The Wingham Advance, 1920-12-23, Page 10Christmas Three Years Ago + KING BROS., Winghaw, Ont.
Oettin� the �ipinft I 1�
1+
ECEMBPR, 25, 1917,—A thin rain was falling Child, whose face was like a star, and awed, the boy mur.
from a sodden grey sky, The moisture gathered mured—I'Madouna," The 'vision of the Child passed, but
Rose Ann shook bet, head vigouriouily
ings with candy and trinkets, and wrote
surrentitiou;ly drew her handkerchief from
rhymes for each child's Mother Goose
the fold, of tier Peg -top skirt, Not sur.
book. RoseAnn's eyes glistened and her
reptitiously enough, however, to escape
V.air tumbled in riotous curls on her tem -
the ea le's eye of her co-partner in the
ples. At length they finished the baskets
notion at the Arcade Dry Goods Empor-
of childish, sweet gifts for the kiddies,
ium,
and Rose Ann opened the box couch and
9.WhY the dew drops, sweet Rosie?"
brought forth her unwrapped gifts. Her
negged Loretta of the -kinkly hazel eyes
heart dragged; tier mouth dropped, For
and smooth Auburn braids above her too
fear her mother would notice her change
perfectly arched brows.
of humor. and see snatched up i sweater
"Oh, it's no use, 'Betta. Here it is
and ran on to the back porch steps, For
Wednesday, only one more day to shop,
� while she sat with chin in hand, glanc.
and I 1 -ave no more Christmas spirit than
ing first into one lightened window and
a burned out fire cracker. What's ailing
Men another across, the alleyway.
me? I've done with lunch (his last week-,
Suddenly she jumped up, catching the
trying -to get it, Not a tingle down my
post, strained ner eye; across the darkness
spitie, not a shrill when I see the express
into the roomIn the opposite house. She
wagon. I've shopped my usual nickel I s
brushed her hand across her forehead,
worth when the crowds were thickest, and
and looked again. There in his second
I've done everything but write a letter to
floor rear stood the "Poor but honest".
Santa Claus. It might as well b - Decor-
struggling wilh an awkward package on
ation Day for all the excitement I can
the table. He tried first one way and
gather".
then another, then gave it up, clutching
his hair, and tangling yards of red ribbon
"Forget it, Rose Ann," said Loretta,
in his despair.
tier Spearmint from bicuspid to
Rose Ann had a wild moment of in-
inolar somewhere in the rear. 10h". she
decision, Then. dashing into the house
added, seeing Rose Ann's Popeless ex"
she pretended a mysterious'eriand to her
pression, "Go out and fell a pine or some-
mother, and rushed out, sped down the
thing, Getup a cantata, talk t lie weather
walk and knocked at the front.door
manoutofasnow-flake. Hurry up,Jet's
corresponding to the back window above.
cover up these counters and beat it.
For a brief moment her heart pounded
There's the gong, and i've got a lead -pipe
and she thought she must run home. But
cinch on the table de hoty dinner with
e'er she could suit the action to the
Mr. Fister to -night."
thought, the front door was thrown open,
With leaden bands Rose Ann helped the
and there stood'the 4,poor but honest".
nimble -fingered Loretta spread the drab
"Er—well—oh", gasped Rose Ann, -I
gray covers over the notions. If one only
didn't know you lived here until I saw
worked in anything but notions at Christ-
you from my back steps, and somehow,
mastime, Nobody bought'em, if they
allofa sudden,1 just hadto come to
did, one could never guess what they
show vou how to tie up that package.
mightbemaking. In ribbons or laces one
And I'm sorrY—1 —that I haven't looked
might get lots of new ideas, and even
at you, and —0h, let's go fix up the Cnrist.
suggest a few to the interested buyer.
mas package".
But supporters and books and eyes, and
And then the "poor but honest", be -
hairpins and tape! Nothing red but
cause he wasn't poror in the real sense, and
elastic; nothing Christmasy but the dusty
becau:;e he was very honest, did not mince
red bells, and artificial holly festooned
matters. He let her tie up the package
above the tables,
very carefuliv, because next morning it
In the tiny cloak room Loretta adjust-
was to be for her. and he went home
ed hEr Jace veil over I green toque. and
with her through the still cold
fastened her flowing jabot with a rhine-
night, and let her tell him how she'llad
stone bar pin.
suddenly "gotten the spirit", by wanting
"Sorry I can't wait. Rose Ann. But
tObelPsoniebody else. 4-Tbat'the whole
I promised Mr. Fister I'd meet him at six
secret." she said happily. "I was to in -
sharp. Anyway, I think the new slice
tent on doing things for myself. To -
department bead would cherish a walk
night I had a real thrill , when I was help.
home with you. G'night.
ing mother fix,the poor kiddies' baskets.
With which parting s h o t Loretta,
Then when I came to my own thought
waltzed out of Ithe room on the way to a
—over gifts, my heart sank again. and I
real dinner. Rose Ann pulled her sailor
bad to out and make myself - get over it.
down over her brown curls with trembl-
Then I saw you struggling over that
ing hands. How did Lorettii know the
maze of ribbon, and thespirit came Over
new head man in shoes bad even look-
me in a flood; and—', I I .
ed at her? 'Twas true, he bad spoken
They reached the st6p& He, took her
to her once or twice, and he sometimes
face between his hands, �
came down on the same car with her, but
"Was it only the holiday spirit, lJose
as to his attentions warranting an open
Ann. my dearest.,,
jibe from Loretta—never! With bead
Her radianteYe-, answered his question
held high she walked from the store with
eer her lips could frame a reply.
eyes to front She might have saved
In the distance the Christmas c�rolers
her -elf the trouble, for the new "poor but
were sineing that sweetest'of Christmas
honest" as Loretta had dubbed him, was
songst "It came upon t be Midhight
enroute home.
Clear,"
For blocks Rose Ann walked, darting*
between package -laden pedestrians, press-
SIONS OF CHRISTA'
ing her tiose to shop windows, even vent-
AS
uring into some particularly gay places in
quest of her earnestly sou�ht Christmas
When ma starts Makin' mincemeat and
spirit. Arrived home, she , explained her
cakes with raisins in
lateness to her mother by pleading a head-
And roilin'puddin's in a cloth to b-;il 'em
ache, and The need of fresh air anda walk.
in a tin,
Long after her mother was asleep Rose
You bet I start to iv-,,, 11 my step and
Ann addressed her Christmas cards and
mind the things I do,
cut tissue paper for her simple little gifts.
For then I know old Santa Claus will:
Finally she threw down the scisscrs- her
soon be ridin' through.'
finger5 wouldn't tie perky bows, her gifts
I Wash MY face and hands and neck with.
all looked commonplace.
Out ma tellin' me,
She d ' umped tile lot into the box couch
And watch to see that I don't tear my
and dropped off tosleep with a troubled
stocking at the knee;
heart. Was she growinv' old at twenty*
I go to bed right when Itm told and try
three? No, that couldn't he it—pe.-ple
to make less noise,
at seventy-five still have Christmas spirits
'Cause, Gee, if I ain't good old Santa
when they wer.� supposed to. Was she
won't leave' Me no toys.
ill? N,? not when she could eat seven
hot rolls for dinner,
Masaysthatbecan see the things that
The next m)rning found tier no nearer
I do every day,
a,,olution But .she was a normal gbl,
His eyeb must be most awful big to see'
and she loved her mother dearly, and the
me all that way; *
sun was shining. So for the time she was -
And he can bear me talkin', too, his ears
happy. But once in the whirl of shoppers
they are so strong,
she wasagrain disturb�,d at the lethargic
I hope he's got his packin, done and soon
manner in which she executed sharp ord-
will come along.
ers: at tier ab-olute lack of Spirit.
It seems be don't go every place, and I
She could not bring herself to look at
can't make that out,
the "poor but honest". She could not
For lie's been jolly good to me, I've never
let him see that she was calm and spirit-
gone without;
less at this time of all the year, Again she
But there's a kid around the block, lie
t rleitcd hcr lunch to dash out into the
never gets no toys
cold, stinging air; to mingle with the
I don't know why, 'Cause he just looks
gay, hurried throngs But she camc back
the same as other boys,
ato,v!-thirty a lit tie disheveled, with one
or two laqt-tilinitte gifts and—no spirit.
It must be 'Cause poor old Saint Nick
The -afternoon 8 e e in e d very long.
' has got so much to'do;
When at seven O'clock the last shift came
I think they ought to get some one to
on for tile Xmas eve rush Rose Ann took
help him out, don't you?
off her black apron reluctantly, As she
For 'course it must be awful hard for him
stooped to recover her percil. Loretta
to get about
But it don't seem quite square that some
remarked in no unkindly tone, Even
poor kids should be left out.
lockin' on the floor for your spirit, ma
little Rosic? Say take a little more ,tock
I think when I grow up a man, IT buy
in tbingq1evel with your eyes, and don't in.
a reindeer sled,
ten5itysoontlieqPjrittipt)rdotvn! you'll
And go and help poor Santa out be,ote
find it sure aq 800was tostop lookin' for
I go to bed,
it. Mt.rryChristnim Ro,,e Ann, wnight.
And I %fill try real hard to call on all the
Roc,eAnn hunied lionte to help J�er
girls and boys,
in( st tier a86eln ble Eol lit- Pit
ForCht-iStMas must be, tuintriv with(Alt
tile (1111LItt'if The tAo of
t'rifitiv. viuL and trjy�,,.
thew 11�4di, poptom fiffl" 011d glylgel.
-G iladp, Jjillk,
WIM b(OU4,
bmduw vmo.
TIMDUNCEP
out orders that his men hastened to obey with something of
pleasure in their wooden faces,
The boy was struck down, and belabored with blows
from rifle butts, and kicks; until the prisoners compelled to
watch, realized it was not a punishment, but a savage execu-
tion.. It seemed to take a very long time.
The rain still drizzled down from the drear sky. At the
head of their line went the cart with the tools, and flung
across them Jay the soldier who had been punished. He
was breathing very loudly and painfully as the cart jolted
on -its way, but he was not unconscious,
He could see the black network of boughs against the
grey sky above him, but he did not feel the atrocious pain in
his broken limbs, thrown across the rough edges of pick and
spade, because of the woman he could see sitting in the cart
beside him.
She wore long flowing robes, and a head covering of
shining white and bright blue, and when she lifted his head
on to her lap, he tried to speak with his battered lips, and
tell her he was all blood, and filth and vermin, and not fit
for her to touch, Then he saw her face.
Like to the holiness and beauty of the high blue sky was
her face, with its starry eyes and tender lips, and he knew
she could not be defiled, for her touch would make clean
whatsoever it rested upon.
For a little white the boy lay still; it was very good not
to be alone, and to have his pains blunted till they were
easily bearable. Even the painful struggle for breath was
not s6 hard when lie was held in the arms of that wealth of
brooding motherlove. Then lie tried to force words.
"You must go, directly," lie said, in intention at least, "The
Hun is a dirty beast even to his own women, and you are not
of them, I know. Go quickly—I shall be all right—before
lie speaks to you. How did lie come to let you here at all?"
"Because he dwelleth in the darkness lie liath created
around him," answered the woman and tier voice was that of
one who sits in the eternal calm of God, "Ilis eyes are holden
so he cannot see us—lie will never be able to see us who are
of the Light."
For a moment the boy 1�oked at tier incredulously, but
her eyes made him understand that what she said was the
ramt natural thing in the world; and lie said with shy rever-
enco—"l wonder who you are?"
For an initant there appeared in tho- Woman's arms a
0
The boy saw Bethlehem, looking, as did the shepherds
just like the pictures in the old Bible at home, Butbelooked
with surprise and interest at the trenches they were passing,
with pits for big guns. They were hardly Biblical, neither
were the men he saw busy with barbed-wire—and they wore
British khaki. "Hurrah," the boy shouted, "We've got
Jerusalem."
The shepherds smiled at him. "Of course," they said,
"what else could have happened? We knew you were to
win, first the Holy City, and then the War, from the begin-
ning."
The boy laughed happily; and then they were walking
quickly down a straggling street of flat -roofed, Biblical look-
ing houses to a big church with a khaki -clad sentry before its
door. The boy was surprised that instead of halting them,
the ma n* stared towards them as if he hardly saw them, then
bowed his head and crossed himself, as they passed him, and
went into the lofty church, where a hundred lighted lamps
swung between the Corinthian columps of grey maible that
upheld the root of cedar wood.
Then they were going down a spiral staircase, of fifteen
steps, to a crypt—the Grotto of the Nativity. It was an
ancient cave, long and narrow, and low -roofed; centuries
ago a stable for a long -past inn. Now its native rock was
everywhere hid by richest marble; but the boy did not notice
that or the gorgeously illuminated altar. Beside the hollowed
out trough in the rock—once a manger—but now,lined with
white marble, and marked by a silver star, sat the Woman
who had been with him in the cart, and in her arms again
was the vision of the Child. And the boy knelt down, to
consecrate the wonderful life of his that he knew was just
beginning.
Away on the muddy road the rain still fell, and the
naked black trees gathered the moisture on their branches,
to drop it on the men below, The Hun captain was looking
at a thing on the cart, and swearing—"Curses on the swine to
die so quickly."
But was lie dead? This story is a tragedy indeed—
"Unless perchance, our eyes can see therein
The martyrdom triumphant o'er the sin;
A double picture with its gloom and glow,
The splendor overhead, the death below."
+ Dry Goods, Furs 41
4
+ House Furnishings. +
+ KING BROS., Wingham, Ont.
THE CHRISTMAS'FEAST
A FEW UNUSUAL MENUS . . .
BY MARY MASON WRIGHT
If you have small, kitchen facilities and
have to prepare the Christmas dinner on
a small two -burner gas stove or plate,
with a small oven, you will find the menu
given for the Light Housekeeper a very
good one to follow. A canned soup may
be used which will take only a few Minn -
tes to heat up The sweet potatoes may
be peeled, quartered or cut into balls with
a French vegetable cutter dipped in a
brown sugar syrup, rolled in bread -crumbs
and placed around the roast in the pan.
Add a little butter or vegetable oil, baste
when basting the roast, sprinkle with a
little salt and pepper. The other v4get.
ables used may be canned ones. Have a
thin cream sauce already prepared, place
the vegetables in a baking dish and pour
over the sauce and cover with bread�
crumbs, After the roast is done place on
top of the oven to keep hot and place the
vegetables in the oven until heated
through, which will take only about
twenty minutes.
The cranberry jelly should be made the
day before. The plum pudding and sauce
may be made several days before, or in
the morning and reheated. If you have a
freezer a nice substitute for the rich plum
pudding is a frozen plum pudding, and
since it must stand two or three hours to
ripen in the mold its preparation will be
well out of the way before it is time to
prepare the rest of the meal.
If you have all the kitchen facilities you
need but no servants to help, choose a
menu that can be prepared largely in ad.
vance of the day. The mince -meat for
the pies may be made a week or so in ' ad.
vance and then can ned ready for use.
Stuff the turkey the evening before
Christmas. If the vegetables are roasted
with the turkey or goose. much time is
saved by cooking each one separately.
Scrape the carrots and cut into long
strips, parboil the onions in slightly salt-
ed water, and Cut the potatoes in shape
of balls with a vegetable cutter. Ar.
range these around the roast in the pan,
adding a lit.tle milk or water and butter.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and baste
when basting the turkey.
Remove the vegetables carefully from
the pan before removing the roast. and
serve around the roast. Since the vege-
tables will absorb all the gravy it is well
to make an oyster sauce to serve with the
dressing and vegetables. The white
sauce can be made for this in the morning
and the oysters added just a few minutes
before ready to serve, and heated The
oysters maybe chopped or may be left
whole, Using the small oysters, cook
just to ruffle the edges, and season well.
Make the mayonnaise for the salad a:
day or so before, and have your nut.
meats chopped-, use canned sliced Pine-
apple.
SHWUPS 011, SARDINES IN VVIII'Mt
Cul's
cups flaked sardines 4. cup bread -
or shrimps crumbs
2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper
or substitute 2 tablespoons
(,,weet Peppers tomato catch -
lit) or lemon.
juice
Mix the flail with tile bread-crualbs,
the melted butter and the catchup, and
season with salt and pepper. Fill into
the pepper cups and bake in the oven
about twenty minutes. This amount of
sardines should fill six peppers.
CR,%�(wrtu DnEssiNa FOR CHICKEN Oft
Tumcpsy
2 cups cracker-crums 1, cup melted butter
D cups scalded milk I egg
or boiling wdter Herbs if desired
Salt and pepper
Moisten the crackercrumbs with tho
melted butter and the milk, then add the
eggs and the slightly beaten egg and seav
son to taste with salt and pepper.
FRoznN PLUM PUDDING
I quart cream 1 pint top -milk
2 cups sugar 3 eggs' and 3 ouncea
I cup seeded, plump- chocolate
ed raisins .1 cup cleaned curranto
J. cup candied chop .1 cup candied orange.
ped citron rind
I cup chopppd fig& J cup chopped datea,
Place the cream and milk In a double
boiler and seald,� then add the sugar and
grated chocolate, stir until the sugar Is
dissolved-, then add the beaten yolks of
the eggs, stirring constantly. Add the
whites and beat up, flavor with a table-
spoon of vanilla. Turn into freezer when
cool and freeze partly; then stir in the
fruits. pack down in mold and let stand
for two or three hours to ripen. The
mold must be packed down in salt and
ice.
PINEAPPLE SALAD
Sliced pineapple Nut -meats
Mayonnaise or custard Cranberry or cur -
dressing with whipped rant jelly
cream f Grated -cheese
Place lettuce leaves on individual plates
and on each plate Place a slice of pine.
apple. Mix with a thick cranberry or
currant jelly, some chopped nut -meats
and heap up in the bole in the pineapple.
Sprinkle over the pineapple just a little
grated cheese and dot with mayonnaise.
On.each bit of mayonnaise place a candied
cherry or cranberry, and top' with a
spoonful of whipped cream in center.
Here you will have the Christmas colors
of red, green and yellow.
COCONUT CUSTARD
I quart rich milk 6 eggs
I cup sugar 2 cups shredded
Pinch of salt coconut
Add the eggs to the milk, beating up
the Yolks and whites separately, add the
sugar and the coconut, and pour into cus-
tard cups and bake in the oven until set
and nicely browned on top.
C111USTINIAS CANATIES
In making canapes for Christmas it is
nice to carry out the Christmas colors;
this maybe done in various ways. Cut
out rounds of bread from thin slices with
a small biscuit -cutter and toast a delicate
brown. Boil eggs hard and slice, remove
the yolks. and rice and season with a
little anchovy pasto or with mayonnaise.
Place an egg -ring in center of the toasted
round fill the center with the riced yoke
and surround the ring with chopped cresg
or parsley, or with chopped beets or
crushed lobster coral. The broad can be
spread with a layer of raviar if desired.
A salmon Paste seasolled with tolltatq
catchup may ftwilish the t#d touch,
il
_1�
the naked blick limbs of the trees beside the
the Woman was there so real and comforting, that he only"r we W ish 1weryone
ITA)on
They
road, then fell in large drops on the men stand-
ing in a motionless row in the mud below.
French, Canadian
thought that it was Christmas Day,
The cart started down a hill, jolting among the stones on
the
+ Christmas Greetin s and
were prisoners of W-ar—Englisb,
road; and the boy clutched at the Woman's hand—this
+
—from a strafe camp, balting on the road -,it an order from
their guards, who stood all round tbfni. Near was a cart,
dying was very hard. She soothed the pain with tier look
and touch; as a starving cur, nosing at the heels of the prisoner
Happiness
Prospe
piled with the tools thFy used to work lit the 9wanip, which
was being drained. The Hun captain sat on his horse; he
gave a shrill yelp of terror and fled, while the horse of the+
Hun captain for
and rity
+
looked glaringly clean and fat beside the unwashed ill -fed
shivered violently, both animals saw the
young man who came swiftly to the
For the New Year.
prisoncr-men, in their rags.
cart.
Behind him light
+ +
� 1,
glowed a glory of opaline shaped like
Three men stood before the captain, two guards, and a
unto wings, and he wore arnior of pmrl and amethyst, irri-
tall young boy in Canadian khaki, who held himself proudly
descent with a thousand lights, His face showed he was one
erect, though his hands w(re tied behind him, and his face
having great authority, but who was also very gentle, for in
and clothes bore the blood),, muddy signs of a desperate
truth lie was the kindest angel ever sent to earth—he whom
struggle. r;1.11 - - - - -
the Hebrews call Samuel, the Angel of Death,
Four prisoners had made a break for freedom, Plunging
In his hand he carried an unsheathed sword; its blade
into a wood, and running in different dirLctions, so that only
was like a long, blue flame; and he touched the boy's shoulder,
F V
one was caught, and the Hun captain glarcd at him, quite
saying—"Rise tip, thou knight of Christ."
beside himself with rage.
The boy stood tip instantly, dazed for the moment, and
"You shall be made an cxample of, swine," wanted the
almost intoxicated with the fulness of life that rushed through
big man, breathless with passion; then he checked himself
him.
and spoke softly, wheedlingly—"Eh, you don't want to die, a
I -To was not surprised that the dreary road had vanished;
fine man like you. There was a plan, oh, yes, the four of
it seemed quite natural that he should be on that rocky
you would separate, that was a good thought; but you
hillside under the friendly stars. Up higher he could see a
meant to meet somewhere. Come now, just one little word;
'little snow laying, but through it rivulets of water were run -
your comrades shall never know, and if through it I retake
ning, showing green grass underneath, that even in the faint
the others, you shall be sent from here to the best camp in the
light gleamed like emeralds. All about his feet was thick,
land, and treated as though you were a high-born lord.
rich grass; sheep were feeding near, with shepherds, who
Quick! will you speak, fool?"
came to greet him, and he know at once they were old friends.
A faint amusement mingled with the scorn in the boy's
"Come with us to Bethlehem," they said, "We go to
eyes, as he stood there silent; and the Him's fat softness
worship. the King. For each Christmas night the vision of
+ Ladles' Ready -to -Wear _+
vanished. Ile shook as if some dark thing from the under-
world possessed him in place of a human soul, as be screeched
what once happened there appears again, and we, no matter
in what lives we are, we come back."
1 4
+ Men's Clothing and Furnishings +
TIMDUNCEP
out orders that his men hastened to obey with something of
pleasure in their wooden faces,
The boy was struck down, and belabored with blows
from rifle butts, and kicks; until the prisoners compelled to
watch, realized it was not a punishment, but a savage execu-
tion.. It seemed to take a very long time.
The rain still drizzled down from the drear sky. At the
head of their line went the cart with the tools, and flung
across them Jay the soldier who had been punished. He
was breathing very loudly and painfully as the cart jolted
on -its way, but he was not unconscious,
He could see the black network of boughs against the
grey sky above him, but he did not feel the atrocious pain in
his broken limbs, thrown across the rough edges of pick and
spade, because of the woman he could see sitting in the cart
beside him.
She wore long flowing robes, and a head covering of
shining white and bright blue, and when she lifted his head
on to her lap, he tried to speak with his battered lips, and
tell her he was all blood, and filth and vermin, and not fit
for her to touch, Then he saw her face.
Like to the holiness and beauty of the high blue sky was
her face, with its starry eyes and tender lips, and he knew
she could not be defiled, for her touch would make clean
whatsoever it rested upon.
For a little white the boy lay still; it was very good not
to be alone, and to have his pains blunted till they were
easily bearable. Even the painful struggle for breath was
not s6 hard when lie was held in the arms of that wealth of
brooding motherlove. Then lie tried to force words.
"You must go, directly," lie said, in intention at least, "The
Hun is a dirty beast even to his own women, and you are not
of them, I know. Go quickly—I shall be all right—before
lie speaks to you. How did lie come to let you here at all?"
"Because he dwelleth in the darkness lie liath created
around him," answered the woman and tier voice was that of
one who sits in the eternal calm of God, "Ilis eyes are holden
so he cannot see us—lie will never be able to see us who are
of the Light."
For a moment the boy 1�oked at tier incredulously, but
her eyes made him understand that what she said was the
ramt natural thing in the world; and lie said with shy rever-
enco—"l wonder who you are?"
For an initant there appeared in tho- Woman's arms a
0
The boy saw Bethlehem, looking, as did the shepherds
just like the pictures in the old Bible at home, Butbelooked
with surprise and interest at the trenches they were passing,
with pits for big guns. They were hardly Biblical, neither
were the men he saw busy with barbed-wire—and they wore
British khaki. "Hurrah," the boy shouted, "We've got
Jerusalem."
The shepherds smiled at him. "Of course," they said,
"what else could have happened? We knew you were to
win, first the Holy City, and then the War, from the begin-
ning."
The boy laughed happily; and then they were walking
quickly down a straggling street of flat -roofed, Biblical look-
ing houses to a big church with a khaki -clad sentry before its
door. The boy was surprised that instead of halting them,
the ma n* stared towards them as if he hardly saw them, then
bowed his head and crossed himself, as they passed him, and
went into the lofty church, where a hundred lighted lamps
swung between the Corinthian columps of grey maible that
upheld the root of cedar wood.
Then they were going down a spiral staircase, of fifteen
steps, to a crypt—the Grotto of the Nativity. It was an
ancient cave, long and narrow, and low -roofed; centuries
ago a stable for a long -past inn. Now its native rock was
everywhere hid by richest marble; but the boy did not notice
that or the gorgeously illuminated altar. Beside the hollowed
out trough in the rock—once a manger—but now,lined with
white marble, and marked by a silver star, sat the Woman
who had been with him in the cart, and in her arms again
was the vision of the Child. And the boy knelt down, to
consecrate the wonderful life of his that he knew was just
beginning.
Away on the muddy road the rain still fell, and the
naked black trees gathered the moisture on their branches,
to drop it on the men below, The Hun captain was looking
at a thing on the cart, and swearing—"Curses on the swine to
die so quickly."
But was lie dead? This story is a tragedy indeed—
"Unless perchance, our eyes can see therein
The martyrdom triumphant o'er the sin;
A double picture with its gloom and glow,
The splendor overhead, the death below."
+ Dry Goods, Furs 41
4
+ House Furnishings. +
+ KING BROS., Wingham, Ont.
THE CHRISTMAS'FEAST
A FEW UNUSUAL MENUS . . .
BY MARY MASON WRIGHT
If you have small, kitchen facilities and
have to prepare the Christmas dinner on
a small two -burner gas stove or plate,
with a small oven, you will find the menu
given for the Light Housekeeper a very
good one to follow. A canned soup may
be used which will take only a few Minn -
tes to heat up The sweet potatoes may
be peeled, quartered or cut into balls with
a French vegetable cutter dipped in a
brown sugar syrup, rolled in bread -crumbs
and placed around the roast in the pan.
Add a little butter or vegetable oil, baste
when basting the roast, sprinkle with a
little salt and pepper. The other v4get.
ables used may be canned ones. Have a
thin cream sauce already prepared, place
the vegetables in a baking dish and pour
over the sauce and cover with bread�
crumbs, After the roast is done place on
top of the oven to keep hot and place the
vegetables in the oven until heated
through, which will take only about
twenty minutes.
The cranberry jelly should be made the
day before. The plum pudding and sauce
may be made several days before, or in
the morning and reheated. If you have a
freezer a nice substitute for the rich plum
pudding is a frozen plum pudding, and
since it must stand two or three hours to
ripen in the mold its preparation will be
well out of the way before it is time to
prepare the rest of the meal.
If you have all the kitchen facilities you
need but no servants to help, choose a
menu that can be prepared largely in ad.
vance of the day. The mince -meat for
the pies may be made a week or so in ' ad.
vance and then can ned ready for use.
Stuff the turkey the evening before
Christmas. If the vegetables are roasted
with the turkey or goose. much time is
saved by cooking each one separately.
Scrape the carrots and cut into long
strips, parboil the onions in slightly salt-
ed water, and Cut the potatoes in shape
of balls with a vegetable cutter. Ar.
range these around the roast in the pan,
adding a lit.tle milk or water and butter.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and baste
when basting the turkey.
Remove the vegetables carefully from
the pan before removing the roast. and
serve around the roast. Since the vege-
tables will absorb all the gravy it is well
to make an oyster sauce to serve with the
dressing and vegetables. The white
sauce can be made for this in the morning
and the oysters added just a few minutes
before ready to serve, and heated The
oysters maybe chopped or may be left
whole, Using the small oysters, cook
just to ruffle the edges, and season well.
Make the mayonnaise for the salad a:
day or so before, and have your nut.
meats chopped-, use canned sliced Pine-
apple.
SHWUPS 011, SARDINES IN VVIII'Mt
Cul's
cups flaked sardines 4. cup bread -
or shrimps crumbs
2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper
or substitute 2 tablespoons
(,,weet Peppers tomato catch -
lit) or lemon.
juice
Mix the flail with tile bread-crualbs,
the melted butter and the catchup, and
season with salt and pepper. Fill into
the pepper cups and bake in the oven
about twenty minutes. This amount of
sardines should fill six peppers.
CR,%�(wrtu DnEssiNa FOR CHICKEN Oft
Tumcpsy
2 cups cracker-crums 1, cup melted butter
D cups scalded milk I egg
or boiling wdter Herbs if desired
Salt and pepper
Moisten the crackercrumbs with tho
melted butter and the milk, then add the
eggs and the slightly beaten egg and seav
son to taste with salt and pepper.
FRoznN PLUM PUDDING
I quart cream 1 pint top -milk
2 cups sugar 3 eggs' and 3 ouncea
I cup seeded, plump- chocolate
ed raisins .1 cup cleaned curranto
J. cup candied chop .1 cup candied orange.
ped citron rind
I cup chopppd fig& J cup chopped datea,
Place the cream and milk In a double
boiler and seald,� then add the sugar and
grated chocolate, stir until the sugar Is
dissolved-, then add the beaten yolks of
the eggs, stirring constantly. Add the
whites and beat up, flavor with a table-
spoon of vanilla. Turn into freezer when
cool and freeze partly; then stir in the
fruits. pack down in mold and let stand
for two or three hours to ripen. The
mold must be packed down in salt and
ice.
PINEAPPLE SALAD
Sliced pineapple Nut -meats
Mayonnaise or custard Cranberry or cur -
dressing with whipped rant jelly
cream f Grated -cheese
Place lettuce leaves on individual plates
and on each plate Place a slice of pine.
apple. Mix with a thick cranberry or
currant jelly, some chopped nut -meats
and heap up in the bole in the pineapple.
Sprinkle over the pineapple just a little
grated cheese and dot with mayonnaise.
On.each bit of mayonnaise place a candied
cherry or cranberry, and top' with a
spoonful of whipped cream in center.
Here you will have the Christmas colors
of red, green and yellow.
COCONUT CUSTARD
I quart rich milk 6 eggs
I cup sugar 2 cups shredded
Pinch of salt coconut
Add the eggs to the milk, beating up
the Yolks and whites separately, add the
sugar and the coconut, and pour into cus-
tard cups and bake in the oven until set
and nicely browned on top.
C111USTINIAS CANATIES
In making canapes for Christmas it is
nice to carry out the Christmas colors;
this maybe done in various ways. Cut
out rounds of bread from thin slices with
a small biscuit -cutter and toast a delicate
brown. Boil eggs hard and slice, remove
the yolks. and rice and season with a
little anchovy pasto or with mayonnaise.
Place an egg -ring in center of the toasted
round fill the center with the riced yoke
and surround the ring with chopped cresg
or parsley, or with chopped beets or
crushed lobster coral. The broad can be
spread with a layer of raviar if desired.
A salmon Paste seasolled with tolltatq
catchup may ftwilish the t#d touch,
il
_1�