HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton News Record, 1936-02-27, Page 3THURS., FEB. 27, 1936
THE CLINTON
NEWS -RECORD
PAGE 3;
WHAT CLINTON WAS DOING IN THE
GAY NINTIES
11 40 YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED DURING TRR LASTDE,�
.1.. CADE OF THE OLD CENTURY?
From The News -Record, Feb. 26th,
1896:
The funeral of the late William
Muir, who died very suddenly at his
home, was held on Wednesday. The.
pallbearers Were his fellow -workers,
Messrs. Pratt, Levan, Horsley, Rat -
tray, Biggart and Baird, •
The death took place of Mr. Tho-
mas Stanbury, for over thirty years
a highly respected resident of Clin-
ton, for the psat few years living in
Detroit.
A telephone is being placed in the
Waverley House.; •
Mr. John .Scruton won the fat
man's skating race last Wednesday
evening.
The other evening a young lady
while walking along the west side of
Albert street near R. Coats' store,'re-
eeived a cold chill, The cause was the
descent of a large heap of soft snow
from the, roof. While the result was
amusing and harmless it might eas-
ily have been a more serious matter.
From The New Era, Feb,, 28th, 1896;
The wife of Mr. John Wiseman,
who has been very ill for several
days with pneumonia, is now better.
Mr: John Dinsley of Wingham was
here on Tuesday attending•the funer-
al of his brother -in -late, the late T.
Dinsley, Mrs. Stanbury, Mrs. R.
Coats and Harry Stanbury all of De-
troit were also here. Mr. Stanbury
had been receiving treatment in Lon-
•
don.
The Clinton Horticultural Society
has issued a neat prize list for its
first flower show, which takes placer
on Aug. 25-26-27-28.
Friday morning after the storm
bad ceased Dr. Turnbull was urgent-
ly called to a patient in Hullett. Ile
started with a horse and cutter but
soon got stuck in a snow drift.
Leaving a man to dig the horse out
and care for him he donned a pair of
snowshoes and in this way managed
to reach his patient. '
A certain farmer near town, who is
usually the most reverent'of men and
would not knowingly do wrong, must
have lost his reckoning during the
stone of last week and on Sunday
morning he loaded up his sleighrack
with wood and had driven quite a dis-
tance towards town with it when a
neighbor who noticed him, called his
attention to the fact that it was Sun -
clay.
On Monday Mr. Thos. Carbert un-
dertook to deliver a couple of hei-
fers in town but they were so wild
that it was with great difficulty and.
danger that he did so.
When The Present Century
Was Young
From The News -Record, Feb. 23rd,
1912:
Mr. E. Lewis Evans' of Louisville,
Kentucky, was in town. on Friday
and Saturday last. He would have
liked to have prolonged his stay but
business demands were urgent and he
left Saturday evening for Detroit.
On Thursday afternoon last two
sleighloads of members of Wesley
church W. M, S. drovedown to the
House of Refuge and gave a program
of music, song and story' for the
benefit of the inmates.
From The New Era, Feb. 23rd, 1911:
On Wednesday evening the follow-
ing members of Clinton Lodge I,O.O.
8', visited Seaforth: C. E .Dowding,
H. 13. Chant, W. Johnson, B, J. Gib-
bing., W. J. Moore, W. H. Hellyar,
J. Wiseman, H. Alexander, J. L. Kerr,
A. Mitchell, T. Mapaghan, J. McLeod,
G. M. Yates, F. Watson, N. Kennedy.
Mr, and Mrs.. W. Jackson enter-
tained the Bowling Club Monday ev-
ening.
vening.
The final match in the Town Hoc-
key' League was played on Friday
night between the Doherty and Pas-
time Club. At, half time the score
was 4-3 for the Pastimers; at full
time it was 17-4, so the Pastimers
won the cup,' which was presented by
Councillor Cantelon.
WHAT OTHER NEWSPAPERS ARE SAYING
PAGE BRESLAU!
Where is the man?
You know the man!
The man who said last fall,
"Of all the winters we have had
(because the rabbits and all the
smaller fur -bearing animals have a
very light coat; the: squirrels laid in
only a small amount of winter food;
the wild geese were late flying south;
there were few husks on the ears of
corn; the groundhog has• an abun-
dant supply of con syrup in his en-
docrine gland; the woodchuck shows
signs of having a double yolk pit-
uitary gland in his brain, making
hibernation unnecessary; all . these
signs showing), this will be the open -
est winter of all."
Where is that man?
—Port Elgin Times.
AN ODD MONTH
The month of February is the od-
dest month of the calendar in that its
usual length is 28 days, However
each: four. years February has a
chane to come to the fore when Leap
Year is celebrated. February 1936
will long be remembered as the year
of the big storm. However this year
February is peculiar:. in' that there is
five Saturdays in the. month 'despite
the fact that there are only 29 days.
It will befifty years before there is
another February with five Satur-
days. .With Saturday meaning pay
day the month should prove popular
to many people,
• Kincardine News.
•
REGARDING BORROWED'B4OOKS.
Possibly we should have a little
book and mark down the name of the
borrower as he takes: the book, but
_generally, we are so delighted to lend
a book to a friend that we forget this
little precaution. _ Although we sus -
pea certain books are on certain
shelves, we haven't the courage to
tax our friends with poor memory.
Yet it is a provoking thing to go to
the book shelves for a certainbook
to discover it missing and to fail to
remember who has it. It might be
an interesting way to spend an ev-
ening some time and discover if
there are any which belong elsewhere,
and return them with an apology. As
a lover of books, we know we speak
for all others when we say that such
returns would be gratefully received.
—Niagara Falls Review.
THE PRICE OF PEACE
The historian should be a philoso-
pher. He should interpret as well as
record the facts of human experi-
ence and fit every great development
into the scheme of things. He should
see not only that human' liberties
have been purchased with :blood but
that multitudes have suffered and
died for ends that were held cheaply
when gained. One of the marvels of
history is the paltriness of some of,
the causes for which. the most gal-
lant of men gave their all -
Humanity multiplied needlessly the
agonies that attended the advance of
civilization. The inescapable price of
progress was costly enough. One can
only wonder whether the dark ages
have been left so far.'behind that nev-
er again will a generation have occa-
sion to lose itself for the benefit of
those who come after it.
The outlook, does not encourage op-
timism. The war system is dogging
humanity and cannot be shaken off
without new struggles and sacrifices..
Refusal to face this reality is like a
man postponing a necessary opera-.
tion until his chances of recovery
have become remote. The price paid
by our forefathers for human liber-
ties was in keeping with the value of
the boons that they obtained. The
greatest of all blessings would be per-
manent peace. The world will find
that the price that must be paid will
be .equally great.
—The Toronto Star,
REV. MR,' ANDERSON IN
HOSPITAL
Rev. Mr. Anderson, who has been
ill for the past two weeks, was taken
to Wingham. General Hospital Satur-
day. We are pleased to report that
he has shown some improvement
since and the wish' of all citizens is
that his recovery will be rapid.
—Wingham Advance -Times,
A VOICE THAT I,S STILL
When Tennyson wrote the immor-
tal short poem "Break, Break, Break,"
in memory of .a dead friend, he pen-
ned lines of a verse that have been
quoted again and again for the best
part of a century. • There are few
lines more familiar than these:
"But oh, for the touch of a vanish-
ed hand
And the sound of a voice that is
still."
Tennyson's lines are suggestive of
the, death of King George V. Much
has been said of the voice of his late
Majesty: John Masefield, the Eng-
lish poet laureate, explains that King
George had the voice of the sailor
in its clearness, richness and reson-
ance. His life as a British midship-
man and naval officer in his younger
days endowed him with the tones of
the nae who had been accustomed' to
life on the sea. To . Masefield Brit-
ons are indebted for his explanation.
as to why the voice of his late Ma-
jesty made such a favorable impres-
sion upon those who heard him over
the air on special occasions during
the year.
The late King, had a voice that was
finely adapted for radio speaking.
All who heard his radio addresses to
his subjects will feel that Tennyson's
dines were peculiarly fitting- to the
British monarch whose finely modu-
lated voice has been forever stilled.
Kincardine` Review -Reporter.
PLAYFUL PUP HURTS PAL
A playful, pup, put an abrupt end
to what promised to be a jolly sleigh-
ing -riding day, for one little boy,
Gordon Matthews, on Saturday. The
boy was going ; down a grade when
his puppie, also enjoying the sport,.
caught the rope which was attached
to the sleigh, causing Gordon to
swing into a barbed wire Ienee. He
received an ugly gash through the
nose and down his cheek. Three stit-
ches wore required to close the upper
wound, andtwo for the lower.
—Goderich Star.
DR USES SNOW SHOES
At present with travel difficult,
slow and bitterly cold at the best, Dr.
R. J. l3lowen has resorted to a more
comfortable means of travel and one
just as speedy for short trips at least.
He snowshoes to see some of his pa-
tients, and on Wednesday struck out
on about a three-mile jaunt with a
napsack of instruments replacing the
tiaditional black satchel. Attired in
a typical eskimo "parka" (a snug fit-
ting outer jacket with hood) the
Doctor looked as if he would enjoy
the outing, unless he encounters too
much difficulty in "hurdling" fences.
en his cross country professidnal call.
—Lucknow Sentinel.
OLD DOBBIN RESCUES CARS
Tandem Teams Made Successful Trip
. Teams hitched tandem in this corn,
munity is rather an unusual sight,
however, such was in evidence here
on Wednesday afternoon, when six
teams, the head two teams hitched
tandem, and each five sleighs manned
by three men, who proceeded in line
to Brussels where, two weeks ago
the hockey fans were obliged to leav
their cars marooned in snow banks
The trip was a successful one and al
returned home safely on Thursday
noon, all five cars atop the sleighs,.
and are now under cover waiting for;
more spring-like weather and better
roads.—Listowel Sentinel.
A tale of a young warrior's adora-
tion for a beautiful and gently reared
Egyptian girl will be ,told- in "Sume-
rian Gold;' when the Commiission's,
Toronto program designers again pre-
sent "Forgotten Footsteps," on Sun-
day, March 1, at 9,00 to 9.30 p.m.
EST. This presentation has created
a coast-to-coast audience for the sub-
jects dramatized and inspired by the
treasures in the Royal Ontario Mn -
NUM of Archaeology, Toronto,
"Sumerian Gold" refers to a quaint
and rather rudely fashioned statuette
which dates to 3000 B,C. It's story"ts
this: Froin Mesopotamia carne, a gal -
lent wanderer whose chief claims to
fame were his brilliant fighting .arm
and his honest heart. His wanderings
led him to Egypt, noted for its cul-
ture and its beautiful: women.
One of the fairest of the land held
the young warrior spell -bound, but
he felt that his rough ways and cour-
age were not capable of winning such
a'maiden. So he tried to justify his
love by showing her his desire to be
master of more cultivated arts than
those which had stood him in good
stead on his wanderings. He set to
work to fashion a gift that might win
her favour. ' His little statuette was
crudely made with its decorations of
gold held in place with tiny nails.
Compared to Egyptian works of art
it was a pitiable thing. But the
maiden felt that his ambition was
worthy and so he claimed her heart
and theylived happy ever after.
"Let's Go to the Music Hall"
Humphrey Giffington-Sledds has
another hit show lined up for his leg-
ion of fans on Saturday, February
29, and promptly at 8.30 p.m. the
curtain will ring,, up on "Let's Go to
the Music Hall" with a coast-to-coast
audience listening in to the Toronto 1studios. George Young, the director,
e who has acquired one of the greatest
library of music hall hits on this
1 continent, again Inas chosen dainty
Yvonne Miller for the opening num-
ber on the brill. Yvonne will sing
"From Saturday Afternoon 'Till Mon-
day Morning;" ' which was one of
Daisy Woods' greatest successes.
George Patton will ring the bell
with,"Farmer Giles" and the director
will take the spot -light with "It's
Nice to Get up in the Morning," which
was one of Lauder's best. Haze/
Grimley, who has scored marked suc-
cess with the new opera organiza-
tion in Toronto this season, will be
featured in "Sweet Caroline" and
Larry Burford will be highly comic
in "If It Wasn't for the Houses In
Between," The Three Waiters agaIn
will` have important billing in a spec -
"THESE LITTLE PIGS"
"This little. pig went to market'and
this l'i'ttle pig stayed- at home," but:
as far as a number of pigs on their
way to market on Thursday were eon
cerned, they might just as well have
been home. Sydney Dolniadge, local
trucker, started for. Kitchener on
Thursday morning but on reaching
Mitchell found the roads so bad he
decided 'to return. He followed the
plow to within two miles of town
When both got stuck. Walking to
Seaforth he secured a team and
sleigh, with -which to 'bring the hogs
into town. The horses, however,
were unequal to the drifted roads and
Mr. Dolmadge was -finally forced to
walk back with sometarpaulins with
which to cover his truck. The truck'
was finally released on Friday after-'
noon. The pigs went to market in
earnest on Saturday.
Seaforth Expositor.:
HOW IT SOUNDS, GENERALLY
Orillia 'Town Council has been
crowded off the front page of 'tire.
Toronto papers this week, by re-
ports of • the Ontario Legislature,'
where, led by the Premier, the mem-
bers of the present and last admin-
istrations have been belabouring one
another like fishwives, to the amuse-
ment of some people but to the dis-
gust of those with a sense of dig-
nity.—Orillia Packet -Times.
SPEAICING OF ROBINS
Speaking of robins seems a little
out of season especially in view of
the exceptionally cold weather of the
past few weeks, However on Mon-
day morning
on-day.morning as Mr. Maurice Quance
was on his way to work shortly be-
fore eight o'clock he heard the chirp
of a robin coining from the neighbor-
hood of Andrew St. Confident that
his ears did not deceive him and in
order to verify his own opinion he
stepped into 'Rivers' Meat Market
and Mr. Bert Rivers came out and
vouched for the accuracy of the story.
—Exeter Times -Advocate.
STORY, OF AN INDEPENDENT
ENGINE
(A Sad Tale)
An unusual incident occurred be-
tween here and- Thorndale in the ear-
ly afternoon of Tuesday. There are
many, many witnesses to testify to
the behaviour, strange beyond be-
lief, of a C. N. R. engine bucking the
drifts on its way to London. The en-
gine really was in a hurry—it tore
right ahead, and having negotiated
the very worst of the drifts, it did
not pause to look back and see how
the passenger coaches were coming
along. If, at this particular moment,
the engineer had glancedaft, he
would have discovered that the rest
of his train had been left forlornly
behind. A coupling had given way
in the struggle with the last big drift,
As it was, the engine proceeded an -
lady arranged number, "Her Golden
Bair Was Hanging Down Her "Back."
The Book Review
"Old Soldier," by Frederick Niven,
a novel of great charm and poignancy
with its setting in Edinburgh, and
"The Next Hundred Years: The Un-
finished Business of 'Science," by 0.
C. Furnas,, will be the subjects of re-
view by Professor , J +F. Macdonald
for his regular Book Review program
on Saturday, February 29, at 7.45 p.m
This is a Canadian Radio Commission
presentation for the eastern and
mid -west network audiences. "The
Next Hundred Years: The Unfinish-
ed Business of Science" is a very my
teresting • attempt to present the
probable course of invention and'dis..
covery for the next century.
Illness has riddled the ranks of
the Montreal staff of the Canadian
Radio Commission of late. Program
director, H. Rooney Pelletier, is now
convalescing after a serious opera-
tion for appendicitis. Engineer Char=
Ies DeNoncourt was rushed to the
hospital for an acute case of tonsil-
litis.. He's on the road to recovery
once again, but will have to. submit
to an operation at a later date. An-
other' engineer was also on the sick
list for a week. He's robust Gerry
Hudon, Gerry had his tonsils remov-
ed and his condition is favourable.
About Charlie Innes
Charlie Innes first broke into radio
singing and playing the ukelele. He's
equally at home with saxophone, pi-
ano or marimbaphone but when it
comes time for "Chasing' Shadows,"
broadcast from Calgary to the na
tional network on Sunday at 10.30
p.m. EST, Charlie is to be found With
his pet gadgets -the drums, cymbals,
bells, ete. He is familiarly known as
Chuck, likes mountain climbing and
though he was once a busy gram -
trade executive, prefers to be a musts
clan, especially of the radio.
Charlie contributes many of the
novel arrangement ideas which feat-
ure "Chasing Shadows" and: is also
the practical joker of the group, set-
ting the rehearsals off to a good
start with some of his ready wit. He
is constantly offering to swap places
with either of the pianists, Dixie
Stewart or Dorothy Norton, or with
his co -rhythm maker, Jerry Fuller,
string bass, a trick which he might
well do if it were not ler the fact
that the ensemble would be wanting
for a very 'dexterous 'drummer.
THE CRACKER
By LUCE DENNIS
One of the .richest 'young women
in the world was being shown ever
a factory, as her secretary had
thought it might amuse her for an
hour. It was August and one depart-
ment was busily putting toys and
rings and mottoes and caps into
crackers for next Christmas.
The girl stood watching; faintly
interested, a little bored. What ter-
ribly trivial things were put into
these crackers, she thought. ' Who
could possibly want these ridiculous
tin rings and blue glass bracelets?
"But these aren't the expensive
crackers, Miss Buckhaven," they ex-
plained to her. "These are for peo-
ple who can only afford a few shil-
lings extra for the Christmas fest-
pities,"
"How ghastly!" the very rich
young woman said.
For some thoughtful moments she
stood watching the endless' stream of
cheap crackers which were going out
into an endless crowd of hard -up
homes. Then she asked abruptly:
"Can I put a, message in one of.
other mile along the track to Lon-
don before becoming, aware of its
solitude. Meanwhile, ' passengers in
the deserted coaches were all aflutter
with surmise at why they should- be
sitting in the middle of a cold, bleak
countryside with ,nothing going on.
Great' was the rejoicing then, when
the truant engine .came panting back,
sadder. but wiser for its experience..'
—St. Marys Journal -Argus.
THE MIDDLE CLASS SUFFERS
There is in Canada the great mid-
dle class on whom , the safety, the
solidity and the future of the nation
depends. On this class the great bur-
den of taxes is' falling, and will eon-
tinue to fall in increasing' weight, on
the men and women who are .trying
to earn a fair and decent living, to
maintain a home and raise a family.
Usboarable taxes, a division of wealth'
through socialism or any other pro-
gram means a destruction of. this
middle class. We have only to look
to Russia where this class has been
destroyed, and see a country of mas-
ter and slave We de not want the
same thing to happen in Canada.
—Listowel Banner.
them? Do you mind?'"
But, of ,course, everyone was de-
lighted. She :scribbled a few' words
on one ,of her cards, folded it, and
saw the ainread message put in a
cracker. Then the anac"hinery of the
factory was restarted, and in a few
moments the ',cracker was lost among
hundreds .of .others ;similar *to it.
On the way home, in her cream -
and -silver Bentley sports model, she
said to herr seersatary:
"By the way, 'before I forget: I
put a message in one of those crack-
ers, saying that whoever called at my
London address with the ;card would
be given five 'hundred dollars. See
that it happens, will yeia? 'Thanks."
Then the traffic light turned red
against them, and in her moment's
irritation the exceedingly rich young
woman forgot all about her careless
charity.
But the secretary remembeeed.
And the cracker carried its message.
through summer into winter, through
half a dozen different hands; until in
December it was dumped, in a than
cardboard box; with dozens of other
identical boxes, in the storeroom of a
retail grocer in a large London sub-
urb.
Mrs. Ellen Herrick was rushed off
her feet that Christmas Eve. She
had prepared 'for Christmas with her
husband, her daughter Christine, her.
school -boy son ..Denis, and herself;
then, this morning, a telegraph -boy
had come with a wire from her son
Brian, who worked in Liverpool, say-
ing that he was coming : hone this
night, with his fiancee,; for Christ-
mas.
Ellen Herrick had never seen
Brian's; Alice, though he had been
engaged to her for ;eleven ` months.
A bed ,rust be made up for her at
once in Christine's room. But In
spite of her hurry and excitement,
Ellen Herrick had Christine's dinner
ready, exactiy at ten • past one.
Christine carne hurrying in, flush-
ed, with brilliant, excited eyes.
Christine had news, which made her
impatientof her mother's news about
Brian.
"Oh, is he? I'in glad. I expect
you'll like her, mother. Mother
what's for dinner tomorrow."
Ellen started at her daughter, be-
wildered. Christine was not usually
so excited over food.
"Why, you know, my dear girl.
Ribs of beef, and one of my pad-
dings."
ad-dings "
"Yes, yes, I know,but couldn't.
we have some wine ? And some good
coffee for afterwards, and .dessert. I
mean, mother" --she turned and took
tff her hat before the glass, with her
tackto her mother—"I mean, Hugo's
going to have dinner with us'tomor-
row.
"Hugo?' I thought' his fether had
bought him a practice near Southampton."
"Yes, he has; but Hugo's been ill,
and he came home for Chris"inas for
a rest quite suddenly; andt'ltis;moths
er's gone to an hotel for Christmas
with his father at Folkestone, Hugo's
going down tomorrow evening, very
likely; but he's got nowhere to go
till then, and I asked him to come
and have dinner with us tomorrow:
And he's coming.''
"I see,, •
And she did see a great deal. She
knew that Christine had teen wildly
in love with Hugo for two years ---
while he was a medical student and
she was apprenticed toa milliner.
But Hugo's parents were rich; and
Ellen had never met Hugo. He had
met Christine ;out somewhere, and
had taken her about in his small
two-seater. Probably she was Just
another. pretty, amusing girl to Hu-
go.
"Mother, will it run to some wine,
and a bottle of whiskey, and some
flowers, and a few. things• like that?
At his home they have everything
so nice. Janice has been there, and
she told me."
"I'll do what I can, Cliris, but you
know how things are just now. But
I'll do what I can."
Chistine ate her dinner hurriedly.
She had to get back 'to work soon;
they were busyy with last orders. She
pushed her slender pay -envelope a-
cross to her mother as she got up,
and Ellen took it with a sigh,
"You really need some new shoes,
Chrissie."
"Not so much as I need a new fur
and coat. Mother, he didn't actually
say anything, but somehow I believe
he means— Don't say anything; it
might just be imagination—"
"Web," Ellen said gently.
"I believe he's got half an idea of
running me down to Folkestone with
him, to have dinner in the evening
with his people. And if he does, what
shall I wear?"
Ellen and her daughter looked at
each other anxiously.
"You'll' have to wear your old
coat, that's all. Unless your Aunt
Lizzie sends you a decent Christmas
present this year:"
"What a hope!"
It was, in fact, a small hope, very
slight and unsubstantial; but after'
Christine had hurried back to work
Ellen listened for the postman as she;
worked, Re came at three, bringing
cards, but nothing from Aunt Liz-
zie. Ellen wedt out to shop.
She bought some more almonds
and raisins. She managed to afford ,
a bottle of cheap sherry, and some
oranges and figs. Then, as a last,
dashing extravagance, she decided
to buy a box of crackers, just to
make the table look bright.
But Christine, when she came in
that night, late and tired, and dis-
appointed to find nothing from Aunt
Lizzie, was almost in tears over those
crackers,
"Mother, they're such cheap ones!
They look dreadful for grown-up
people. Why didn't you get a few
flowers. Or some' more glasses, be-
cause none of ours match. You can't
possibly put those crackers on the
table!"
"Well, if you think not—"
, Just then Brian and his Alice ar-
rived, and Ellen hurried to make
them welcome. The crackers` were
forgotten, for Ellen had a new,
daughter to get used to, with very
new clothes, the newest colour or
lipstick, and nail varnish, Oh, no
doubt a very nice girl, all the same,
but—these fashionable: young girls:
all looked so hard. Head as paint.
Chiming bells, mixed,with the ring-
ing of the alarm -clock, woke Eiien.
the next morning. Of course, it was.
Christmas Day. And Hugo was com-
ing to dinner.
She went downstairs in her dres-
sing -gown to make tea; and present-
ly they were all with her, sleepy
and smiling and clamouring' for 'ten.
Bottles of scent and' stockings and
handkerchiefs changed hands, with
kisses; for it was Christmas morn-
ing. The post came in the middle of
the morning, and there was a letter
from Aunt Lizzie.
If she has, Christine thought,
tearing it open, I'll go round to the
shop and get the caretaker to let me
In, and take something out of stock
—Five dollars!'
Christine went toher bed-roo'er
slowly.. She put new organdie cuffs:
and collar on to her afternoon frock,,
and set and reset her hair. Briars.
and Alice faded away into the sit-
ting -room, shutting the door firmly-
behind
irmlybehind them. Dad took the dog out'
for a walk.
Ellen got the dinner and laid the.
table,
The tablecloth was worn but snow-
white; the tumblers that did not
metal glittered with polishing. Thera
was a big bunch of holly in the cen-
tre of the table;' and then Ellen re-
membered the crackers.
Should she? Or should she nota.'
They did look poor and cheap, per-
haps. She took them out and looked
at them again, and hesitated. Huge•
—what would he think? And Alice,.
smart and blights—and yet, Christ-
mas without one cracker? Dad and
Denis would be disappointed, too.
Ellen compromised. She put one
beside each plate, half hidden under
a coloured paper napkin; that made
seven, with five left over. Three
minutes later, just as she was dish-
ing up, she gave those five crackers
to two little girls, whose thin and
wavering voices outside the back door
chanted that Good King WencesIas
looked out on the feast of Stephen—.
"Here, I haven't time to look for
pennies!" Ellen said, hot and flust-
ered. "You run away, and take
these with you:"
Five crackers from the fateful boa
disappeared down the road - for
goad.
Then the front -door bell rang,
Christine came dashing downstairs.
and Hugo came in. Dad came back
with the dog; Denis came home from
a friend's house; Brian and Alice
came out of the sitting room—and
not a hair of that girl's marcelled
(head was disarrangedi
Dinner began. It went stiffly at
first; but Hugo was a nice boy, a
very nice boy. Ellen warmed to
him. And dad, bless him, had bought
out of his private savings, several
bottles of cider and ale, And Alice
could be, and was, amusing.
Yes, it was going to be a nice
Christmas dinner, after all.
Out in the kitchen, turning out
the steaming pudding, Ellen took oft
her wedding -ring. She washed it,,
and slipped it into the pudding, smil-•
ing.
And, somehow, it was Christine-
who got the wedding -ring.
,"You'll have to wear' it for an
hour, or it won't bring you luck,"
Alice said.
Brian wiped the ring, and Alice•
said:
"Let me look. Good heavens, it's
(Continued on page 7)
"You will take good
care of her, won't you?" '.
It's Joan's first trip .alone. Mother just
couldn't refuse Auntie Maud's lovely
invitation — but she can't help worry -
Mg, 'either. Thoughtful Auntie knows
the answer; es 'soon as Joan arrives, a
Long Distance call will banish Mother's
fears.
Long Distance is an over -ready comfort.
It's easy to use, quick, and the cost is:
surprisingly small.
00rr both "Anyone" and 'Terser:to.
Person" calls, low Night, rates apply
after 7 pan, every evening, and low
Week•edd rates ALL DAY SUNDAY.