HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1920-12-23, Page 2co •
e Uninvited Guest x
BY VIRGINIA. STANARD.
-s! the reins on the hereas shaggy neck.
"Come along. Rucerl" he cried,
1
Por Tfin()thy, he emit meet, a ter
-
retie mail:eke! lie had umbeatoosi
that the hobbyhorse, too, wa, t.olie
his, to take Mime, lute he lieliered
that if he only pulled hard enough it
wouel mere fifrWarti 8$ weiI ne up and
down. Ile had avert given it kt name.
When he found out the truth, he hew-
ed his had with its gay tehoettan
eap tuel hid his race in Racers
110 did not Cry; he only stood in dumb
despair. A bigger boy would not
have made sea a mistake, hut Tim-
othy was only fire years
"Mother," eaid Roderiek, "let him
have the herse. He must have it.
Done you see?"
"De you mean that, Roddy?" shed
Mrs, Dale.
Roderick nodded, "I don't want it
so very much," he said.
So they lifted the horse 'into the
back of the big sleigb, while old Mr.
and Mrs. Baxter looked on, smiling,
and the Dales and alt the little guests
stood by to watch.
When the long, lighted train pulled
into Fairwood. on Christmas Eve,
Roderick Dale was there to meet the
little guests who were coming to
spend the holidays with him,
Mr. Dale swung the children to the
platform. "Eive—six—seven—eight,"
he colleted. Then he hurried them
out to a big sleigh and tucked all of
them izt under furry robes. The driver
spoke to the horses, and away they
went, shaking music from their silver
bolls across the anew.
When the sleigh reached the house
ten minutes later the children esvarm-
ed up the broad steps.
Mrs. Dale met them at the top.
"All eight a you here?" she asked.
"All but Rick Payson!" they cried.
"He couldn't camel"
Roderick's father stopped short,
"But I counted eight," he declared.
The children did not know how that
could be; they had thought he was
counting Roderick in, they said.
‘,1,11 went them again!" cried Rod-
erick. So in the light that streamed
from the hall he counted Ms guests
carefully. Three Prestons, two Tor-
reys, a Mortem and a Ray—that made
seven. Then he stepped short in front
of
e. dark, silent little figure that
stood apart from the rest.
"Who is tbis boy?" he asked,
Sure enough, who was he? They
hurried into the lighted hall, and all
eyes were turned on the stranger. He
was very small and was bundled up
in a big overcoat. Between his coat
collar and his funny peaked cap a
pair of large black eyes stared sol-
emnly out.
"What is your lime?" asked Mrs.
Dale.
The iittle by replied Meetly that
it was Timothy,
"Timothy what?"
"Baxter. And I Was going alone
to visit ray grandfathe at Baywood.
Where is my grandfather?"
lase. Dale turned to her husband.
'I) William, how did you get bold
.sf thie Child? His people must be
anxious!"
Me. Dale looked worried. "The boy
must have thought the conductor
called 'Baywood,'' he *aid. "And
then I scooped lern up with the rest
and didn't notice,"
He hurried away to telephone to
the ether station, while the children
took off their wraps and began to
laugh and talk again, still casting
milieus glances at the odd little
stranger.
"I've talked to his grandfather,";
Roderieles father said, coming back.
"It's all right. There's no other train
to -night, and so Timothy will stay:
here with us."
Timothy ate his supper slowly and
afterwards withdrew to a corner,'
where he watched the other children's
games with wondering eyes.
"We shouldn't dare play with him,"
they said. "Ile looks so solemn."
When it was nearly bedtime Rod -
derrick wandered into the sitting -
room, There was a frown on his face,
"I wisjt that stupid little eld Tim-
othy didn't have to be here!" he com-
plained. "He is so funny and big-
eyed—like an owl. And mother says
he's to sleep in my room. Nobody
asked him here, and there's no place
for him to stay."
Roderiekie grandfather laid down.
his book.
"This little Timothy's having the
same trouble another chilli had," he
emit/. "Only in a whale town He
couldn'tatial anywhere to stay."
"What child?" Roderick inquired,
interested. "A.nd what town? It
enlist have been a pretty poor sort of
placie, 1 should think, Where did the
boy sleep, grandfather?"
The old man picked up his book
again. "In a stable, so the story
runs," he said. "The name of the
town was Bethlehem,"
Roderieltes cheeks grew scarlet. He
walked aver to the window and press -
.ed his hot face to the frosty eines.
A big gold star was shining just Revels at Windsor. Royal, while the baby beir-almarent
above the sky line. After a while he ! was brought 111 to see it aleo, and
turned away without a word. Ever since, and hong before Henry gazed ustonished and open-eyed at
been overlooked. They eyed one an
other in dismay,
"Perhaps mine on the floor,"1
Timothy suggested g,ently.
At that Roderick scrambled to hie:
feet. "See hare, Timothy," he said,
"You run back to bed for just five
minutes, and then come down and get
your stovking."
As the door closed, he turned quick-
ly to the others. "t%'e'l have toe
make up a stocking for- hine" he said.'
"And there's no time to lose,"
When Timothy appeared, eve min-
utes later, he had his share with the;
rest.
Right after breakfast a big ehabby
sleigh drew up in the yard—Thrisl
othy' s grandparents had come to get
him.
The family went to look for Tirme
othy and found hine riding the hobby-
horse. He was decked out in an his
Christmas presents—et red toboggan1.
cap, a drum, and a horn slung overt
his shoulders. When ho heard that!
his grandfather was ready for him ho!
dismounted briskly and pulled a pair
of colored reins—another Christmas
gift—from his pocket. He fastened
Timothy would not stir until the
horse was firmly tied in with its head
toward the real horses' heads. Then,
when Mr. Daki started to lift him
into place between the old people, he
squirmed out of his heeds and
scran
thled over the side.
"I will ride Racer," he Said in posi-
tive tones.
No one could stop him. He limbed
to the hobbyhorse's back and sat there,
clutching the reins.
As the sleigh drove slowly out of
the gate, the hobbyhorse bounced up
and down. Thnothy sat erect, drum,
horn and all. It was a strange sight;
all the way down the mei people turn-
ed round and looked. Roderick stood
on the porch laughing. The last thing
he saw, as the team turned a bend,
was a spot of bright red bobbing gay-
ly in the Christmas sunshiue.
And the angel said unto
them, Fear not; for, behold, 1
bring you good tidings of great
joy, which shall be to all peo-
ple,—St. Luke, ii., 10.
e.
Cluestnia$ is a festivel that
appeals to every one became
every one can understand et.
The scone of the fellowship
which pervaeles our common life •
is one common there in the gifts
or the work' greatest Life,
which was given to the whole
world,
The Year's End.
To the Giver of all blessings
Let our voices rise en praise,
For the joys and countless mercies
He helh sent to crown our days;
For the homes of peace and plenty,
And a land so fair and wide,
Fee the labor of the noonday
And the reit. of eventide.
For the wealth of golden harvests,
For the sunlight and the ramie
For the grandeur of the ocean,
For the mountain and the plain,
For the ever-changing seasons,
And the oomforts which they bring,
For Thy love, so grand, eternal,
We would Blank Thee, Our King,
"While Shepherds Watched Their
Flocks" was written by Nahum Tate,
who became Poet Laureate in 1690.
Cameles Wesley wrote "Hark! The
Herald Angels Sing."
661
4,
11
61
6
k..
0)5
A C untry Carol
Where the patient oxen were, by the ass's stall,
Watching my Lord's manger knelt the waling
cattle all;
'Twas a little country maid vigil by Him kept—
Alt
'
among the country things my good Lord slept.
Fair. was Rome the city on that early Christmas
morn,
Yet among, the country folk was my Lord born!
Country lads that followed Him, blithe they were
and kind,
It was only city folk were hard on Him and blind:
Ay, he told of lilies, and of grain and grass that
grew,
Fair things of the summer fields my good Lord
knew,
By the hedgerows flowering there He laid His
head—
It was in the country that my Lord was bred.
AKA
When the cross weighed down on Him, on the
grievous road,
'Twas a kindly countryman raised my good Lord's
load;
Peasant girls of Galilee, folk of Nazareth,
These were fain to follow Him down the ways
of death—
Yea, beyond a city wall, underneath the sky,.
Out in open country did my good Lord die.
When he rose to Heaven on that white Ascension
day,
Last from open country did my good Lord pass
away;
Rows of goldenseraphim watched Where He
should dwell,
Yet it was the country folk had my Lord's
farewell;
Out above the flowered hill, from the mossy grass,
Up from open country did 2ny good Lord pass.
Where the jewelled minsters are, where the censers sway,
There they kneel to Christ the Lord in this bearing -day:
But I shall stay to greet Him where the bonny fields begin,
Like the fields that once my good Lord wandered in,
Where His thorn -tree flowered once,. where His sparrows soared,
In the open country -land of my good Lord!
'eeelieseeez, ereeesaeseeseeaeeeeee...
eases •
.A. few minutes later the household IV,
as we read, "Imp
was startled to hear peals of Tweeter with the usual feastings and sports
from the playroom. Timothy, wander- at Windsor," Windsor's historic -castle
Ing round alone, had found Roderecket has been the scene of such Yuletide
hobbyhorse behind the door' It was
jun
keitings as no other castle in the
plain that he had never seen such a
thing in all his life, He etood in world ean boast.
front of it and shouted with delight. Unlimited good cheer has always
Then some one put him on the horse's been the chief feature of the cele -
beck, and he gathered up the reira,brations, and the hoer's head end the
still shouting, and began to ride. He 'baron of beef, which still figure on
rode hard and fait until it was time our even
Ae to the sports and pastimes, they
Early the neat morning the ehil- wee.) of a boleterons and sometimes
dren mutt creeping downstairs to get barbarsele kind. It was et Chaist-
their stockings, They gathered in a Ives that a "lercl of ndnonle" was
joyful circle rowel the bright fire in elected as a eort of meter oe the
the living room
t Christmas! its many lights, as a babe of but
seven weeks might well do.
eeremonlea; and one of the special
Suddenly the door opened softly. diver:ions led by hint was called the
Timothy Baxter etood on the times- "Feetivel of Fol," in which was ene
ha:. Ile was "ireaaaal la a slit C4 acted a "nruntreity" that was tat ex-
Roderiek's eight clothes, and his hair treorclinary jumble of teligion, arca
stood up all over hie head; he gazed fealty and buffootiery,
with pleasure at etre half-enatlea Queen Vitamin sewn, many Happy
stockings.
Christmases at Waisleor, until that
he
Aga
quie
This was °(:) lead. Thee' realized tors, he teliA ef the Ceirletinne tree e.
aim
cunt the un'mPoeted neat had au'm or Lyr, ea the. Prieeess
Willa. Is my stooking, Please?" terr;h10 Deceniber r,f which
asked in a 414U'o lligh little vele°. brought with it an untimely widow -
lo one answered, and 40 he spoke hood. But it is worth remembering
In, "If you please," he repeated that Xing Edward VIT. :Tent the first, g
tly but
Yuletide of his life there.
he children lieeked Itheenlacatabln. in one the Privies: Consort's t
had happened: In the bustle mai lit rip it ore of tem eiratelag-eornove
Christniae was abolished by At of
Parliament in the reign of Cromwell.
As many mince pees as you taste
at Christmas, so many happy months
will you have.—Old English Saying,
Queer Crishafeustorn of 'Other Lauds.
Throughout the Christian world the
Christmas season is celebrated in
much the same spirit, though cus-
toms diger greatly, and in tome lands
ebutalagoing is more general than in
Canada. In Italy, particularly, there
is 'much ehurch-going, and the Christ-
mas tree is little known, though gifts I
are Isere -massed, and each family has a1
great (Honer, the feature of which is!
a capon, which token the same rank
as the Canadian goose.
The Russian working people have
always seized upon Christmas 415
the idea being to perpetuate the
memory of the lowliness of the Sa-
viour's birth in the stable.
! In Rumania it is 'the custom to
blies the Danube on Christmas, and
a procession of priests 'and people
dre,seed to represent biblical charac-
! tore reeves through the streets sing-
ing chants and So to the bank ef the
river Th ' b• 1 , d a email
wooden cro8s 18 thrown into the water,
Any one who can recover this cross
is regarded as extremely fortunate
and sere of good hick fer the year to
come. •
A quaint ceremealal elle.crvell in
Holland en Christmas Eve, At mid-
night the men of the -Lewitt and vil-
mges, &meted veeied moat:ulnae,
meet in the public samires, One is
excuse for cenein' evork for a
1
=what lengthy peried-asemetimes
or a month. Before the recent revo-
ution "Kelenda" was the celebration
n °brief:ma's Eve, when the peasenee
gathered about the houses of •bit
sobles, seats caeols and Om:ambled for
he coins tossed to them from the Will-
ows, Then Ovine se great maseeeea
de, when peaemite of all teems dre;
it theinselvee to represent at I
Sattit alt toad ultsixes fax a
Ntvvic artvistmas
unit 4
a3113'313.1 ggiAl 1.14104
eelected and into his charge is given
a large illuminated star mounted
upon a pole, and with this star is a
guide—as tete Wise mem were guided
to Bethlthem---a
cess on winds
Suggestions for the 4'46'.
Christmas Dinner
GRANT.
Although I don't believe In havIn
my Chrieteute table laden with 14,4
eral kinds el desserts and an out
rageous variety of vegetables, I d
try to have something 8 little unusual
I like to decorate my table arettelv
and plan cunning favors, so that th
eye as well all the appetite will b
appealed to. Carrying cut some colo'
scheme nuikee the Christmas diene
eo much more attractive, and wil
coulee very little extra trouble. Red
and white, it scents to me, is the moist
appropriate calor scheme for the holi-
day season.
g
l'ear Salad.
Drain and chill canned pears. Place
- a lettuce leaf, eteenisa with nuts
o and cheerio, and servo with whipped
cream dreseing. A. small portion of
etetun cheese may be lidded to salad
O if desired.
• Red Apple Salad.
Six apples, 2 cups sugar, IA cup
I chopped celery, Vs cup chopped nuts,
1 cup water. Wash, pstre, and core
tho apples. Make a syrup of sugar
And water, and add enough coloring
to make a deep red color. When the
syrup comes to a boil, drop in the
apples. Turn apples over and over,
and let mils until tender and seat.
Take out of syrup and chill. Place
auto.
Cherry
on a lettuce leaf, and stuff
cream dressing, and garnish eith
with celery..., Serve with whipped
Cherry Sponge.
Ono tablespoon gelatin, 1 cup boil-
ing water, 14 cup lemon and orange
juice, et cup cold water, la cup
cherry juice, ee. cup sugar, 3 ogg
whites. Swell the .gelatin in eold
water and dissolve tho sugar in fruit
juices and remaining water. Stir in
mixture, coal until it thickens, beat
theroughly., end add beaten egg
whites. Place in wet molds. Servo
with whipped cream, and garnish
top with cherries.
Steamed Suet Pudding.
Half cup suet, 5e cup meeasses,
salt, ee teaspoon cinreemon, la tea-
estpip'ooriraicelit°1:,eslie licuptesair cup
flour, cap currants. Chop suet
fine. Wash and dry the raisins and
currants Cut 1.be raisins; sprinkle
suet, raisins, and currants with flour
to keep them from settling.. Thor-
oughly mix the molaeses and milk,
then add fruit and suet. Sift the
flour and spices nntl add to milk.
Pour into buttered molds, and steam
for three hours. Serve het with
hard or cream sauce.
Date 'Molding.
Half pound dates, 5 egg whites, 1
cup sugar, 1 prune nuts, 0 teaspoons
baking powder. Stone ani chop
dates. Shell and chop nuts. Beat
the egg whites until stiff and dry.
Mix the baking powder with the egg
whites, and add the sugar. Fold the
chopped dates and nuts into the mix-
ture. Pour the mixture into a shill -
low baking ti, and bake for twenty
or thirty minutes,
I servo my Baled as an extra course.
It is much nicer and searcely any
more trouble. There are many salads
that are inexpensive to make and yet
so delicious.
After a heavy dinner, sue): as the
Christmas feast always is, we like a
light dessert, and cake, or a pudding',
rather than a rich pastry. A chilled
dessert is easily prepared, and lath-
ing is nicer. We finish up, of course,
on raisins, nuts, and catuly.
I usually plan my dinner so I won't
have to prepare it all in one day. I
make the salad dressing and cake,
and prepare as many of the vegetables
the clay before ae possible, for I do
not like to be hurried with this din-
ner. Most af us who do our own
work know that this preparedness
makes things easier.
Heee are a few recipes I have
found especially popular with my
Ditchess Pot toes.
Two cups cold mashed potatoes, 1
egg, II cup hot milk. Mix the mash-
ed potatoes with the beaten egg; stir
in tho hot milk, season, and mix thor-
oughly. Place in a buttered biking
dish, and brownein the oven.
Escalloped Corn.
One can cern, 3 teaspoons butter,
36 elle milk, es', chopped. green pep-
pers, 1 egg, salt, SI cup crumbs, To
the corn add the beaten egg and milk;
add butter, season, and mix in the
chopped green pepper. Cover with
eremite, and bake in a buttered bak-
ing dish.
Stuffed Celery Hearts.
Take small celery hearts, clean and
/et stand in cold water. Mix up
cream cheese with chopped pimento,
and add enough cream to make soft
cheese. Season the cheese, and stud'
it in centre of celery stock. Chill
and serve when firm.
Ye Christmasse Logge.
In "Merrie England" the Yule log
—never called that, by the way, but
the Yule Oleg, the Christmas Batch,
or Block—waa a great institution.
Tho "clog" was laid in some time
before Christmas, was generally of
birch, barked and dried, and of no
meagre dimensions. It eves lighted
on Christmas Eve, and what was not
consumed by Christmas night was
saved and burnt en Christmas Day.
It was deemed very lucky to pre-
serve a piece wherewith to light next
year's clog.
Then wa., a custom that so long
as the Pule clog burned the servants
had a right to demand ale at their
meals. This may or may not account
for the supersized clogs. One old
writer says that they burnt for eight
daTYsisie ecclesiastical authorities of the
past did not look kindly on the burn-
ing ef the Yule clog. "The blazes,"
in their opinion, were "foolisit and
yahoo," But thele fulminations had
rto effect. Yule clogs were burnt until
coal fires end smaller fireplaces gave
them a mortal blow.
But in remote rural parts of Eng-
land a big log is still .serb aside for
Cihristmas, etad in the North a Mg
lump of coal. In Linetelnehire the ma,
tives still refer to the "Guleablocka
and "oldest inhabitants" provide a
link with the past by dubleing any big
Piece of firewood a "galler."
Some of the learned folk who go
deeply into these matters say that
the burning of the Yule log is a relic
ogi e stieets the men chant- of paganism. ()them more prosaic,
ing the "Giglio, in 'Exeelsis." After eev the 10g aaia Ineeeler to Provide
the parade a' great sapper is served, extra light and warmth and cheerful -
and the Christmas Day has begun. "ea
Ill INTOrWay the,/ have a pretty Ma..
DOM Above every ridge polo is hung
a sheaf of wheat, a Chriettnae feast Grandroa's Advice.
for the 'birds.
The lelexican Christina% is a
etrantede mired week of sports,
revolt; and religious observences. The
"Paesion Play" never fails to attract
great erowde, nor do the bull liglita,
In the Philippines grand masses are
held 111 the dawdles in the morn-
ing, the bitildinge being elaborately
decorated wide palms and liowees
Crest of flowers ere carried
to the diarrhea by the children, who
peratle. through the steeds singing
Christmas songs, bands preceding
them. In the afternoon there is (lam-
ing rind merrymaking, In Spain the
religious note is peedominiant at
Cheiettnes and there aro curious per-
formances of rrieeteey playa. In
France the Cluistatea celearation
lasts three clays, and the occasion
for much charity, In the south of
Prance there is a Jitraint east= of
blessing- Cho Yule log, not unlike that
of England, and oat Domeier 25
there is a great family sapper,
"Grandpas" said a small girl, "I
nett Your advice. I have only seventy-
five tents' iso spend on Cousin EthePs
weeding present, and I want to give
stenothing that looks twice es much
as Rile, What do you suggest?"
"Well," he replied, "in considera-
teen oat the high east of living, I should
buy seventy-five eente' worth of Tice
and boil be"
"There seenas to be a magic
in the very name of Christmas.
Kindly hearts that have yearn-
ed toward each other but have
been withheld by false notions
of pride and self -dignity are
again reunited, and all is kind-
ness and benevolence! Would
that Christmas lasted the
whole year through (as it
ought). '--Dickens.
The Christmas Tree.
The Christmas tree is the most
widespread and most delightful of all
festal institutions. While many noun -
tales have their legends claiming far
them the honor of baying given the
Christmas tree to the world, the ma-
jority of authorities ere of the opin-
ion that Europe is reepouseible for
this never-ending joy to both young
and old, and that the holiday eeer-
green is a remnant of the pageants of
th.e Middle Ages.
There is a pretty legend which as-
eribea the origin of the Christmas
tree to Martin Luther and tells how,
after wandering about through a pipe
forest one Christmas Eve he con-
ceived the idea of setting up a pino
tree in Isis home to represent the Tree
of Life, and decorating it with candles
as an !imago of the starry heavens
from Wake Christ came down.
The Christmas tree has come to
occupy a plea) in the hearts and
minds of Canadians unequaled by
any other custom connected with the
holiday season. It almost outshines
old. Santa Claus in its universal adop-
tion.
"Peace on cart% good will to teen,"
is heard all over Christendom on
Christmas morning, but closely ant/ -
elated with this, and intimately cola
meted with that spirit, is the ever-
green of cietiquity, Though there may
have been invented Christmas cele-
brations which are "evergreenlees,"
in recent clays, yet to the Christmas
tree do .we turn for fondest memor-
ies of the holiday that our childhood
clays knew and loved so e ell,
Encourage the children to play
Santa Claus to some one who may
not etherwise /lave meth Christmas
cheer.
ee
."1
What toratitattes the happi-
ness of Christmas? The /act
that for one day in the year 4:t
least, a /urge, proportion of
mankind contrives to forget
eelf, and give a thought to "the
other fellow" than von any
other day. In other Words, on
one day of the year WO con-
sciously allow the peineiples and
melee of Christian altruism to
ray' our conduct; for one Clay
Lthe 3rf:1"lo:l:17:Z t1ofai11
er
upon it, with compassion,
rnerp, and ;love. We ,say: "It's
ansi
o co—form to tho
o ntake
spirit 01 Christmas.
And whaib is that spirit? A
itt the splutt at peace en earth,
which is the iwevitablo onkalrio
of goad -will among anon.