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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Times, 1903-12-17, Page 7L• memocospecipme HOLIDAY OANI -ES 00411MOilider49~.1.34e10.344,444,140 , tiQC4ilit<O1C4X-ett 1Chnstmas A kt! inner... A A 1, -!"),i.V!Wi),)...lateit`ele'Dete*D.D. 1 ea Roast Coose.—A. go.ose should . b carefully dreesed far roasting, or it i liable to have a stroag flavor whicl is very undesirable, When ready fel • the operatic:la singe the bird, rexaove pin feathers and wash. Ie gooee weds, literally, a bath in hot soap- stide and a scrubbing, too, with a. vegetable brush. nail draw, which is meeting the conteets of the in-. •xide. Melt comes ilext ? Wash and rine° in clear, cold water, t.hei wipe just ae dry as possible. Now the e ms.e. Is ready for the stuffing •-and, ling and sprinkling with, salt end or, The put an a rack in a 'di ipping pan and lay :ix thin , 511 es of fat salt pork over the bust. Put in a very hot oven and tl '0 spu et ering begin,s'. A 10 -pound 0:mi-a will, take about elle hour and • • three-quarters for the roasting, and it Should be basted every 15 minutes ' with the fat in the pan, removing the poidc, if you please, the last half bour of the cooeing. Apple sauce should always accota- . puny roast goose. Then garnish the Cluistmas goose with stuffed aPplos en surprise and a few hits of laurel. Chestnut Stiffing—To make the dreseing, cook one-half tablespoon ----tinely chopped shallot with three tablespoons butter five minutes; then add orie-foerth pound sausage Meat. Sausage first freed from their out- side skin and cook two inieutes; add 12 finely chopped mushrooms and " One cup 'chestnut puree. Season with salt and pepper and add one-half tablespoon finely chopped parsley. Heat to boilihig. point, add one-half cup fresh bread crumbs and 24 whole cooked French chestnuts, This may. be one a day in advance, for it needs to be cold when it is put into the birth Tilts is an expensive stuff- ing, but one wants to have tho best on Christinae day. . • • Stuffed Apples en Surprise—Core andcut in eights eight apples, put in stewpaa, with one-half .cup maple syrup, one cup sweet • cider, two slices but from a lemon, one-quarter • teaspoon .salt, Ono tablespoon butter and a few gratings of nutmeg; 'then cook until soft. Cool, and fill shells made by taking a.thick slice from stem end of bright red apples and scoopixig out ineide, .Cover with meringue made of whites of two eggs beaten stiff, • two tablespoons powder- ed sugar and one teaspoon lemon Rite. Place under gas game of gas range to brown meringue. Mushroom Sauce.—Melt three table- spoons butter,add a few drops onion. Juice and cook until slightly , . browned; then add three and one- half tablespoons flour, one cup cream the water drained from. cooking •'cano- e's 4+ime=r,setteliciiind mushroom stems with 'f-" enough more cream to make one-half :... cup liquid. Season with salt and paprika -and add one tablespoon moat extract. • Add raushroora caps cut in slices and sauted in butter five minutes. - Eneish. Plum Pudding.—For this genuine English plum pudding . mix six ounces , flour, six ounces stale beea.d crumbs, three-quarters of a Pound each seeded raisins and • cur- rants. three-quarters of a pound D.310,. ly chopped suet, 10 ounces sugar, one cup molasses, three ounces can- died orange peel, one teaspoon each nutmeg and 'mace, siX eggs well beat- en, and salt to taste. Turn into a ..e thickly floured cloth, tie securely and plunge into a kettle of boiling thwa- ter.k. r e water boiling around the pudillvigorously for five hours or the result will not•be satisfactory. This pudding nnist be mixed witli the hand, otherwise it is impossible to 'incorporate the ingredients thor- oughly. It is well to have the pudding made a day or two in ad- vance, as it can be readily heated in .a• steamier in about an hour or so. G arnish the pudding with sprays of ,holly .well laden. with its bright rod berries and a .hard 'sauce ornamented with . candied cherries. Pour one- third dup brandy, .which must be of ••good quality, ' around base of pude • ding and light just before sending to • the table. ' Then serve with hot sauce as well as the cold sauce.. Cold Hard Sauce.—Cream one: third of a cap of butter, add gradual- ly nne eup brown sugar and drop - by .deoptwo tablespoons brandy. If eettic brand* is added too rapidly, the ' . sauce will have a curdled appearance. 'Hot Sexce.—Mix one-half cup sa . gar, one level tablespoon arrowroot and a few grains salt. Add one cup boiling watee, and let boil live rola- utee. Remove fromfire and add •one tablespoon lemon juice and two tablespoons brandy. Col.or with fruit red. Arrowroot makes a clear • sauce, dour or cornstarch a ,cloudy one; - • . CHRISTMAS SUGGESTIONS. • under the knot. 'Ile up bundles -in white„ getheriag; the paper together at the ends, tying it with. ribbon' and then fringing the ends. Littlo fancy boxes, made of Whit- man paper and decorated witli gold paint and red water eolor paint, fill- ed With homd-made eandies, make an inexpensive and always acceptable gift. A set of dislitoWels, neatly hemmed. a and tlearked, nicely done up and ace companiecl with an appropriate sena- ' is a gift never despised by the housekeeper. Wash -cloths made of sqUares of Turkish towelling with a. crocheted edge Of pale blue or pink zephyr sell well at a bazaar, and are gifts a lit- tle girlcan make herself'. , The "hair receiver" is always odi- Valuable Hints About Making •Holiday Gifts. '' It• is always rather difficult to pre- . paTh acceptable gifts for the children • of a Sunday school—gifts pleasing, • eattractive and inexpensive. Buy a quantity • of stiek candy of various • flavors and colors. ..Wrep each stick in brie thickness of transparent white paper: this is to give it a clean, int- • handled, appetizing leek, and aleo preserve the color effect.. Out of blue or red' paper inctke wrappers about three inches wide, ornamented with the name of the Sunday school Christmas sentiment in gold paint, Put seven of the candy sticks together and encircle them.•with this wrapper. . Little boxes 'which contain gifts ,May be wrapped ,in tem papers, one Scarlet, the outer White; Make the ,POPers longir' on oria, end then on , the other; • 1 the folded end, and gather th nger together, tie with • scarlet ribbon,: clip the ends sold frill • aut... Thus prepared they are net only easily attached to a tree; bet' ere reads ornaMental. Wrap books in White tissue.papor tied tie wilt hotly red baby. ribbon, tucking a igirlit• of reti-lairried hoily ous, nevertheless in many rooms it Seeme to be a netessary, adjunct of the dressing bureau. A bag made Of tucked Persian laava of India lin- en, fastened at the back Of the dress- ing bureau "fills the bill" acceptab- ly. . The tucks are horizontal, and the mouth of the bag is lett large enough so that it is convenient for use. A whisk broom'holder is made of }two elueldtshaped pieces of cardboard !covered with holly red linen raid bound with green satin ribbon an inch tvide. Ornament the front with a monogram embroidered in green, • A young girl will appreciate a pretty bit of corsage, garniture as a Christmas gift, Get a bolt' of velvet i ribbon. No, 1 and a spray of small 'flowers or limit, (forgoteme-nots are I pretty). Make the ribbon into loops [varying from four to- eine inches in 'length, fastening thein.• with 51)601 ' wire and arrange the flowers among them. , Five' yards of satin ribbon No, 80 make a lovely girdle and sash bow. Tiventy-five inches are allowed for the waist. The bow has six loops arranged in pairs, with two short upright ends, five inches long... The middle of the bow is a knot for which seven inches. of ribbon are al- lowed. The loops are graduated in length, the lowest pair being six and a half inches, the second five and a quarter, the third pair four inches. A stick collar is a gift that al- ways .delights a girl if it is daintily Made of suitable materials. A pret- ty one seen at the theatre the other night had bias strips of pale blue moire at top and bottom, with a strip of heavy white cream lace over white between -them. To cover the junction of moire and lace was a row of narrow black velvet ribbon stud- ded at intervals with tiny turquoise buttons. Ends of blue ribbon edged with narrow cream lace made a but- terfly bow in front. RECORD CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS.. I.n the village of Paignton in Dev— onshire, England, an old charter pro- vided that on each fiftieth Cbristinas Day the village ehould provide as plum pudding large enough to feed all the poor. • In' accordance With the provisionsl of that charter, ,on the first Christ- mas .of the nineteenth •century, a pudding was made winch weighed 900 pounds, The ingredients included in -ore than a bushel of eggs, 120 lbs. of suet, a like weight Of raisins and 500 pounds of flour.. - In. 18.58 the said village was con. - fleeted with civilization by means of a railroad, and to celebrate the event , tbe people, remembering the old char- ' tee, thought well to liave a monster pudding as part of the festivities. The preparations cost L45 the in- gredients considerably more. These consisted, of 600 pounds of flour, 400 . pounds of raisins, 190 pounds of currants, 400 pounds of suet, • 191 pounds of breacicrumbs, 95 pounds of sugar, 800 lemons, 144 nutniegs; and 160 quarts of milk. This pudding •weighed nearly a ton and a half, and eight horses were employed to take it to the vil- lage green with all befitting core- mony. A. few years ago there was a mon- ster pudding made in Southwark, then a suburban borough of Loudon. The pudding was carried through the streets, in procession, .headed' by a band, playing alternately Christmas music and popular tunes. ' • A QUARREL ADJUSTED. Guy—"What present" did your bast girl giveeyou ?" . Percy— 'Well, she said she would try getting engagedeto me again." exavosooeosetivaeetwriesseeses THE RUSSIAN CHRISTMAS 41.8100600 • 414011040040MMNI 'Wild wastes of snow-maatied steppe, vabled by the starry dome of heaven, Mysterious lights flickering before the glittering fano of a little temple and softened by curling elands of fragrant incense, solemn chants of the church, • weird pi).eloslies of anci- ent faith,. the merry laughter of rustic Maids seeking to pry into fu- turity, and the cheery shouts at young and old floating in on the frosty night air, still linger, says a Writer in London Daily Telegraph, among the pleasant memories of my first Christmas in RuSsia. It was a quaiut mixture of the seared and the ,profano, a blending of the pre- sent and the future, a carious rase ion of pain mad pleasure. Christ- mas Eve being the close, of a long and rigorous fast, none but the hard- ened sinner .would dare satiefy his hunger or slake his thirst before the twinkling twilight of the first star had visibly trembled in the mysteri- ous east. I fear I looked upon my- self as a, hardened shiner in the mat4 ter .of fasting, but, as the guest of a wealthy and devout peasant pro- prietor, 1 had nothing for it but to mortify My body with the rest. Between 5 and 6 o'clock in the evening we were all in church, listen- ing to the impressive service, part of which is a To Deum sung in thanks- giving for the scattering of "the twelve tongues," as the French army was termed in 1812. * A flood of soothing sounds was Sweeping away the bonds that bind men's souls to earth. But before the echoes of the last "amen!" had died away the spacious square before the place of worship was bleak with forms Which the ear, not the eye, recognizec1. as human, for they looked like huge sacks of corn toddling about feet, the women and men alike being wrapped in great sheepskin coats, which covered their high heavy boots and blotted out their natural shapes. When we entered the warm room of the hospital house; wax tapers, hal- lowed candles and purple lamps were lighted, incense was burned, a short prayer recited, arid warm words of welcome were spoken. to the guests. Then the host's children were sent out to some of the neighbors with little cakes, on which were effigies of kine sheep and birds—symbols of the senders' desire that their friends might be blessed with abundance during the coming year. WHEN PAGAN GODS HELD SWAY Supper was spread at 8 o'clock—a few symbolical and unsubstantial dishes which,. were in vogue in days of yore ,whon pagan gods still held sway in heaven and upon earth. On a round table, over which a layer of hay was first scattered, a white - bleached cloth was spread. Even in households where linen is dispensed with all the year round the spotless cloth must be forthcoming at Christ - meg. The table was placed beneath the gorgeous Icon or holy maga, without which no Russian dwelling is habitableand across' the glass and! gold of which the soft glow of ae purple laniplet was playing. A stied--; ley, of apples, pears. dried cherries, I oranges and grapes stewed in wa- ter, sweetened with honey, and served • up cold, formed tho piece do resistance. In another dish a mass of wheat porridge and honey was of "c1' t' 1 • , e • • mealy called vodka,. , Having wished our entertainers and each other joy of tba festival, the host drew near the table, slipped a large wooden spooninto the por- ridge, and, deftly hurled the soft mass against the ceiling—an old cus- tom, which, in its origin, was a sacrifice' to, the Frost -God, whose, wrath it was intended to appease. All the family and the guests rushed up to look at. the result, and a mur- mur of "Glory uuto God!" burst from their lips. Nearly all the por- ridge had stuck to the ceiling and the windowo-a sure sign that the coming harvest would be 'plentiful. To me all this was poetic and inter- esting, but not veryfilling; and when the meal was over, and nay enmity inside was on fire with the vodka, I felt that I could do rough ustice to another repast. But the servants and farm -laborers came trooping into the apartment sat down in our places', and were waited on by, the. hostO and their gueats. When they, too, .had cheated their appetites and fired their stomachs we all drew mend the table, end each, In turn, pulled ont a blade of haYe by the length of which the nature of next year's clop is divined. TO WA.101 THE SHIVERING • SOULS, • • Satitleuly the ,blaze of a huge fire, visible through the 'double windows, alarmed me, for I thought the out- houses wore burning. But ray anxiety was quieted by the host, who ex- plained that he had a fire lighted in the yard, according to the pious cus- tom, to waren the shivering souls of the dead, who are wont to revisit their • homes at this holy season. NThile wataing the tongues of flame lapping up the great logs of birch, tind oak 1 .was startled by the jing- ling of bells, . the strains of 'melon - choly songs, • the creakiag of cris snow under the tread of heavy. fee. and the eolling et a drinn. All a °We a dense mass of tonfuSed sho done; darkened the earth's white car pet and hid some of the snow -blas earned branches of the leafless cher ry trees. It was the villago lads and lasses sbaging the Kolyadi songs handed down from pagau times..The "waits" belonged to every social class, without distinction, Christmas having levelled them all. , Enormous eacks 'were carried by the rustic for the perquisites. Into thee they stowed awayt bacon, sau- sages, linen, herd; flax and other offerings, with 'which their efforts were rewardedat every house they visited. • One of *these receptacles yawned wide as soon as the noise had subsided, and onr host dropped in a large piece of bacon and some bread, besides a silver rouble. which .he gave to one of tho singers, and a bottle of vodka to another. Thai the noise begait anew, caused lay a freindly struggle for the sacks. Sev oral lads wore tripped up by the lasses, others became targets foi snowballs, 9:laciness was coined into rhymes and jokes; and thus, jostling shouting, falling • and singing, th shadows shifted off in the nmonligh from the background of sparkling snow and star -strewn sky, and vole es and music died slowly away in the wintry PEEPS INTO THE FUTURE At Christmas tide in Russia th dead return to visit the quick, and the IIIISCO21 world is so closely drawl of the veil of futurity, woven by the hancls of pity aud love, can, it i believed, be surreptitiously raised At any rate, the youth of both sexes leave nothing undone to get a peep at the seed -plot of time. The girls 'are especially. eager to discovel. whether the •ciasuing year will bring them together with the partners o their joys and sorrows, and, it may be, to be told their names and char - actors, as well, and many a heavy hearted maiden fancies she descries a faint streak of better luck in th GOODIES GALORE, .Some Goad Recipes for Nakano Candies, Walnut Wafereee-One-halt Pound light brown, sugar, half lb. broken walnut Moats, three tablespoomi flour quarter teaspoon baking powd' er a pinch of salt and 2 beaten eggs. Mix the same as for cake, adding the nut meats last. If desired, a little van- illa or other flavoring may be added. Drcip snialt spoonfuls 011'buttered. Pans and bake until brown. A half teaspoon of chocolate or plain white ising dropped on. each wefer when cold will add to their attracriveness. Peanut Wafers,—Stir to a cream. half ' cup butter and one cup milk. Add one cup sweet milk,. whites of 2 eggs (unbeaten) and fil cups sifted flour, into which has been Mixed one teaspoon baking powder. Beat until light. Flavor to taste and turn the mixture into a fiat square pan lined with buttered paper. Spread with a 17,), spoon so as to have it even. Spline kb e thickly with finely chopped pea- t nuts and bake in a moderate oven until brown. Tarn out onto a ' bread board to cool. When quite cold, cut into small squares. Keep them in a stow jar. Peanut Cantly.—Put into a sauce- pan' two cups molasses, one cup of brown sugar, One tablespoon butter and ono of vinegar. Boil until it candies.. Have the peanuts in but- tered pans and pour ebe candy over them. Other nuts, such as butter- nuts, hickory nuts, walnuts or peca.n nuts may be wed instead pepeanuts. Cut into Squares While warm, or rather before tbe candy becomas quite coicla.ple Sugar Ce Maple eclie—Pieak into sitiall pieces on e lb, maple sugar. Melt in a saucepan and add half cup sweet milk• and half cup thick sweet (ream. Boil 'until it forms a soft brill, when. dropped into cold wafer. Take froni the fire and stir uutil it ). begins to cream. Nov pour into buttered plates, mark into squares, - and wine). cold, break apart. Fudge.—Put into a saucepan two cups granulated sugar, two-thirds cup sweet milk and quarter lb. sweet • chocolate. Boll together, stirring all e the Ulna When almost done, add a t small piece of butter. Take from. fire, stir in half cup grated cocoanut - and beat until smooth. Drop in small spoonfuls on paraffin paper, or pour into buttered plates and cut in squares. This is very good without the cocoanut. • ' e Fruit Loaf.—Beat together the whites of two eggs, four tab/espoons thick sweet cream and two oz. bitter chocolate, grated on a Inc grater. s Now add confectioner's sugar, a lit- tle at a time, until one cup has been used. Have ready half cup each seeded raisins, candied cherries, figs, 'dates and nut -meats or grated cocoa- ; , nut. Grind the fruits, or chop fine, a.dd to the sugar mixture end work in more sugar as needed. Knead s andNI len stiffenough I form into a loaf. Let stand for sev- eral hours.. Cut 111. slices. - Candied Fruit. --Boil together two ojcups maple sugar, half cup water and a• . . darkness Of the future horizou the sorrows of the present, or learns that when another Christmas has come rotm.d, her own soul disembod- ied for a,yo, will be coming back to visit her home along with the other shivering spirits whose advent she is welcoming to -night. Innumerable are the keys which are said to open the gates of futurity at this festive season of the year. Lead or wax is melted, poured through a key into a tub of water, and the nrolten mass, shaped by the invisible being as it falls, becomes a symbol of destiny. Two mirrors aro placed opposite each other' . with a candle burning be- fore each; the girl sits between them gaxing intently and silently at the reflected back of her head, until strange fancies chase each other through her brain, shadows flit, before her eyes, "airy tougues that syllable men's names" are heard, and she be- holds the future darkly as in a glass. Throwing a shoe across the threshold of the house at the dead of night is another way of finding out what the future has in store. The Wicket, or gate, is opened, and the slipper thrown over the threshold into the street. She may expect her bridegroena: frocn the direction in which it'points ;when found. Ifthe toe be turaed toward her home. tho omen is inauspicious; marriage dur- ng the coming twelve month is de- nied her by the fates, and it may be, life as well. Wenitraegzeiit‘ta.);iil!:.‘e3W.- • . •••• • •••••••• 40.o. Tpul MGM:11 TH-14. .1.3ETTER. , Mr. Moleagris Gallovapa—My dear,. this is one month of the year Wheal high living don't .hurt the turkey faintly-, • , WHY WE DECORATE AT CHRIST- . MAS. Why do we decorate at Christmas? Why the gifts on the Christmas -tree? Why the holly about the walls, and the laurel over the pictures? Why, above all and the center of all, those green and living growths, the naistle- .toe-boughs Christmas seized upon these things for the celebration of the festival not because they were green, but because of the power that held them green, that kept them alive, that preserved 1. tbein the beauty of life, notwith- standing ethe snow..and sleet, the wind and chilling rain.and the with- ering blast. . It is thespirit of these living growths that appeals to us when all the rest of inanimate Nature appears to be sleeping under the mantle of winter. Before Christmas was, the spirits behind the greeu were believ- ed in by an imaginative people, and the great festival adapted them. The ancient Druids believed in the spirits of the holly., of the laurel, of the great green trees that, formed the walls and living archee of their tean- pies, . To them those things were peopled • with sylvan spirits that loved the growths and kept them green by protecting them freet arbi- ter frosts. 'They took the .branches within their- dtVelling; believing that the Writs Would f011oVe, and there exercise their preteeting* care. Among. theseopiate. they believed none to be morepowerful or capable of bringing greater bleSeleig. than those of the mistletoe. These beliefs have gone train the World, but we -cling tie the emblems of them, and rejoice amid theta at the Christmas celebration. ...4.061•• az ar, tin candies when dropped into cold wa- ter. Removeto back of range and drop the fruit (such as seedless rais- ins, dates, figs, etc) into the hot raixture, sa few at a time. When well coated, lift out and place on oiled paper. • • GLORIA IN EXCELS'S: A CHRIST- MAS ANTHEM. By the Very ROI,, Charles W. Stubbs, AD.,. Dean of Ely. 1. 0 blessed town of Bethlehem Within thy gray -green shade, Ringed round with terraced vineyard And depth of olive glade: There on thy high green pastures Tho shepherds watch their sheep, The 'low large Moon shines glimmering . O'er all the upland steep. 11. What music of the .heavens— What magic sag of bliss— What vision of the night-tide— What mystic light is this? The silly sheep are blinded, - • The shepherds in amaze.' • Stand awestruck, all the hillside With glory is ablaze! • III. The Angels' joyous .chorus . Rings out into the. night. 0 Gloria in Excelsis! Sing praises in the height. Sing praises, men of Bethlehem, Sing praises here below, For Peace on earth and good -will He doth on you bestow. • IV. For on this day is born there Within your little. town A child who Christ the Lord is Yet wears no earthly crown: He bringeth joy and gladness To you and all mankind, Yeti, Peace on earth and good -will To inen of equal mind. V. 0 blessed town of Bethlehem, How happy is thy state! How; blest above all palaces ' The stable ht thy gate! For there in manger -cradle (Oh true the angel word!) As Ring enthroned of all the worlds Reigns Jesus Christ the Lord. —From The Outlook. • THG HOLLY DAYS. The holly days are now in sight, ,The gladdest of the year, When homes are wreathed in ever- greens, And hearts aglow with cheer; An.d boys and girls anticipate The time of glad huzzas, When With delight they'll tura the thoge On dear old Santa Mine. The 'holly days are. how in sight, . On every sada 'tis The joyous tido is rising 'fast That goods the heart's domain. Good wills are voiced bi every look Along the crowtled way; Ah, Met What Were the World with - A Saviours natal day! MIST AS IN TIM PAST A CURICI,TS ra A 0=074 IN THE Banasa NAVY, The Virst Christmas Tree in a • Royal PoalaoceW4eIv.n. Was ii the Reig f o0 The French word for Cbrieteacts is Noel, It means the Day of Birth. The original mince -pie was made of mutton andbaked in the shape of a manger, sltrialtliengl'iwotuygir*Ititlmwallislipliaytliairna was Lan - 4011 was 1890, ' On Dee. 29t1e 1850, the north wing Of Crystal Palace,' In London, was destroyed by fire. Christmas was first celebrated as a feast of the Cluistiaa .church • about the ewer 190 A. D. The Armerdan Chinch observes the Festival of the Epiphany at the same date that we observe Christmas.. • Pails uses 50,000 Christmas trees' each year, of which about 12,000 are bought by foreign residents in Paris. The woest Chrietenas Day Paris ever knew was in 1870. The bom- bardmeut Eo long threatened began the next day. Christmas in the Greelc Church. is our Twelfth, Night, The Greek church has not yet adopted the mod- ern calendar. Emperor William, of Germany, in- dulges- eachyear in a Christmas hunt. Last year he killed 800 deer and nearly 200 wild boar. Tho baron of beef for the royal table usually weighs a full 200 lbs. It is always cut front a beast bred and fed at Windsor. In the Scandinavian island of Dago the people have a curious cus- tom of putting five candles an each. branch a the Cbinsenaas tree. The German Emperor's Christmas presents to his sons in 1897 were three very beautiful swords, each with a motto engraved upon its blade. Free gangway" is usually a spec- ial Cluietmas privilege aboard ship in the neaw. It means that any or all can go ashore, as they pleaee. The natives of the Philippines, as well as the Chinese, have public holi- days which in date coincide exactly with the Anglo-Saxon Christmas. At Sandringham there has always been a distribution of Christmas pre- sents in tlie tiding school. Joints of beef and other useful things are given. The Church of the Nativityat Bethlehem is divided by screens into three parts, which are controlled re- spectively by Greeks, Latins, and Armenians. • Mistletoe is common in most parts of the world. It is extremely igen- tiful on oak trees it America, and on apple trees in Normandy and Brit- tany. In Germany it is believed that the oxen are endowed with speech on Christmas Eve at midnight. But to hear them it is necessary to put fern leaves in one's boots. The first Christmas tree in a Brit- ish Royal palate was in the reign of George IV. Lord J. Russel was present, and Speaks of the tree being covered with colored candles. • There are three Christmas Islands, all cf them Brie ieh possessions. One is in the Pacific; the ether 250 miles south-west of Java. A third Cbrist- mas Island is off Cape Breton. a.: ‘,1.1C1 been A curious Christmas practice in the navy is the "carrying 'round" of offi- cers:. Popular officers are sboulder- ed and carried round -the decks on Christmas morning, preceded by a 1.m -pudding eeems at one time to a, breakfast dish, for at a Christmas breakfast at the royal ehaplain's iu 1801, tbe first course was a dish of xich, luscious plum - porridge. At the Saturnalia, the heathen pro- totype et Christmas, it was the Ro- man custom to decorate the houses with evereeens. This was done to give the woodland spirits a refuge from the cold. A Christanas custom once cominon all over England, but now rarely seen, and only in the western coun- ties, is that of the play of "St. George and tbe Dragon," performed on the evening of December 24th. • Never buy a yellow -fleshed turkey It is a, sign of poor feediag. A fine turkey should.have firm, white flesh. Purchasers should also notice that redness and coarseness about the legs are the sign of an old bird. Although the first Christmas card Was made in 1846, very few were sent till the year 1852. Then . the fashioa came in of sending cards the size of visiting cards, inscribed sine - ply with the words "A Merry Chris- . Theretmasis a curious old superstition that nine holly leaves tied in a, hand- kerchief with nine knots, and placed under the pillow on Christmas night, will cause the sleeper ta dream of hie or her future wife or husband. A curious Roumanian Christmas custom is the "blessing of the river." A service is held on the bank of the Danube,and a small wooden cross thrown in through a hole in the ice. A frantic scramble follows to recover :In the reign of Diocletian, about the year 800 A.D., the Emperor was pi:nil:court at Nicoinedia, when he learnt that a number of Christ- ians were keeping the birthday of jostle. He ordered the doors of the ..church to be efesed and set fiee to the building. is UNFULFILLED EXPECTATION. jones—"I had a very disappointing Christmas." 'Drown—"How's that?" Jones—"Nobody gave fete a loa,4 of coal," A PAIR OF 1111:111411, • •George—"Jaelc, you gave me • the same book that you gave me last Christmas." • Jack—"Shake. Old ,rnan; so did • After the Clitietenas dinner people are usually not iaclined for ranch exe ertion, but they wane some kind of light amusement. Some of the old- fashioned "divinatiou" tricks then -come in nieely. Such feats are frequently perform- ed by two persons, one playing the part of thcs "protestor,' or wizard in chief, the other that of "medium,'t One of the simplest tricks of the kind is the bulicating by the medium of some objeet which bas been agreed upon by the eompauy during her absence from the room. On her re- turn the magician, atter placing her under (supposed) =entwine influence by a few sham "passes," proceeds to interrogate her. "Do you know the article that has been. named)" "Yes," (She doesn't but strict truthfulness is not expect- ed from coujurers). "Is it •the moon?" "No." • "Io it tbe sun?" "No." "Is it a coin?" "No." And so on, tilt the right article is named, when she replies:— "Ye.' - There are are various ways of giving the clue. In one version of the trick the medium is instructed to say "Yes" to the first article named next after a four -legged object (ant - mate or inanimate). This is a very old forra of "key," but not very widely known, and IVO have often seen it mystify a roomful of people. lf, however, the trick is repeated be- fore the same company, it may be as well, on the second occasion to agree on a new kilia of key -word, say a flower or bird. In another form of the trick the performer does not speak at all, but in this case the object selected must be something in the room. On the return of the medium, the performer merely points with his wand (or any convenient substitute, say a ruler, or a lady's fan) to various objects in successibre The first half-dozen or so are met with a negative, but when he touches the right oue a. confident "yes" is the answer. The secret here is equally simple. At the outset the performer grasps the wand, all the fingers encircling it. When he points to the right ob- ject the forefinger is allowed to lie along- it. Unless the secret is known beforehand, it is absolutely safe from. detection. On a similar principle, but some- what snore elaborate, is the triek of • THE MYSTIC TA.RGET. The apparatus for this feat con- sists of a pasteboard target, having a bull's-eye and three concentric rings of different colors; and half a dozen arrows, also of different col - Ors. (If the apparatus is home- made, these, too, may beteg paste - beard). The medium retiring as be- fore. a. spectator is invited to select 0110 of the arrows, and with it to touch any one of the rings of the target. On the medium's return she indicates, with more or less make- believe of mental effort, which ar- row was used, and which circle of the target was touched with it. Here, again, the secret lies in an agreed code of signals. The rings of the target are regarded as numbered; the bull's-eye as one, the ring near- est it to two, and. so on. The ar- rows in like maamer each bear an Imaginary number, say, blue, one; black, two; green, three; red, four; white, live; yellow, six. Call the blue "azure," and the initials will come in alphabetical order, a, b, g, r, w, y; under which conditions the sequence of the colors will be recall- ed without difficulty.. The number of the particular ar-: row used is signalled to -the medium or it' it be right ng it, by the way in which the wand, substitute, is held. Thus if held by its upper end in the hand, with one finger lying alo two; if encircled by all the fingers, three; if encircled in like manner, placed n the target indi- e left of the ached; the the but round the central four; if under the arm, five; if laid o table, six. The ring of the which. has been touched may be cated by the position of th hand. If it grasps the lapel coat, the bull's-eye has been to if the thumb is tucked into vest pocket, ring No. 1. If hand is placed in the trouser pocket, n. by one the No. 2; if allowed to hang dow the side, No. 8; and if resting the hip, the white space outsid rings. TELEGRAMS. • This is an excellent game. F.ach of the players gives a. letter in turn, until twelve have been obtained, Which are written in the seine order at the top of each piece of paper. Ten minutes or a quarter of an hour are allowed, in which mole player writes a sentence beginning with the chosen initials, rho messages • are then read aloud. It is an excellent practise for condensing one's ideas. The results aro often very amusing. Some 'people merely string words to- gether, but Others can suggest a whole story in a few words. Sup- posing the letters aro p, g, t, t, xx, g, p, s, j, w, in, j. One player will evolve the following sentence which, though silly, is consecutive:, "Please give Tommy the now game played since January withmuch joy." An- other Will formulate the following with exactly the same letters: "Pape, getting too tiresome. No grimes possible, Send Johnwith muzzle, •jambe." (The name of an imagin- ary sender may be placed at the end if the letters allow of it, but it is option.) "But if the professor is so fitment- , Minded that he can't remember kis own name; why doesn't he write it ' on a slip of paper and carry it With. hint?" • 'He tried that, but he found ho cotaldn't. read his ewa