deer and
fasten it there firmly.' Hang a large pie-
ture above the mantel to cover the upper
space of the door.
Tack turkey -red cloth to the inner edge
of the mantel -supports to cover the lower
space, three feet upward from the floor;
draw it back smoothly, and tack the same
to the easing of the door. Mark the cloth
to
represent bricks ; the cloth and lines
should be somewhat blackened in the grate,
thus : Make a light framework of weed.
Tack, upon this a strip of red cloth, say five
inches wide. Set this around the fireplace
in the shape of a grate, and place inside a
urn►ing lamp-- out of sight, of course—art
the appearauce of a. cheerfully glowing fisc
gained. A gas -log, where it can be el tamed,
is, of course, better than a lamp.
Salta has plenty, of ream to enter by tate
door with a good-sized pack on his sho►►t-
dens. Ile m et take tine, however, before
descending, to mange for the eons
clatter of roxndecr hoifs upon the roof, the
jingle of sleigh -bells and the wheezing and
sneezing that necess ai i'v attend the descent
of a eorpuleut, old fellow through a smoky
and sooty chimney. I,'ttle people: have
very little faith in a ante who arrives by
any other way than the chimney route,
The Little Strom
There is a popular household story that
is repeated year after year to (icrnaaat child-
ren at the beginning of the Christmas holi-
days, to kindle the spirit of charity, which
illustrates to the chid mind the words of
our Lord : "1 was it stranger, and ye took
me in." In Germany every child ,passes
through fairyland, and receives the great
truths of moral and spiritual life in parables.
The story is substantially as follows
In a little cottage on the borders of s
large forest there once lived a poor wood-
chopper, with his wife and two children.
He was a goad and pious man, but was
scarcely able to earn enough to provide food
for his fainly. For all that he began his
daily duties with prayer, and ended them.
with praise, and the family were very happy.
His children's names were Valentine and
Marie.
One snowy evening when the woodchop-
per came home, he brought with hint some
green boughs, and after the evening meal
began to hang them over the m.tutel-piece.
Christmas is here, said he, anal have
no presents for you ; but we will offer to the
Lorca the beautiful al ere of grateful hearts.
God will bless us."
He thou said grace at the simple table, as
they gathered around it to partake of the
evening meal. There came a knock at the
door.
"Who is there?" asked the woodchopper.
"A homeless child,"
Come in."
A child entered, very beautiful, but in
ragged clothing, and stood before the fire.
Who are you, asked the woodchopper,
kindly. " Whence do you comet"
"I am it strap ger, and have no home,"
answered the child.
" Conte to the table, little stranger," said
Marie. "There is not bread enough for us
both ; you shall have my supper."
" And I will let you sleep in my bed,
said Valentine. " There is not room enough
for two. I will sleep on the floor."
The family sung their evening hymn,—
"Tho woods are all silent,
and the little stranger quickly fell asleep in
Valentine's bed.
At midnight the family was awakened by
the sound of music without the door. The
storm had abated, and the stars shone clear
in the cold sky. Very sweet music it was.
"Hark t"' said Marie. " It is the, song of
children. What do they sing?"
" Listen !" said Valentine. The family
was still, and the voices sang :
"0 happy home, to heaven nigheit,
Wherein Thou, Little Stranger. lies."
Like the softly attuned musical glasses
seemed the music out of which rose the
carol- The family heard it with. delight.
The song was repeated :
"0 happ,, home, to heaven nighest,
Wherein Thou, Little Stranger, nest."
The music drifted away as in a cloud of
light, higher and higher, and was lost in the
air. In the morning the Little Stranger
woke, and said that He must go.
' You will be blessed," He said, simply,
" because you took me in. Take this sprig
of evergreen," He added, breaking a twig
from the tree that the cotter had brought
home, "and plait it, and,you shall one day
know Who I am."
It was a sprig of the fir.
The cotter did as he was bidden, and the
sprig grew, and the fir -tree bore silver nuts
and golden apples, and Marie and Valentine
never again knew the want of food or a bed,
or of an abundant Christmas table.
It was the first Christmas -tree.
Who was the Little Stranger ?
How to Talk Well.
Learn to listen well, and very soon you
will find yourself speaking the word in sea-
son and surprising yourself as well as-
others,
sothers, by the quickness with which your
thoughts will be well. expressed.
Read the works of great writers, think
them over, and conclude in what way you
differ from them. The woman who talks
well must have opinions—decided ones—but •
she must have them well in hand, as
nothing is so disagreeable as an aggressive
talker. Say what you have to say pleasant-
ly and sweetly ; remember always that the
best thing in life, dear;, sweet love, lies often
been won by that delightfuithing—" a low
voice."
Do not be too critical ; remember that
every blow given another woman is a boom-
erang which will return and hit you with
double force. Take this into consideration
—it is never worth while making a maib
cious remark, no matter how clever it may
be.
Jealousy sees things. always with a mag.
nifying glass, which makes little things,,
large,—of dwarfs giants, of doubts truths;