The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

~â€"~â€" of the . Timmins Fire Department 3e take this opportumty to thank the pubâ€" ' lic for kindness, coâ€"operation and goodâ€" . <â€" will dgrmg the year, and very sincerely o 9O 0 y c . _ to wish one and all a® e Mr.. and Mrs.aW. P. Willson A Merry Christmas and .a Happy New Year The Christmas Box, according to Rev. E. Cobham Beaver, goes back into the centuries. It was originally. a small gratuity given to servants, etc.. on Boxking Day â€" the day after Christmas. In the early days of Christianity boxes were placed in churches for promiscuoius clharities, and opened on Christmas Day. The conâ€" tents were distributed next day by the. priests and called "the dole of the Christmas box,‘" or the "box money". It was cusiom- ary for heads of houses to give %xelau sums of money to their: ordinates "to put into the box" before mass on tmas Da: Ssomewhat later, apprentices carried a box, round: ‘to their masâ€" ter’s customers for small gratuities. The ct;stom since 1836 has been dying out. “Gladly the boy, with C‘hristmas box in h ; "Throughout the t?wn l11s devious route pursuesl "And of his master‘s cuswmers immor«es "The yearly mite." .. x Ssanta‘s suit isn‘t the ondly part of the Canadians‘ Christmas that is going by mall. . ; . . So it goes â€"â€" there is searcely one group of men who will not be Santas "again, just for one night." That does not mean they have forgotten youngsters who are growing up at home. In the Knights of Columbus centre in London, where odd jobs are tacklâ€" ed for men in the field, over 18,000 cables of greeting have been sent at the request of men here, to families and friends in Canâ€" ada. As the girls in charge said: "This isn‘t the half of it. The boys certainly think of home at Christmas time." In some areas the (hhdren are g1v1ng parties in return. ‘At Dorking, for instance, theâ€"sch6ool children are staying after hours to rehearse the play they are producing "especially for the Canaâ€" dians," who will in turn entertain them. No. 1 Neurological Hospital are entertammg 50 children evacuâ€" ated from the coast area â€"â€" this hospital has taken care of many bombed and wounded children â€" their party will be a grand afâ€" fair and attended by mayor and mayoress on Dec. 18. Second Echelon troops are having fourth Christmas party for children of prisoners of war â€" 200 â€" and have already collected a chocolate ration from each man. Besides this, every man and officer is providing one toy, inade, bought or _â€"-Aborrowed. Canadian ‘Training School troops â€" and there are tough Batâ€" tle School and Commandos among them â€" are having their own children‘s party for 50 youngsters in their own mess.â€" Canada‘s four services, the Y.M.C.A., the Sally Anns, the K. of C. and the Legion, have divided the army into sectors for Christmas care and each will take charge of different areas. Every unit will have a tree. As for the rest of the arrangements, they are still in course of organization â€" bik one thing is ceftain, this will be the grandest childregl s Christmas the Canadian Army has ever known s Make Toy Gifts At G.H.Q. in London, baskets have been placed around the buildings with notices asking the men to share their chocolate rations and extra candies arriving from home with the children. These baskets have been already emptied several times as they were too full. With toys the men and CWAC‘s have made from salvaged bits and pieces, the sweets will provide treats for poor children at the Poplar â€" dockland â€" Hospital, who have not had a party since the war started; the children at the Chelsea Hospital andâ€" those at an East End mission. The men and officers at G.H.Q. are holding their own children‘s party for 130 babies and toddlers on Each infant has already recéived a haudâ€"written inwtation signed by Santa himâ€" self! But G.H.Q. are not the only Santas. Down in the country an engineering unit (sorry, Editor, no names), composed of husky Northern Construction giants, has been building a wing to a Susâ€" sex hospital for the use of casualties from, the R.C.A.F. In the course of their work they havs made friends with 16 children who are bedridden. Out of pi¢ces of scaffolding and odd bits of flooring they have whittled and carved toys They are to have a party and a Santa. , Santa‘s shell is the yroperty of the Canadian Y.M.C.A. and is going from unit to unit for children‘s parties the men are giving for their own children, or those in their vicinity. will be heaps of decorations. Boxes full dre stacked in the "Y" office in London. Each bears the stamp, "Made in Toronto." They will be unique, for Britain as a whole is short of glittering ornaments and gay paper streamers. Hoarded treasures have tarnished or torn and there are no replacements. ‘ Toys made by the G.H.Q. men in off:-duty' hours have been on display â€"â€" guarded by security police â€" in a downstairs office. If sold at current London prices, they would ‘bring.in $1,200; there are even handâ€"hemstitched sheets and Stuffed pillows â€" made by the CWAC‘s â€"â€" in the tiny, exâ€"packing boxâ€"board cradles. White whiskers, red coat that needs the support of several pilâ€" lows for svelte lines, ample trews and peaked hood are already at work. By the timé the great day comes they will be worn thin and threadbare, but will probably have achieved a record of proâ€" viding more joy for little people then red plush and ermine ever did before. e $ Be born in us toâ€"day. We hear the Christmas angels \ The great glad tidings tell; , O, come to us, abide with us,. \/ Our Lord Emmanuel! O Holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in (By Bishop Phillips Brooks, 1868) O Little town of Bethlehem, How still â€"we see thee lie! ° Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by;, Yet in thy dark street shineth . The everlasting light, The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee toâ€"hight. For Christ is born of Mary, And gathered all above, While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wond‘ring love. O morning stars, together Proclaim the Holy birth, And praises s:ng to God the King And peace to men on earth.~ 0 Little Town of Bethlehem ABOUT GIFTS FOR THE POOR Origin of Christmas Boxes SWIFT CANADIAN COMPANY LTD., To our customers and friends and the friends of our customers we extend our ~ thanks for coâ€"operation and goodwill during the year, and sincerely wish to one and allâ€"A Merry Christmas and a . Prosperous New Year, May the Christmas Season gladden you In every cheery way, And the New Year bring you happmess, Increasing day by day. jase DRUGGISTS â€"â€" PHARMACISTS Schumacher Road, Timmins Schumachéer