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ever. They ran on and on, until they |" 6 | finally reached the little boy's window. stm Mother was willing for them to goy 80 hand in hand, on the day before . Christmas went Tom and Little. Sis- ter. They did not know the way, so they asked a feathery snowflake which came and lighted saucily on the end _ of Tom's finger; "Pretty snowflake while you linger}. On the tip of my warm finger, Tell me, where's the Land of Christ- mas?" $ And it answered, oh, so softly; "Little boy and girl, politely Ask yon tree that shines so brightly If you seek the Land of Christmas." The children continued their jour- ney, and at last they arrived at the great tree, all shining brightly across the white snow. When the children asked the way to Christmas Land, thus the shining tree responded: "Step into my trunk so hollow, Take the Magic Wand, and follow The Shining Path to. Christmas * Land." So 'they stepped into the hollow trunk, where they found magic wands: Tom chose a silver wand with a star at the end of it, and Little Sister a golden one, with a white dove at its end. When the children stepped out of the tree, they were surprised to find themselves grow: very small indeed. And this they noticed--if the magic wands were held aloft, the children remained emall, but if the wands were lowered, the again. The children knew that in the Land of Magic they must obey all the great commands, so they started down the Shining Path, holding their magic wands high in the air. They journeyed on and on and at last they reached a great wall, and when they looked up they saw beautiful lights which spelled the words "Christmas Land" over the tiny gateway! Tom reached Up and pulled the bel- rope, and out upon the frosty air rang the sweetest chimes you ever heard. Soon the tiny gatés opened and Tom .and Little Sister were glad that they were small enough to slip through! "And oh, such a beautiful land" as it was! Every tree was a Christmas tree all laden with Christ- mas gifts. The music hoxes were playing, the horns were tooting, the dolls were saying "Msmma" and "Papa," the Jacks-in-thebox were jumping"out and then hiding again, and 'everything 'seemed to be saying, "Take nie! e mel" Tt was hard itor the children to select just one toy for their little friend. They skipped about for a long time, examining the toys. 'Finally, on the top branch of one of the tallest trees, thete hung a box tied with a big red bow. On one side were printed the wonds "Magic Lantern." "The very. thing!" said Tom; but how could he bring down the box from the top of a tree so tall--for, as you children grew large remember, the children were very, small, 'Just then a little breeze whis- .pered in Tom's' 'par: "Little fairies, tell me why I see you sit $0 still and sigh: -- will, te 1 box for you!" The setting sun was painting every- thing red and orange and gold, and when they peeped in, there lay he poor boy on his little cot, and his That bléssed, sid "Tis ove 10 man- The angel sh The chair. stood near the window, | «TL and on the note that was pinned the 8 "Dear Santa Claus; 'H happen to have: 'Just one toy to spare for me, won't you please leave me a magic lantern?" Tom softly opened the window and placed the box with its precious toy: the chair near the empty sf k Then the children slipped away : their home, where they told Mother their secret. . And all would have gone well, if the lantern had not beén a magic lan- tern, for in some way it had taken a picture of Tom, and another of Little Sister. So the next morning the happy little boy sat in his chair opposite the screen which his poor, hard-working mother had put up. Together they watched eagerly for the first picture. And would you believe it, that tell- tale machine showed, first, Tofn's smil- ing face, and then Little Sister's dimpled one! a Mistletoe Brains. One of the most curious illustrations of the working of intelligence in plants is offered by the mistletoe, whose sticky berry, finding lodgment on a tree branch, throws out a tiny rootlet, which tries to pierce the bark and thus obtain a foothold. If the bark is too rough, the rootlet swings the berry over to a fregh spof, and makes an- other trial. In this way such a berry has been known to make -five jumps in two nights and three days. On one occasion a number of them were dis- covered by a botanist in. the act of vainly journeying along a telegraph wire, trying to find places to grow. QUESTION OF NAVAL \ No I buildings ° And hall w with thankful songs His ps nativity. AE SA SH University Women's Residences. Women students at the University of Toronto have organized to raise funds for a residence building. University "has been apparent: creasing numbers of young women from the rumal districts, from' the vil-| lages. towns, and cities of Ontario are coming to. this great institution in quest of an education 'and they must be suitably 'and comfortably housed near the the University of To- ronto so badly needs this one is the most urgent and it is to be hoped that the young women will be successful in their endeavor to arouse interest and to secure funds for the accomplish- ment of their purpose. fp i Col. H. A, Mullins, the well-known | cattleman, leaves' Winndpeg for Eng- land on January 12, where he will spend the winter campaigning anit the cattle embargo. For|: He bore the gol . Christ Jesus gave a cry of And looked not on them once But nestled in His fold. ain For they had brought Him treasure trove, But had not any little love For one they thought a King; Christ Jesus gave to Mary then His first mild m unto Love is orci ig. iversity. - Of the several| men, db ORS ni, Vigoria, BiC--Despite. the duty of | time "$90, 80 cents per bushel imposed by. the the - Fordney tariff, more British Columbia exclusively for e-elief of i ork| ment among the soldiers during the pr re Sun 1,050,000 a apples are selling on the New City. market than last year. Whilst but a few cans of the ; temched New ning of 'November. Thoug] seems to he the favorite sutlet" for these shipments, Boston, St. Louis, adelphia, "Chicas. and other -- fine are receiving apples from the Okanagan Valley. Edmonton, Alta.----In the past ten years the number of poultry in Al 'berta has increased from two and a half million to-four and a quarter mil-{i > lion, nearly one hundred per cent. ace RATIO DECIDED BY THREE GREAT POWERS Sixty-Eight Capital Fighting Ships to be Scrapped by Great Britai Retains , Japan and United States--Japan. toil and Britain Allowed to _ Build Two Po st-Jutland Ships A despatch from Washington says:--The world's three greatest naval powers came to an agreement on Thursdey, afternoon. to serap : 68 capital fighting ships with a total ton- nage of 1,861,648. Great Britain, the United. States end Japan have made their final' decision. In bulk these figures do not differ greatly from the Hughes proposals, made when the Conference on the : Limitation of Armament first met'on Nov. 12. These proposals included - the scrapping of 66 capital ships, with a total tonnage 'of 1,878 043. Secretary. Re ard won. out-with his famous 5-5-3 ratio. The "agreement includes a status and understanding on fortificati the Pacific Islands in open waters sand exdlusive of Hawaii and islands off the Japanese, Australian and New Zea | S008 land coasts. cording to the provincial Minister of Agriculture: Previously the local market consumed practically the en- 'winter months. in Fran 4 orphan children of French soldiers and a every poppy sent to Canada was sold. Montreal, Que.--The movement of grain to, Montreal by 'water in seven months the. navigation reached shipments -totall- ing over 65,000,000 bushels, surpass- tire prodiiction, but "at the present|i time a steady export trade of eggs bo Great Britain is being built up. the wheat sweepstakes at the Inter- national Grain and Hay Show at Chi- cago last year, was TUNMer-up 'this year, being beaten by George Kraft, of 'Bozeman, Montana, "This is the first-time in several years that Can: ade fas had to pectin iy her hold upon much-gought prize. A soling fact, however, is ir en ve-! winning from supplied by Joager | Wheeler, of Ros-{. The agreement also provides for althemn Saskatchewan. maximum limit in tonnage of capital to be built in replacement at a7, 00 tons, American measurement, 525,000 bons 3 626, 000 tons; Japan, 315,06) jeans, TET x | ¢ Under the sgréement during States will have} Winnipeg, Mean Lifastarn Canada is enjoying greater » rosperity than any other area of the North Avemican. 3 | continent, according to Babison's wine | yea is supplying Maine's famous potato oats, bag 'belt with seed potatoes in the -Aroos-| $26.25, took growers' efforts to obtain dis-| Per fiom ear ease-free stock. Two. carloads "Cheese, fines "rocently shipped. by... the Bu Farm Bureau, a despite' the F. i d, tevelop an active Fis Brunswick int "market of the United supply is | years, time Nova: Scotia mines about "8 'tons a year, of which 000,000 are consumed by the Dominion, Steel