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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance, 1909-12-23, Page 2.Christmas Present For a Young Lady 111Y1L4 10EI,LY re was the week before Christmas, and the Ifiret Homier Claes a hewer East Side School had almost to 4 Mall de- cided on the gifts to be lavished ou 'Teacher." lehe Was (pito unprepared for any such observance on the part of her email adherents, for her tirst etudy of the roll book tad shown her that ite numerous Jacobi, isidares and belenged to a class 'to which Christmas Day was much tts other dayea Dut :Mort is Mogilewsky, whose love for Teacher was far greeter than the soniblued loves of all the other chil- dren, had as yet no present to bestow. That his "kind feelhase" should be with- out proof when the lesser loves of Isi- dore Wishnewsky, Sadie teenterowsyk and Bertha Binderwitz were taking the tangible but surprising forms which were daily exhibited to his confidential gave wits more than he could bear. The knowleage saddened all his hours, and was the more maddening because it could in no wisd be shared by Teaeher, who »otieed his altered bearing and tried with all sorts of artful beguile- uunits to make hhn happy and at ease. But her efforts served only to increase his unhappiness and his love. And he loved her! Oh, how he loved her! Since first his dreading eyes had clung for a hreatids space to her "like man's shoes" aid had then crept tmidly upward past a black skirt. a "from silk" apron, a •ed "juniper," and "from gold." chain to aer "light face" she had been mistrese of his heart of' hearts. That was more thaa three months ago. How well ha remembered the day! His mdther had washed him horribly, ana taken bim into the big red school house, so familiar from the outside, but so full of unknown terrors within. ' After his dusty little shoes had stum- bled over the threshold, he had passed from ordeal to ordeal, until at last he was told in mute and white-faced &- tomb. from his mother's skirts. He was then dragged. through long halls and up tall stairs by a lerge boy, who spoke to him disdainfully as "greenie," and cautioned him as 'to the laying down softly and taking up gent- ly of those Poor, dusty shoes, so that his spirit was quite broken, and his nerves were all unstrung when he was pushed into a room full of bright sun, shine and a ehliden who lauglied at his frightened little face. The sunaliine emote his timid eyes, the laughter smote his timid heart, and he turned to flee, But the door Was shut, the large boy gone, and despair took him for its own, Down upon the floor he dropped, and Availed and wept and kicked. rt was then he heard for the first time the voice which he now loved, A hand. was forced between his ttehiug body and the floor and the voice said: - "Why, my dear little chap, You mustn't ory like that. What's the inat- ter?' The hand was gentle and the question kind, and these, combined with a faint perfume. sugg.estive of drug stores and barber ihops-but nicer titan either - made him uncover Ids hot little face, Kneeling beside him Avas a lady, and he foreed his eyes to that perilous as- cent; from shoes to skirt, from skirt to jumper. from juniper to face, they trailed in dread uneertaidty, but at the face they stopped -they had found rest, Morris allowed himself to be gather- ed into the lady's eanis and held upon her knee. and when h's sobs no longer Tem the very foundations of his pink and wide spread tie, he answered her question in a voice as sofb as his eye; and as gently said: "I ain't so big, and I don't know where is my mamma." So, having cast his troubles on the shoulders of the lady, he had added his throbbing head to theburden, and from ' that safe retreat had enjoyed his first day at school immensely. Thereafter he had been the first to arrive every morning, and the last to leave every afternoon; and under the care of teacher, his liege lady, he had grown in wisdom. and love and happi- ness, but the greatest of these was love. And now, when the other boys and girls were planning surprises and gifte of price for Teacher, his hands were as empty as his heart was full. Appeal to his mother met with deaial, prompt and energetic. "For what you go and make, over Christmas, presents? You ain't no Emelt; you should better have no kiad _feelings. over Krisths, neither; you papa could to have a mad." "Teacher ain't no Krisht," said Mow ais, stoutly; "all the other fellows buys bee present% und I'm loving mit her; it's polite gives her presents the 'while I'm. got such a kind feeling over her." "Well,*we ain't got no money for buy - nothing," said Mrs. Mogilewsky, sadly. No money, und you papa, he has all Mines a scarce he shouldn't to get no more, the while the boss"- and here followed incomprehensible, but depress- ing, financial details, until the end of the interview found Morris and his mother sobbing and rocking in one another's terms. So Morris was helpless hes mother poor, and Teacher all un. knowhig. And now the great day, the Friday before Christmas, has come and the school is, tor the first half hour, quite mad. Doors open suddealy. and softly to admit small persons, clad m woudroUS ways and hearing wondrous parcels. Itooni 18, geheraily so placid and so peaceful, is a howling wilderness full of brightly colored, quiekly changing groups of children, all whispering, all gurgling and at hiding queer bundles. newcemer invariably causes a diver- sion; the assembled multitude, alitirst for novelty, falls upon him and Clain - Ors for a glitnpse of his bundle and a etatement of its »Ace. Teacher watches in dumb amaze. Whet tan be the matter with the chits dret? They ean't have guessed that the shrouded something in the comer is a Christmatt tree? What makes thent behave so queerly, and why do they look so strange P They seem • to have grown stout in a single night, and Teacher, as she notes this, Marvels greatly. The explatation is simple, though it comes in alarming form, The sounde of revelry are pierced by a long, shrill yell, and a pair of agitated legs spring suddenly Into view between two desks. Teacher, rushing to the refine, notes thaa the lege foret the unsteady stein of' an upturned mushroom of _brown flannel and green beaid, which she ree. egniveft as the outword se.eining of her cherished Bertha Ilinderente, and yet, When the desks are forced to disgorge their prey, the legs restored to their e hernial position, are found to support ( a tiSt child -Mid Bertha was best des. tribed se "skinny" d Mart tartan, teetotully trimincel with it purple: Investigation, proves that Bele tha's accumulated taste in dress is an established custom. le nearly all eases the glory of holiday attire is hung up- on the solid foundation of everyday clothes, as buntiug is hung upon a buildiugs The habit is economioat of time and products a charming embon- point, Teacher, too, is more beautiful than ever. Her dress is blue 'and "very long down, like a lady," with bands of silk arid soraps of lace distributed with the eye of art. In her hair she wears o bow ot what Saeie Gonorowsky, evleose father "works by fancy goods," describes as "black from plush ribbou-costs ten cents." Isidore Belehatosky, relenting, is the first to lay tribute before Teacher, Ire comes forward with a sweet smile and a tall candle -stick -the eandy has gone to its loug home- and Teacher for a moment cannot be made to understand that all that length of bluislawhite china is really hers "for keeps." "It's to -morrow holiclay;" Isidore as- eures her; "and Ivo gives you presents. the while we have a kind feeling. Can- dle-stieks could to cost twenty-five cents." "It's a He. Three for ten," says a voice in the background, but Teacher hastens to respond to Isidore's test of her credulity. "Indeed, they could. This eandle-stiok could have cost fifty cents, and it's just what wout, It is very good of you to bring me a present." "You're welcome," says Isidore, rotin ing, and then, the lee being broken.; the First Wader class ht a body rises to cast its gifts on teacber's desk, and its arms round teacher's neck, Nathan Horowitz eiresents a small eup and saucer; Isidore Applebatun be- stows a large calendar for the year lefe fore last: Sadie Gonorowsky brings a basket containing a bottle of perfume, a thimble and a bright silk handker- shief; Sarah Sehodeley offers a penwip- er and a yellow celluloid collar button and Eva Kidansky gives an elaborate nasal douche, under the pleasing delu- sion that it is an atomizer. Once more sounds of greef reach teach- er's ears. Rushing again to the rescue, she throws open the door and conies upon woe personified. Eva Gonorowsky, her hair in wildest disarray, her stock- ing fouled, an -gartered and down-gyved to her ankle, appeared before her teach- er. telte bears all the marks of Ham- let's excitement, and many more, in - eluding a tear -stained little face and a gilt saucer clasped to a panting breast. "Eva, my dearest Eva, what's hap- pened to you now?" asks teacher, for the list of ilhehances which have nefal. len this elle of her charges is very long. And Eva wails forth that a boy, a very big boy, had stolen her golden cup "what I had for you by present," and has left her only the saucer and her undying love to bestow. Before Eva's sobs have quite. yielded to teacher's arts Jacob Spitsky presses forward with a tortoise -shell comb of terrifying aspect and hungry teeth, and an air showing forth a determination to adjust it iu its destined place. Teach- er meekly bows her head; Jacob forces his offering into her long-suffering hair, and then retires with the information, "Costs fifteen cents, teacher," and the courteous phrase -by etiquette prescrib. ed- ish you health to wear it." He is plainly a hero, and is heard remark. ing to less -favored admirers that "teach- ers hair is awful softy, and smells off of perfumery." Here a big boy; a very big boy, enters hastily. He does not belong to room 18, but he has long known teacher. He has brought her a 'present; he wishes her a merry Christmas. The present, wheo produced, proves to be a pretty gold cup, and Eva Gonorowsky, with renewed emotion, recognizes the boy as her a.ssailant, and the cup as her prop- erty. Teacher is dreadfully embarrass- ed; the .boy not at all to, His policy is s'mple and entire denial, and in this he perseveres, even after Eva's saucer has unmistakably proclaimed its rela- tionship to the cup. Meanwhile, the rush of presntatiou goes steadily on. Other cups and sau- cers come in wad profusion. The desk is covered with them, and their wrap- pings of purple tissue paper require a monitor's whole attention. The soap, too, becomes urgently perceptible. It is of all sizes, shapes and colors, but of uniform and dreadful power •ef perfume. Teacher's eyes fill with tears of grafi- tude as each new piece or box is press- ed agaiust her nose, and teacher's mend is full of wonder as to what she can ever do with ale of it. Bottles of per- fume vie with ohe another and with the all-pervading soap until the air is heavy and breathing grows laborious, while pride swells the hearts ef the assembled multitude. No other teacher has so many helps to the toilet. None other. is so beloved; Teatheris aspect is quite changed, and the "blue long down like a lady dress" is almost hidden by the offerinss she had received. jaeob's comb has two massive and bejewelled rivals in the "softy lour." The front of the dress, where aching or despondent heads are wont to rest. is glittering with campaign buttons of American celebrities, begin- ning with James Cf. Blaine and extend- ing into modern history as far as Pat- rick Divver, Admiral Dewey and Cap- tain Dreyfus. Outside the blue belt is a white one, nearly clean, and bearing in "sure 'nough golden words" the curt but stirring invitation, "Itemembet the Maine." Around the neck are tbree chaplets of beads, wrought by chubby fingers and embodying much love, while the waist -line is further adorned by tiny and beribboned aprons. Truly, it is a day of Wimp!), When the waste paper basket has been twice filled with wrapplegs end twice emptied; when order Is emerging out of chaos; alien the Christmas tree has been disclosed and its treesures (Rs. tributed, a timid hand is laid on teach. er's knee and a plaintive voice whispers, "Say, teacher, got something for you," and teacher turns quickly to see Morris, her dearest boy charge, with Ms poor little body showing (Oita plainly be- tween his thirt.waist buttons and through the gashes he calla pockets. This is the ordinary eostutne, and the funds of the house of Mogilewsky aro evidently unequal to an outer layer of finery. "Now, Morris, dear," saye Teather, 'you shotildnt have troubled to get me a present; you kuow you and are such good friends thnt---" "Teacher, yis ma'am," Morris inter. tints in a bewitching rising inflection if his soft and 'plaintive voice; "i know you got a kind feeling for me„ end I Oil 4 DI to tell yon even how got a ind feeling for you. Only, We abent 1 that kind keling elioulet give yeas, present. I didiat"--with a glence at the crowded clesk-PI didn't to have no •er per/oil/cry, and my mamma, she couldn't to buy none by the store; but, Teacher, I've got something. 'awful niee for you by wont," "And whnt is it?" asks the aireedy rieh and gifted. young person. "Whet le ley new present le "Teacher, it's like this; • dela 'slows I ain't 80 big like I could to kuow."-and truly,. God pity Wail he le passing small -"it aiu't for boyse-We for ladies. Over yesterday on tlie night comes my papa on my house and he gives my mamma the preseat. Sooner she looks on it, soona the has o Awful glad; iu her eyes stand tears, And see says, like that -out of atiwish-l'hanlese sue she kisses my papa a kis% Und my papa, how be is polite! he sapi- ent of dewisis too-eYou're welcome, all rights' un' he kisses my mamma a kiss: So my mamma, she sets and looks ou the present, und all the time she looks she has a glad over it, Thal I didn't to have no soap, so you could to have the presene," "But did your mother say I might?" "Teacher, no mahn, she didn't sae' like that, Sire 'didn't to know, 13ut it's for ladies, un' I didn't to have nothing. You could to look on it. It ain't for boys." .And here Morris opens a hot, wet hand and eiscloses ft tightly folded Pol- ish paper. As tell,elter reads it he ‘vatches her with eager, furtive eyes, dry and bright, until hers grow sud- denly moist, when his promptly follow suit. As she Jooks down at him he makes his moan onee more: "It's for ladies, und I didn't have no soap." "But, Morris, dear," cried teacher, un- steadily, laughtug a little, aud yet not far from tears, "this is ever eo much nicer than sonp-a thousand times bet- ter than perfome; and you're quite right, it is for holies, and. I never had one in all my life before. I ant so. very thankful." "You're welcome, ail right, That's how my papa says; it's polite," says Morris, proudly. And proudly he takes his place among the very little boys, and loudly be jobs in the ensuing song. For the rest of that exciting day he is a shining point of virtue in a slightly con- fused .And at 3 o'clock he is .at Teacher's deek again, carrying an -the conversation as if there had bon no intelauption. "lend my mamma," he says, insinuat- ingly, "she kisses my papa a kis‘.". "Well?" says toaster. -"Well," sans Morris, "you ain't never kissed rne a kiss und I seen how you kissed Eva, Gonoyowsky. I'm loving mit you too. Why don't you never kiss me a kiss?" "Perbaps,1 suggeses tea,eher, ously, "perhaps it ain't for boys." But a glance at her "light face" with ititisme.ruwn .of surprising combs, reassures "Teacher, yis, mahn, it's for boys," he cries, as he feels her arms about WM, and sees that ia her eyes, too, "stands tears." "It's polite you kisses me a kiss over that for ladies' present." Late that niget Teaoher sat in her pretty room -for she was, unofficially, a greatly pampered young person -and reveiwed her treasures. She saw that they were very numerous, very touch. ing, very whimsical, and very precious. But above all the rest she cherished a frayed pinkish paper, rather crumpled and a little Foiled. For it held theci1,eavde, of a man and woman and a little and the magic of a home, for Morris elogilewsy's Christmas present for ladies was the receipt for a month's restn for roOM on the top floor of a Monroe street tenement. • • 0 - A Timely Hint, Ono timo th,ere was a little boy so naughty all tho vear His record was denominated shocking: So good St. Chris. observing this, remarked "Too had -dear, dear: I'll have to put a switch in Willie's stock- ier. "He teased his ma, dinleased his pa, and come in late to sebeel, Awl droned his grandre.o's spectacles to bust 'em: Aithough I ain't a peevish sant muet obey Ora rola And punish him aoording to the custom." So Christmas eve, with pack en sleeve, the Saint came down the flue A -blowing on his lingers lull a -tingle; His bmrti was white, his smile was bright, as cheerful to his view He saw the stocking hanging bY Ingle. left a doll for Baby Moll, a book for sis- ter Jane - Then suddenly his face grew stern and As from the pack upon his baok he took package Plain, A wicked looking spanlier labelled ' Willie." The Saint looked sad, "Too bad, too bad!" he murmured with a sigh, A Moment through the bedroom door o- pening Where Moil.' lay and ifttul the gay, and in ilia cot nest oy The naughty. naughty Willie was a -sloop, Mo. "Think bow forlorn to -morrow morn the little nap will look." He said. a teardrop down his nose a -roll. "A child enjoys a lot o' toys, mit 'less am missook. A spanker ain't so awfully consoling." He thunk and thunic and wunk and wunit and laughed, "It's all a joke - They can't be sad when Santa Claus conies knocking!" Then lustily across his knee the wicked switch he broke And dropping a sillier watelt in Willie's stocking. Then up the flue and up the Ono swift leap- ed the SprightlY elf 'Ye whore his merry reindeer etood a -feed- ing. "I sympathize with boys," he said: "I've betn a bey MYself- Up, Lightfoot, Whitefoot! haste, the night is needing:" *New 'York Globe. YULE-T1DE DOGGEREL. We'll sing a song of Christmas, Its berries. red, its bills, Its sloppy mud, its rain, its snow, Its many thousand ills. 'We'll eat the hot plum pudding, All floating in blue blazes, Willett mystic light does burn so bright, Our eyes it almost dazes. And urelerneath the mistletoe 'We'll kiss our mints and cousins, Onr wife, and all the pretty girls, Well osculate lit demons. 'Tis Christinast Merry Christmas! And we'll assauge our grief Ily amply eating cold mince pie And underdone roast beef. We'll stand beneath the mistletoe, Well sit upon the holly, Well fill the thildreies stockings full, And shout Oust we are jolly, And cheer to think it's Christmas, And eat all we tan staff. Till indigeetion eeiZes 11S, And we ery, "Iloid, enough!" So when the doctor calla next day, He finds its very queer; We give a groan and feebly moan, Then it ie very clear, If Christrilse day were °nee a week We eliouldiet long be here!' -illustrated Bits. , Mituy family tree would make poor lumber. or Santa Claus' 8Thye wITlkalls'ahieey inlifackeerntyys A great new of the toys that ganta Claus gives to chilaren at Christmas time hc gets in Germany, and many of the things that be brings at this season to children in homes° here were made part in the work of producing them there in homes with shildren taking part, topmaking Germany there are, to be sure, many toy factories in which toys of one sort and another are nunle completely, and then there aro some sorts of toys that are made in tlie rough factories and then sent out to be finished. by workers in homee, cutout clothes might be, and on the other hand there aro toys that are roughed out by home workers and fin- ished in factories; bnt there nre still other toys of kinds long familiar that aro yet, as for hundveds of years they have been, made entirely in homes, the Whole fareily,, old and young, being en- gaged in thew production, each doing what he cen, homes in which the art and custom of making these things have be= handed dowa from generation to generation. Ainong toys thus home made are, for instance, the animate to be found in the Noah's arks, many of which are made by dwellere in the mountainous parts of Saxony. This is a region inua like the Catskill Mountain country, with mountains and hills and valleys, tree clad and streams, and with villages or isolated develliogs hero and there. In summer the dwellers in this region cultivate little foams or patches of grouud for their subsistence, but in winter they devote their time to toy making, year after year regularly, and owe family makes always, year after year, toys of the same kind. So in a family that ma.kes the little wooden animals that come • in the Noah's arks, when the summer's work out of doors has been ended they all settle down lit the winter's work within, ma.king little wooden horses, ems, tigers, elephants. Thus they work the winter throngh, by their combined efforts Waling out animals to a great numbere It might seem that even with their combined efforts, with every member of the fam- ily doing something at the work, it would still be Impossible to turn Out a great numbes, there is so much cutting and earving to be done upon even the these wooden animals; that it would take considerable time to hegin with just to rough them out from the wood in their first stage; but at this stage the work is by very simple and yet in- genious means greatly facilitated. The home worker, the head of the family perhaps, and skilled by experi- ence „in that sort of work takes a small squared bloek of woOd, cut out not lengthwise, but' across the grain, and upon one end of this block he draws the profile outline nf, say, a horse. Then with a scroll haw Ile saws away from the bloek, down through its 'whole length; all the wood outside the line as drawn on the end of it for a guide. So now he has a block of wood in the right outlines of tt horse, very thick bodied, Then from tbe blot; he splits off, down through it wren the grain, as many sectiona as tbe block will penult, three or four or maybe half ft dozen, daelt one of these containing the mak- ings of a horse, a little horse in blank, and then these blanks are taken in hand by the members of the family, and each fashioned into its final com- pleted form. In this way much labor is saved at the beginning; but there is another way of preparing the material thet is far mere advonced. In this part of Germany there are wood turners who make a business of supplying to home toy makers what are called animal rings, these rings being rings of wood from each of which many animals can be cut. The ring - maker cuts from the end of a stick of round timber a disk of wood ,of thick- ness equal to the height of the animals to be made from it, and then mounting the disk in it turning lathe he beoins work on the body of wood at the diZe's outer part around its rim, turning away the material in Finch shapes that when the ring is finallY finished and eut apart it will show, and of course tbe same wherever cut, the outline of the animal thus fashioned in it. The turning of these rings is the work of specialists wno attain in it great skill, which indeed they need to have to follow it successfully, for a good part of the results of this work can be seen only when the ring has been finisheit mid mit apart. They must turn away the material not only front the outer side of the Various parts of the animal, but from the inner sides as well, and they must do this in such manner as not only to produce a lifelike shape when the ring is cut, but so as not to leave some parts of the animal too thick or some too thin. A good part of the result of his work as he .goes along he can't see until the work is finished, but by the aid of long experience and by the exercise of care and skill and judgment, and with an artistic taste and a, nice souse in the use of his tools, the ring turner turns out rings thee are well proportioned as wen as lifelike. All specialists, the ring turners indi- vidually specialize on particular animals, one turning only cow rings or horse rings, another sheep rings still another goat rings, and so on. Tliere are rings for grazing animals, for walking aui. mals, for jumping animals, for all sorts ,f animals, earl' produced by the turner who makes that animal his specialty. When a family of animal makers that Rees tbis material is about to start on its winter work it buys its rings from the turner, ordering' so many cow rings, so many stag or camel riogs and so on dowu through the list of anima% they ere to snake. At home the animals, which are made in various Sizes ranging from half ite inch to as inueli as five inches in height, are enopped off from the rings and theu the work of shaping end finishing the aninutls goes on. The general outlining of the shape of the animal in the mauler described has Of cotirse ferWitided tlie work sabstnn. Gaily, but still these chopped off sec- tions are as yet only so maay blanks and eow, with deft enttings on these, feetures ana contours are produced, bringing the animal into tt lifelike see semblanee, the Wafture of this depend. ing of course on the tkill of the carver end on the grade of animals produced. Many of the thaapest forms of animals are only roughly shapea out, while oth. ers art wrought to a high degree of net. mime. The most expert member of the fam- ily does the tailing on the animithe.ell the rest, including the thildren, doing what work upon them they tan. Thin( the whole family is employed. So in the familiet of Untt part of Gets many In whicli the toy production is largely these hoinconado woo( en an- imals from Noah's arks they make year tater year these animate only; but in the same regions there may be found families that devote their time in like manner to the making of toy wooden furniture. And there are homes in which whole familiee engage in the making of ann male that aro to be covered in some way, perhaps with fur or with fleece; as for instance sheep. Soine such are made in fectories, othera in homes; arid, in the limes where these are made the whole family gathers around the table, each doing some part of the work. Ferheps Ono may fashion on the head part plaster face nue node to give the animal a more perfect finish; another may paint the eyes, One es' Imlay competent for such work may cut oUt the coverings that are to go on the body, and still another puts some finishing touch. The sheep goes around from hand to hand until it is cempleted. In fact, specialization is the rule in toy -making Germany, one locality or dis- trict produelng only certain kinds of toys, and another locality producing certain other kinds and those only, while in single factories or In homes they might produce toys of a single kind and keep continuously at work on that. To be sure, like ways prevails as to many articles of production in many parts of the world, as in one or an- other country, one locality may bo fa- tuous for its iron 1111115, another for its cotton mills, another for its flour mills, and still another for some special pro- duction, as for brooni$ or for plows. The people who are engaged in toy their accustomed pursuits, bat the toy things of commonplace everyday utility, making districts and regions of Ger- many seem strange to us because the things they make there seem strange, as does the maeiner in which many of them are made, because they are not things of commonplace everyday utili-ty, but toys. There is one place in Germany where the toy -making inhabitants make all toy wooden rattles. From those remote districts iu which toy making is folowed as a home W- WII:dry the finished toys are carried into town$ in which are locatea cont. missioners or agents who buy nnd slap them, and who may indeed have fur- nished a part if not all a the supplies from which some of them were made. The way in which these toys are brought in from the mountain homes in which they are made is almost as interesting as the manner of their mak- ing. Tbe family's finisted production of teys may be gathered up and packed in a cart drawn by dogs, or it may be brought in a wagon drawn by it horse, or by a horse and a eow; or it may be brought in a bulky load -though not quite so heavy as it looks, for the toys are light -in a great basket carried on the back of some member of the family. In the towns where they are thus gathered these home made toys are sorted aud packed in whatever manner is appropriate to their several kinds, and then they are ready to be sent to trade centres or shipping points whence, with myriads of other toys of many kinds, facemy made and otherwise, as- sembled from the various toy -making Ipvaaiit,s fohfi etoou ntgryi aldheeny twhi el If tienadr ttsh eol rf children throughout the world. 4 - Stutd ay So 0 a L ESSON X EC. 26, 1909. The Birth of Christ. --Matt. 2; 1-12. tenumentary,-.1. The corning of the wise men (vs. i., 2.) 1. When Jesus was born -While the exact date of Christ's birth is uncertain Ulm is no reasou why it may not have been on December 25, 13. C. 5. 13ut wby do we say that ,Jesus was born "before Christ?! Simp- ly because our calendar is incorrect. For seine centuries after Christ's time there wah no calendar in general use, but each nation dated from some event in its his- tory. Finally, 111 the sixth century, a learned monk, Dionysius Exiguus, was appointed to ascertain the time of Cheist's birth, and it was ordered that history should *be dated from that time. But Dionysitis, who first published his calculations in A. D. 52U, put the birth of Jesus about fear years too late.. In IlethIeheni-"House of bread." "A name properly applied to a place where the true Bread was manifested for the life of the world." -Clarke. Of Judea -- To distinguieh it from Bethlehem in Galilee, mentioned to Josh, 19: 15. Her- od-terod the Great. He eves an Mom- ite, and atthough a proselyee to the jeWish oligionAyas notorious for his wiekednese and calelty. Ile reigned 37 pare in ;Judea and died a, few monthe after the birth of Christ. At this time "the sceptre was departing from Jutian, a sign that the alessiah was now at hand." Wise men -Or magi. "Origin- ally a (doss of priests among the Per- sians and hfedes, who formed the king's privy counsel. They were men of learn- ing and wealth, Augustine and Chrys- ostom say there, ware twelve ba,gi, but the common belief is that there were buL three. But why were these magi seeking the Christ'? "We know that the Perelan magi believed in a Messiah or future Saviour, who should in the latter day appear • tied renew the world in right- eousness."-Whedon. From the east-- l'erhaps from Media, or Persia, or pos- sibly, from Arabia, Jerlisalem-They Seeined to suppose that when they rearlied the capital of the dentish nation they would have bo trouble'in finding the °Not of their ecarela 2. Where is he-Thie inquiry ht Jeru- salem brought Josue into popular notice and called attehtion to the Met that, the Messiah tees to be born in Bethlehem. Born leirg of tlie Jews -This was a title unknown to the earlier history of mewl end applied to Ito one except the Attasielt. It reappitere 111 the thscription over the eross.-Carr. Notice that Jellari was "born" it king. Ills star -Many in- terpreters. especially those who eerieto eliminate the supernatural, explain tac "star," or "eidereal nppettranee," n eonjunction -of ebupiter nod Satter», which meowed in May, 13, C. 7, and ngain s itt Domeier with Mala, etddell. 11 is. 1101.VeVer. 1111tell mote in harmony with t all the filets to believe that Oa star which .ttetreeted the attention of the , 01‘, magi was provided for the oeasion, woiehip him-- To dn him homage, alley Were 1/0111 to confess the object of their I t Ming. xr, Light from the scriptures (vs, 3.6). t 3. Hail hearl, 'The magi had eroded no mall stir liy their *take width nueliately attracted the attention of the king. Troubled -Tiered, noiv suuk bite the jealnee decrepitude of his savage old age, wile yielding in his new place on aien, when, half medalled es be was Already by the crimes of hie past career, lie was thrown lute a fresh peroxyem of alarm and anxiety by the visit of Gisela magi, bearing the strange intelli- gence that tiwy had .come to worship a new.born king- -Farrar. Ilerod feared a rivet, All Jermalern with him- -Fear- ing that he wetted make thlti all °evasion or renewing his has of bloodshed. 4.1fad gathered He assembled the Sanhedrin. -Lightfoot. Chive priests- This ea- preseion probably tentiprelientli the net. big high priest and his deputy" those who had been high priests- for at this time the dam was often transferred by the Roman authorities -and "the heads of the twenty-four sacerdotal families, which eeeetio had distributed into so many emu:ties." Scribes -The iverned terpreters of the. Moenie law, and the collectors of the traditions of the elders. Many of them were Pharisees. De- manded of them -Because they would be most likely to know. Where the Christ (R. V.) --Or the Messiah, tlio of- ficial title of the promised deliverer, "The:wise men had said oothing about the Christ, or the Maisiala but only about the King of the Jews. 13ut Herod saw thet this king tenet be the expected Messiah." 5. By the prophet-Micab 5: 2. Mat- thew does not quote the exace words found in Miceli, but the sense is given. It was an accepted. truth that the Mes- siah must Nine from Bethlehem. O. Art is no wise least al. Va-Mieah say; "Though thou be little among the thou- sands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he came forth line° me that is to be ruler in Israel." This made Bethlehem "in no (vise least." Although Bethlehem wa$ little, yet it was exalted above all the other cities of Israel. The princes -"The thousands" (Micah 5: 2). The tribe had been subdivided into thousands, and over each subdivieion there was a chieftain or princee-Morison. A governor- To control and rule. Who shall be sbep- herd al, V.) -To feed and mere for, as a shepherd his flock. Christ is both shepherd and king. My people Israel - Israel wee elod's people in a peculiar sense, They were his owe_ peculiar trea- sure, III. The intrigue. of Herod (vs, 7, 8), 7. Privily yelled-- Herod desired to keep the Hula e Christ'e birth as secret as possible test the Jews who hated him should take occasion to rebel. Enquired of them diligently -"Learned of them exactly." -R. V. He enquired of them the exact time and received positive pesitivc information as to the time the star appeared. Aesuming that the star appeared when the child was born he would thus have some Idea of the age of the child. 8, He sent them- He assumed control; but they followed the directions of the Lord. Search diligently -Herod was honest in makiug this charge to them; he greatly desired to receive definite word concerning the new King. And worship him also- What hypocrisy! He only wished to find the child in order to murder hint (vs. 13, 16); he Was crafty and subtle, eaying one thing and meaning another. IV. Guided by the star (vs. 9, 10). 9. the. star .. went before them --The same star which they had seen in their own country now again appears. The star disappeared for a One and this led them to inquire in Jerusalem for the young King whom they sought. Supernatural helps should not be expected where or- dinary means are to be had. stood over -The star pointed out the very house. - Benson. 10 they rejoiced -The Greek is very emplracie. They rejoiced exceed- ingly because they saw they were about to find the child and because they- had end' unmistakable proof of being in di- vine order. That alone is enough to onto rejoining. V. The child (fesus found (vs. 11, 12). 11. fell down -They prostrated them- selves before him according to the east- ern custom. "In this act the person kneels and puts his hand between his knees, his forehead at the same thne touehing the ground. It was used te express both civil and religious reyer- cnce." -Clarke. gifts -The people of the east (lid not approach into the presence of kings without bringing them presents. The custom still prevails in many places. gold, etc. -Gold would always be useful, while frankincense and myrrh were priz- ed for their delieious fragance. These were the very presents Isaiah mention- ed: "All they from Sheba. shall come; they shall bring gold and incense" (Isa,. 60:6). "Incense, or frankincense, is a resinous guin, flowing from tree, gash- ed for the purpose, growing in Arabia and Lebanon. Myrrh is also a gum ob- tained from a tree in Arabia."-Whedon. 12. warned of God in a dream. -God communicated his purpose to them in a manner that they understood, and the impression or conviction Avas 80 clear that they at once obeyed. another way -They could easily go ease from Beth- lehem and thus leave Jerusalem on the north, Questions -Where was Jesus boro? When? Who was the king of Judea? What was the character of this king? Who came to Jerusalem seekhag for Jesus? From whence did they come.? Why was Jesus called•King of the Jews? How bad the wise men been led in their search? Why was Herod troubled? Why was Jerusalem troubled? -Wholn did. Herod gather together? Vor what purpose? What eharge did Herod give the wise meu? Why? Hoot did they ap- proach Christ? After leaving Jesus what did the wise men do? PRACTICAL APPMCATIONS. The Cradle of Christ. I. A place of salvation. "Now when ,Jestis wits born" (v. 1). "Thou shalt call his name Jesus" (Matt. 1:21). A man's name represents his character. Iterod's name is a synonym of cruelty, Aiwa- haires for faith, Stepheies for martyr- dom, John's for love, Jesus' for salva- tion. Ms name has power to save. IT, A place of obscurity. "In Bettie°. ham" (v. 1.) Ail insignificant village, not mentioned among Eno many towns at the time of the division of thc land, "Li a outlive" (Luke 2. 7). Not in a palace, not in a lionso of luxury, not le a eottage surrounded by beightness, but in a limestone cave, did the Cheists child open his infant oyes to earth. Was this to teach how little God cares for ex- ternals P A place of 'cruelty. "la the days of Tiered the king" ev. 1), Jesus mune a stranger to this world; there was lie room for him in the innn (Luke 2. 7). Herod hunted him (v. 7). His own par - outs hunderstond not" His yontlitit! as- pirations (Luke 2. 49); His OW11 Owns. nen rejected Him (Luke 4. 20); Ito had not where to lay Me head (Matt. 8. 201 John 7: 53; 8. 1): jews and Gentiles ton. pired to erneify Milt (Luke 22. 96; 23. 1, 12). All the way from the etadie to he erase Ile met tvith 'cruelty. ' IV. A plae,o of repay. "Born king f the stews" (v. 2). ll'he gospel of fattheve is the story of jesus AS Xing. ts key -phrase, "kingdom," is fonad ifty-six times. Its key -phrase, dont of heaven," is fomid thiety.ttvo bees, and nowhere *lee the NOV Teie I Arn114 40 aim TIP Ingtairabunet tratrigietfort):44,1 ,1"" _osou known* woe. ,. TWO. rtipd$4, 4ITTa4sH44 W# MOB ••••••••••(••••••••••••ee jgre=5 wireAs. pm swan k 8.11.‘ 1.44. ADA u==.1'41t4sea4a3 bthertios. anneal nr assen0 MAX W1111=111 Advestionnents ln thoarral 'ohm= "1"14"H+14++14+01+14444441 ;IVO Voreenisognini= W IN:1MM General liospitali Ifiglalreatre=itgoirereltani. la ammo" at Doan*. 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MARION & MARION Patent Export: arid Solicitors. offim s I New York Life fieitl'o, tiontreal I Atlantic Bhig Washington D.C. -,....,........-......!....-- es...vs..., ••••,,,' tament. 1VIatheev gives His legal genera ey so that it lies as flat as a rug. Ena logy, his royal pedigree, from David, broider with a seattering of gay colored source of Jewish rule; and Abraham, source of Jewish blessing Matt. 1 1) Jesus was born king, but He waited - He is waiting still for the kingdom (Luke 19. 15; Matt. 26. 29). The prayer. "Thy kingdom came, thy will be done in earth' (Matt. 6, 10), has never been literally fulfilled, It will be some day. Christ rules His own to -day as a Shep- herd. V. A place of prophecy. "It is writteu by the prophets" (v. 5). A study of pro- phecy gives a miniature life of Jesus (Isa.. 7. 14; Michah 5. 2; Isa. 9; 1, 2; Gen. 49. 10; Hosea 11. 1; Zech. 11. 12, 13: Zech. 13. 7; Isa. 53; 12; Psa. 22. 18; Psa. 22. 1; 60, 21; Zech. 12. 10; John 1. 45; Acts 13. 27; 1 Cor. 2. 8). A special blessing is phomised to those who read and hear and keep the Iast great pro- phecy of Itis second coming (Rev. 1. 3; 22. 18, 10). VI. A. place of guidance. "The star.. came and stod over where the young child was" (v. 9). Heralded by a star, Jesus ushered in the day of grace at the beginning of this dispensation. The star which illuminates our pathway and goes before us to guide us to Jesus is the Holy Spirit, of whoni Jesus says, "He shall testify of me" (John 15. 26). VII. A place of rejoieing (v. 10), The wise _men, rejoicing at the cradle of the infant King, carry our thoughts for- ward to another day when a multitude of redeemed men. arid angels shall cry with a Ioud voice (Rev, 5. 12). VEIL A place of worship (v. 11). They gaVe themselves, then their gifts (2 Cor. 8. 4, 5). They saw, they "fell down," thus presenting their "obdiegi h living sacrifice" Rom. 12. 1); they "worshiped," pouring out their souls' adoration; then "they offered unto Hine gifts" (R. V.) IX. A place of presents. "They pre- sented unto Him. gifts; goId, and frank- inceuse, and Myrrh." As a Saviour, Jesus is God's great gift to us (John 3, 16); as saved ones we are God's gift to Him (John 17.6.) CHRISTMAS OH eeR. A handsome sofa pillow can be made by using discarded hair ribbons. If soil- ed, clean 'with gasoline if they are not wash ribbons. Arrange them in harnion- izieg strips, joining theta together to fit your pillow, Finish with cord to corm. spond with mut of the strips, and yon have a pretty pillow at a sinall cost, By featherstitching eaeli joining in bright colors an Oriental effect is given and piodures a pillow much rieher looking. A ribbon roll round which ribbons are wound, end tluis kept smooth and tidy, and at the sante time out of the way, may be made of a large pasteboard tube covered with a layer of :wonted wedding,. nail then with a piece of silk earn: long- er than the tube, the ends hemmed and lrittvn together with balty ribbon, giving the eppearance of a small holster. Around thie the sibbone are wound, and melt pinned separately at the ende. Take a big etretch of deep mem eol °red blanket Material of filen conmiden. worsted animals and bads. Birds and animals are drawn on any scale and are placed at generous distances apart to invite a creep from baby from one to the other. The centre epee • is left for baby's name in easy flowing script. The ani - lusts should be worked in the fast, brightly contrasting worsted colors that endear toys to baby's heart, for of course the blanket needs many cleanings. The delight babies take in these blan- kets justifies the work upon them. They pat and rub the vivid hued auimals with absorbed interest or arows of glee. "The blanket has saved me no end of efforts," Faye a mother. tt always de- lights baby and keeps her busy for an hour at a time when I can get a deal of •mending done while she is patting and scolding her embroidered pets." Meats hard to digest are: Sausage, salt meats, pork, goose, heart, bra.in, liver, veal, duck, lamb. Meats easy to digest are: Venison, sweet bread, turkey, chicken, partridge, beef, mutton. Fish hard to digest are: Eels, salmon, salt fish, lobsters, crabs. Easy to digest are: Trout, pike, oyster". Vegetables bard to digest are: Cab- bage, celery. Easy to digest arc: Pota- toes, lettuce. beets. Fraits hard to digese are: Pickles, pineapple, cherries, plums, pears. Easy to digest are: Grapes, oranges, peaches, strawberries. Set a wash bowl of water under the bed, put a few drops of carbolic acid and eat a raw onion into the water. It will draw impurities to it. Change it every ten hours. Do not throw away vollare Worll t the edge. They make eecellent bandages, First soak out the earth and then tear into strips. Each collar makes four nice strips, whieb are Own; s in readiness. Cut a groove along the side of the eoric of a medicine bottle; put baek in the bottle, and it will be easy to eount tho drops one by one, without; pouring too fest. Burn some paper on the flat side of an axe. This -causes a kind of on to form on the steel. Dip a bit of eottou in this oil rind insert in the ear, and it will give almost instantaneous relief. The Christmas Rose. They've brolight you from your gar- den bed, Pale froni the enowfialtes kiss; But, all, your belittle heart is red As summer's 'tent, wisi It holds the breath of June, the breeze The golden glow, and hark The drowsy humming of the bees, The earol of lark! -Jean Blewett, ir the Christmas Can- adian Magazine ITOPELFeee. flittilsfie City Tinu e.1 'Will (bete eVer I' Preei- dent?" "No, The eOnStiliiiit.:1 i he Pre- eitient must be over for; v..five years obi, *ma wemon gr2t. that Ohl."