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PF i€ h wgflgggggfi@s@gfisggggw im un o n O P ue » is Prosperous New Year. We takeâ€"this opportunity to wish every citizen of The %arâ€" cupine District the Best for a Happy Christmas and a Very rosperons New Year wnneness and Cneerfuly speaks t it is a day of special festivity. â€" The setting up in Latin churches of Christmas creche is said to have been PE ideas. A hundred years ago she wasoriginated by St. Francis. Queen Victoria kept a journal, or diary, Here is a reference to that C time, written by a royal prineess. in which she entered her thoughts and Christmas in Queen Victorias Journal they start up the inclines, it seems alâ€" most that they are saying: ‘Let us now go even unto Bethichem and see this thing which has come to pass.‘ " "When the pink dawn heralds the birth of a new day, the shepherds are "After the evening meal, the chief sets the watches, for it already is dark in this land of short twilights. Taking for a guide bright star, he measures with outstretched arm its course through the sky. Each span is to be one watch, in which two will keep guard together. "Now the first guards, with rod and staff, move about the outside 61 the flock. From time to time the yelp of a wild jackal or the laugh of a striped hyena causes the sheep to stir or stamâ€" pede. But regasuturing calls from the watchers quickly restore quiet. "The shepherds not on guard lie down to rest, spacing their places of repose in a rough circle around the fold. "The first three or four watches bring the midnight to deepen the starâ€" studded indigo. Sithouetted against the sky is the faint rim of the mountains that shut out the world and more than 1900 years of time. It is as if the world were transplanted® into the past. St. Lauke‘s account of the First Christmas repeats itself: "And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks for nightly protection they club toâ€" gether and from eve until morning keep vigilant watch. I have spent many nights with these simple people, out in the open desert. "To know Christmas in Bethlehem, one should pass it not in the old churches, historically interesting though they may ‘be, but under the starâ€"tudâ€" ded dome of the great outâ€"ofâ€"doors, with the shepherds watching over the flocks in the field by night. "When the village pastures have been expended the shepherds withdraw into the wilderness. With no caves or cotes "‘The Church of the Nativity, in the eastern part of the town, is one of the oldeést existing churches in Christenâ€" dom, if not the oldest, one of the few used in common by the three sects of Christianity. "Built A.D. 330 â€"by the Emperor Conâ€" ‘stantine and added to by Justinian, it became in the fifth century the home of St. Jéerome, who here translated the Old Testament from the Hebrew. Since that time it has gone through many vicissitudes and restorations. "The places of work are by no means sweatshops, although hours of labour are long and hard; nor do they savor of the factory. The shop consists of a room or two in the home or adjoining it. Sometimes only the members of a family work together; at other times a few outsiders are employed. "_As we pass through the confined thoroughfares,. now under a vaulted archway, now up by a steep flight of street steps we may heart the hum and sereech of toois carving pearl shell into ornaments or cutting thick sections of the same material into beads. The reâ€" sultâ€" may be a brooch, pendart, or neckâ€" let to bring joy to a lady upon the reâ€" turn of the pilgrim purchaser to some distant land. It may be an intricately carved and inlaid crucifix to hang, perhaps, on the wal; of some small, ; lonely chapel; or it may be a snowâ€" white rosary mounted with pure silver, destined to find its way into a convent. "These handicrafts, which, according to local standards, have brought at least a decent living, sometimes have been the avenues to motlest wealth. Best of all, the industries have cultiâ€" vated a sense of independence and selfâ€" respect in the natives. the busy road that links Jerusalem and Hebron to be undisturbed by conâ€" gested traffic. With the exception of a handful of Mosiem neighbours, its 6000 hospitable inhabitants are all Christlans and live together in amity. row, winding streets and lanes, cobbieâ€" stones paved; its ageâ€"old homes, with rough cut stones grown mellow with years of sunshine; its vineyards, olive yards, and terraced gardens; and, most of all, its people and their Bibucal cus~ still speaks vividly of the Nativity story. and the first Christmas. "We all know of Bethiechem as a small town in Judea and aing about it in our carols," writes John D. Whitâ€" ing to the National Geographic Soâ€" ciety, "but probably few realize how much it still contains that helps us to visualize the First Christmas. "To those who know it wellâ€"its narâ€" 1 . BE mE §€84 mmmm mMmmm MMmmw mmmmm HH 54}} Again Christmas recalls the Palestine setmmem of Bethichem, birthplace of ul o o_ Bethlehem Much as It Was usand Years Ago ie town, crowning a hill and domâ€" 1g open valleys to the east and , lies just far enough away from busy road that links Jerusalem the days of from the reservoir. The silver crumb tray and soft brush go swishing round the table, and silver is sorted, the "every day" from the "best". ‘The planks and saw horses had improvised the table for the children repose now on the cold porch and order is restored in the sitâ€" % f ; ¢ 8 i f e ; if : i 3§§ - 8 1t that it is a day of special | (Continued from Page Five) tables set out for lunch. Only the men will play for a whilé, for Mother‘s efâ€" fort to keep the aunts out of the kitâ€" chen is futile. All hands set to and "do" the dishes, the while they banter about the choicest tidbits of family and neighbourhood gossip. Stacks of dishes go in and out of the tin dish pan and kettle after kettle of water heated on top of theâ€" stove supplements the water Chistmas Dinner _ in the Year of 1890 In this fast fading year; Yeâ€"with o‘erâ€"burdened mind Made aliens from your kind, Come gather here. Let not the useless sorrow Pursue you night and morrow, If e‘er you hoped, hope nowâ€" Take heart: uncloud your faces, And join in our embraces Under. the holly bough. Ye who have nourished sadness, Estranged from hope and gladness In ths fast fadng year; Mother, and sire, and child, Young man and maiden mild, Come gather here; And let your hearts grow fonder, As memory shall ponder Each past unbroken vow. Old loves and younger wooing, Are sweet in the renewing, Under ‘the holly bough. Ye who have lov‘d each other, Sister and friend and brother, Ye who, by word or deed, _ Come gather here. Let sinn‘d against and sinning, Forget their strife‘s beginning Be links no longer broken, But sweet forgiveness spoken, Under the holly bough. (By Charles Mackay) Ye who have scorn‘d each other Or injured friend or brother, In this fast fading year: down to arrange mamma‘s table for ner. At 6 we dined. Mr. Edward Byrne and Mr. Conroy stayed here. Mr. Byngisgolngtostnyheremghtor two. Very soon after dinner mamma sent for us into the gallery, where all the things were arranged on different tables. Ffom my dear mamma I reâ€" ceived a beautiful massive gold ‘buckle in the shape of two serpents; a lovely little delicate gold. chain .with a turâ€" quoise clasp; a lovely coloured sketch of dearest Aunt Louise by Partridge copâ€" ied from the picture he brought and so like her;â€"3 beautiful drawings by Munn, one lovely seaâ€"view. by Perser and one cattle piece by Cooper (all. coloured), 3 prints, a book calléd Finden‘s Tabléeau, Heath‘s Pitcuresque Apnual, Ireland; both these are very pretty; Fflendships offering and the English Annual for 1887, The Holy Land Hlustrated beauâ€" tifully, two handkerchiefs, a very pretty black satin apron trimmed with red velvet, and two almanacks. I am very thankful to my dear mamma for all these very pretty things. From deaf UncleLeopold a beautiful turquoise ring; from the Queen a fine piece of Endian gold tissue; and from Sir J. Conroy a print. â€" I gave my dear Lehzen a green morocco jewel case, and the Picturesque Annual mamms gave her‘ a shawl, a palr of turguoise earrings, an arnual, and handkerchief. J then took mamma to the Library where my humble table was arranged; Iâ€"gave her a braceélet made of my hair, and the Keepsake, and Oriental Annual. I stayed up till eleven!" | Under the Holly | Bough night. Played and sang. Received from denarest, best Lehszsen as a Christâ€" mas box two lovely little Dresden China figures, two pair of lovely little chased gold buttons, a small lovely button with an angel‘s head which she used to wear herself, and a pretty music book; from good Louils a beautiful piece of Pérsian stuff for an album; and from Victoire and Emily Gardiner a small box worked by themselves. Wrote my journal, went® > dearest Lehzen, toire and I went out, and came home toknowhowowpoor after this bitterly cold cept George, which I was sorry for as I was anxtious Played and sang. At 3 at 20. miutes past 8. No ore was stirâ€" ring about the gypsy encampment exâ€" vit friends were, at a quarter to 12 Mgggggggggggggg Mggggggggggggggg} hm ue un un weunen ue ue we we i 2R 00. P10 0CVE EDAE TR TO ALL OUR FRIENDS May this Christmas bring added Pleasures of True Health . _ Schumacher F. W. WOOLWORTH CO., LIMITED 3 Balsam Street North _ Phone 592 Pine Street North FELDMAN TIMBER CO., LTD. The spirit of Christmas calls us to a better appreciation of old associations and the value of old friendships. May you have a Christmas replete with all the joys of life. CHRISTMAS TIME! May it find you surrounded by old friends and true, and may their comnpanionship be as warm as the fireâ€"light coming from the hearth. As the Christmas Season draws to its climax we wish to thank you for making this a Very Merry Christmas, and to Wish you complete Happiness for the Season and throughout the New Year. SLOMA $1.00 CLEANERS _ And Happiness to each and Every One of You. And May the Coming Year be One of Lasting Peace and Goodwill. Timmins Timmins