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TAT ay an op serene LRAMRN Everywhere Tonight Everywhere, everywhere Christmas tonight! Christmas in lands of the fir-tree and ping," Christmas in lands of the palm.tree and vine; : Christmas where snow-peaks stand solemn and white, 'Christmas where corn-fields lie sunny and bright. -- Phillips Brooks rreesessse tes esstrisertais Ny fh saasssnand py by end wyrrh., From the fact that theré were three gifts the tradi. tion" has developed that there were three Wise Men, and only three, but there is nothing in this record to substantiate such an idea. cannot help feeling that these gifts do have some spiritual signifi- cance. From the gifts here presented the Wise Men undoubtedly comes the custom. of giving gifts at the Christmas seazon, In all -A Child's Song of =" Christmas 2 My counterpane is soft as silk, ~My blankets white as creamy milk, The hay was spft to Him, I know, Out little Lord of long ago. the pigeons fly across the sky. they cooed to "Above the -roofs In -silvep wheels The stable-doves them, ; Mary and Christ in Bethlehem. Bright shines the sun across the "drifts, And bright upon my Christmas gifts, Sm - They brought Him incense, myrrh and _gnld the ancient world at this time, the expectancy of the coming of some t king. Suctayiys._ a famous 1 our giving to one ancther, which is always a joy, or should be, Tet | us not miss the. true 'significance of Christmas, but give ~what we give in the name of the™ Lord Jesus, . 2 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not: _return to Herod, they departed in- -to their own country another way. . When Chilshiias First Was Celebrated The earliest celebration of the birth of Christ, December 25 of cach year, took place in the Fourth Century, and. the custom spread from the western to the eastern church, Before that date the We commemoration of Christ's | hand, and his sling ready to use, - he listened for a.moment, Then he: saw the sheep, standing some dis-; "Our 'little Lord who lived of old. Oh, soft and clear our mother sings = | ' Of Christmas" joys and Christmas things, . "God's holy angels sang to them, . Mary. and Christ in Bethlehem. Our hearts they hold all-Christmas ,|- dear, And carth seems sweet and heaven seems near, i $ Oh, heaven was in His sight, 1 know, That- little Child of long ago. : --Marjorie L. C. Pickthall. : Sunde School Lesson Bea & _ Latin writer of the first century, said, *"There had spread over all "the Orient an old and established belief that it was fated at that time for a man coming -from + Judea to rule the world." - For we saw his star in the.east, and are come to worship him, A great deal of speculation has_ arisen regard- ing this star. Some believe that it wasgome conjunction of heav- " enly bodies, which the Wise Men recognized as a phénomenon © unusual significance. . i 'Matt, 2: 3-8. 3. And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, The foreigner and us- urper feared a rival, and the ty- rant feared the, rival lvould be wel- come. And all Jarnealem with him, . It Is Written 4. 'And gatheripg together all the chief priests and seribes of the people, he inquired of them wherg. |" the Christ should be born. What irony that Herod was compelled to consult the very men, whom, years before. he had tried. to extermin- and--baptisn.toak. place lull TRH) January 6. - First mention of Christmas is | 'found in a Roman document known as the "Philocalian calen- dar," in the year 354, and the first _ English celebration of the festival » was in 598, when St. Augustine baptized 10,000 converts. «In 567, the Council of Tours, rance, declared a 12-day festival from Christmas to Epiphany, and "later, from 991 to 1016, the laws of Ethelred.ordained that all strife should cease at Christmas. In Ger- many, Christmas -was established in 813 by the Synod of Mainz, and in Norway by King Haakon the Good, in 950. : Ne ance from --tire--others; dd FTO N He--heae _.greeting card in elaborate -| tions, It had 'allego In Its Season : At Christmas I no more desire a rose Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled mirth, But like of each thing that in season grows -- -- Shakespeare ., , . + aia first printed card to J. C. Harsley, who in 1846 designed a Christmas ropor- al designs o clothing "the naked and feeding the hungry, together with a fam-. ily. group of three generations quafling winé, Only 1,000 of these cards were lithographed and then "colored by hand : ' Most Artistic In Eighties The' Christmas greeting card reached its artistic "height around 1883.84. The collection of cards at~"McGill of this era .show(that many were elaborate and colorful in design. Some have. borders trimmed in silk, lace or feathers: Still others are "in the forms of sachets. The sentiments expressed! in the greetings are typically Vie- - torian. Many of these would | arouse ldughter today. 3 - these are too tall. "stars, dnd spangles that look like. . snow: shining In the moonlight. And the people sing songs and give "eau vider giity, wudavis-a tims of being glad," the litle snow: bird twittered, Efe ; "Oh, I wish they would take me," : the little tree cried in excitement. "I'd love to see ft all*I'd love to make people happy. But I'm too lit: "tle," and he sighed unhappily, © "Sh! Let's all be quiet," one of" . the'tall- trees exclaimed. "The woodsmen are coming near us, We: must bp quiet so they won't not: fce us. Then we wou't be cut down and left to dle, - But in spite of thelr silence, the * men drew near, They looked at the trees, and one of them sald: "Oh, No house or church gould hold them. Let's get on" 1 Just then a little lad 'who was . riding in*the sled, called to his fa raised listening to' something he "| could not hear; - But David knew what was to be found there. With the starlight shining full upon -it, crouched a lon ready to spring. Swift as the David of dbld, the lad swung his sling, and the stone went straight into the head of the crouching "animal. ~ With ~a "slow yielding of itr body the lion fell in death, : a "I am gla? "my son, that you were so faithiul," his mother prais. ed him in the morning, "Your fath. er was beside himself, wild with his illness, and had I not been able to tell him you were with the flocks he would have gone out, sick as he was. And now. you have slain 'a lion. Your fame will go-before you." "Hut mother, I did not see the king," and David's voice trembled. "Do you not think the king would have scorned a lad who would' de- sert his post of duty from idle cur- fosity? Nay, my son, you have done your task faithfully and well, and LESSON XT GOD'S GREAT LOVE . Golden Text God so loved the world, that he - gave his only begotten Sen, that whosoever believeth 611 him should 'not perish, but have eternal life. ate!" ~.e And-they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written through the prophet, G. And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, art in no wise least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee--shall come forth a governor, ; David, the ~ Shepherd Jokn 3: 16. - = THE-LESSON-1 S who shall be shepherd of my peo- _ple- Israel." This most remarkable MN PES FETE i : Prophecy IS_ITouma<;iy Mieh--b+2; _proved yourself a man. Later you 'may sce the. king." "~The Little Fir Tree ; By Henry Harding There was very little sunlight in the forest, The trees were so blg, all the grown up trees. The little fir tree stretched himself, and he trled to imagine himself as full grown. Looking up.at the sky and . the stars and the moon, he listened 'to the big frees talk. "Isn't the nor bright tonight," ofie - would 'say; -and there would be a gentle rustling of thelr leaves as the' trees would shake their heads in agreement, £ : ¢ "I'm afraid you're going to be |: stunted, because there is so much shade here," alittle squirrel sald , to the fir one day as he jumped Into its branches. and .brushéd the top limbs with his bushy tall-"It . takes sunlight to make anything grow strong and- tall." Z hi! Terr Dad, can we --find--a-iitile tree for sister? Couldn't we find a cute little 'tree to put in her vefy own room?" "Ho! "Ho!" laughed a"big rough man. "In her room? No little girl * will stay in her room on Christmas day!" _ The lad's father answered, sad- ly: "Yes, my little gir] will. She" had infantile paralysis last sum- mer, and hasn't been able to walk since. Surely, son, we'll "find a lit- tle tree for her." 7 : "Flere Iam, here | am! come and get .me," th little fir tree called out lustily. And the little boy turn. ed and saw the branches trembling, ~ and the little --- snow bird ~ flying = away. "Why, dad, there is a cute little tree over there, Such a beautiful straight -tree. Wouldn't that do?" he called. AT : * The-man got out fram the sled. He walked to the treo apd fondled * *it gently. "I never saw a more beautiful tree. It seems to glow: Christmas Cards: Custom Is Recent "You can't go out to tend tho Greeting Card Industry Ts Less ii Than A Century Old So the Tittle Tir tree sireitney himself ap, and kept his head just - |° pointed up toward the spot of sun- light he saw clear up through the: maze of Leavy tree growth,/ He could. be straight and upstanding, oven If lie hadn't grown tall, ___Today the ground was all cover- ed with the snow_which stayed all white in the forest. All but a few Tinie.--The time of our Lord's birth is still a-matter. of dispute;- <= but we follow here the chronology of Samuel J. Andrews and many others, and date it in DQecember, 5 B.C. The visit of the Wise Men, 4 B.C. ] Place.--Jerusalem, of course, was the capital of Palestine, locat- ed in the province of Judea, while Bethlehem was in the same prov- ince six .miles to the south. . 1, Now when Jesus was born in "Bethlehem of Judaea. :Bethlehem - was the home of Ruth and Boaz, and consequently was the birth- place of David, from whose royal line the: Son of David came. In the day of 'Herod the king. This Herod was called Herod the Great, the son of Antipater. * * Behold, Wise-mén from the east' came to Jerusalem, saying, The word here translated '"'wise-men" is tie Greek word "magi", They were rien truly learned in mathe-- matics, astronomy, geography, and medicine. . Star 'In the East 2. Where is he that is born King _ of the Jews? It is a truly great question as to how tliese men ever knew 'that a king of the Jews had been born. There was, throughout | - aaa A therefore, took place inFebruary, and was uttered . seven hundred years before our Lord's birth. 7. Then Herod privily called the Wise-men, and learned of them _ exactly what time theSstar ap- peared. 8. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, -Go "and _ search-out exactly concerning the young child; and when' "ye have' __found him, bring me word, that T | also may come and worship him, This monstrously cruel king did- not: want- to go to Bethlehem to worship- Jesus as he said, but, as §.- later events proved, to put this very babe to death, that there might be no possible chance of a rival king growing up in the land. "The Worshippers Matt. 2::9-12, 9. And. they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they - © siw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where - the young child was. 10. And when _ they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding gieat joy. 2 The contrast between the. féar of this wicked king and the joy - possessing the heart of thése sin- cerely secking Wise Men is a lés- son all of itself. 11. And they came into the house. And saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they _fell down. The verb here-is the "same one used of a servant falling. down to a king (Matt. 18: 26, 29). And worshipped him, : XT bet of people of 'every kind who worshipped the Lord\Jesus- when he was. on earth, And opening - their treasures they offered unto' "him aifts, gold and frankincense The Wise - Men-were the first of a great num- 12 sheep tonight, Judah," David heard the choke in his: mother's volce. "The lioh's claws - have, wounded you sore. I will find someone. to send out with them." ! "Heo is hot, so hot," she whisper- ed to David after his father had- fallen Into a troubled sleep, "It will make him sick unto death it he goes out on the plain." a : ~#Jear not, mother, I will go. Now that I am fourteen, I.can prove my- self a man, I will go, like my great forefather, David, the king! ~ Rebeccah bade him good-bye. ten- derly. "Had I a son older, I should send him. But you are all I have. Take care, The lion may return." So David drove his father's tlock herds watched thelr flocks by night. The cool breeze from off the mountains made him draw his "cloak close. . -Suddenly over the hill before him he saw a group of men approach. fng.--That-was-a- surprising thing, to see men wandering - about at night. But there was nothing alarm. ing in thelr action. They seemed to be filled with excitement and joy. Now one of them called: "Who is 'this, guarding his sheep here? 'Oh, is it you David, son.of Judah? Come with us. We have seen yon star, brighter than any star of the |- morning. It is moving, and we are following it." ees David was. on his feet; listening with boyish excitement to their tale the words they had heard from tho heavens, as an-angellc_ host j= praised Jehoyah, His heart burned withjn him, and he was eager to accompany the band of shepherds, Then he heard one of the young 'lambs; "Ma-aa-aai" The answering bleat came from a distance. The mother had wandered oft in search of tendér morsels, David heard heard once again his mother's warning. *° Ar "f have come to guard my fath- er's flock, "I cannot go with you," "We left our sheep, David, This _is_the king you are about to see. Wo must go, You are a fool to atay. here with thesd few sheep, when. the King is to ba seen" | "1 came here to tend this flock. [It {s not mine, but it isi my. task," -~-was-hig only reply; -- i When they saw that he would not accompany them, they, made. haste to be on their way. Aa At first his excitement over the tale the shepherds had told: him kept him awake, But gradually his, eyes grew heavy. Ho 'was almost asleep when he 'heard the "Ma-aa: . ka)? of a young: lamb again. He jumped to his<feel; conscious shat he had forgotten to hunt up tha wandering mother, With staft in his | A "career, _|..ot' the films, has been her first radio.serles, The program,*. future. From a small beginning in 1846 the Christmas greeting card in- dustry has grown to gigantic pro- "pbdrtions. : Research _into Christmas tradi- tions at-McGill University disclos- es that the exchange of printed greeting cards dates back less than a century. Other .Christmas "customs date to pagan times. The First Card Seat The records at 'McGill indicate . that there js some uncertainty as to the exact date that the first Chrismas. card was actually sent, Most" authorities ascribe * the ofthe birds had gone south. Every smile, LT The little tree was so happy that _ he dldn't--feel the blows from the ax that cut him to the'ground. And, when they put him into the sled, he was still happy..The little boy cal- . led to his father: ¢It sounds as it the little tree was singing when the And the little tree laughed delight: edly ¥ once in. a while there was gound of steel. striking against the wood, and Infrequently a crashing sound of. falling trees. The tall trees began to tremble. --Phe>woodcutters are out; But-- this is a funny time of year," one mured to the others. Then one of the little snow birds spoke; "Have - --you-forgotten-that-every-year. they come to cut Christmas trees?" - "What, are Christmas trees?" the little fir asked. ~~ =~ : 8 "Oh, they cut down the trees and take them In the house, and put candles on them so they look like ec You Listening? SHE PREFERRED ACTING Pretty Gretchen Davidson, pletur- "ed here, is an Evanston, IIL, . girl who couldn't wait until she got out ".of college to embark on her life's So she quit Northwestern aps University = after i the first year and got herself a job | : with a touring jcompany of Showboat." - Her "stock; experlence = fth--the--Provi. 8 'dence Players fol- lowed, and then fgshe turned to radio, in 1934. She hag 'been on the ~air since, having |. ; been heard in the p ¥ BS serials, "The\ Gretchen Trouble House," Davidéon and "Carol Ken-. nedy's Romance," and at present is appearing in "Aunt Jenny" and "Big Sister," also over the, WABC- Columbia: network. . | CAROLE LOMBARD Carole Lombard; glamorous. star- signed: for! * By FREDDIE TEE er "IN "SILVER THEATRE" 1da Lupino, daughter of the fam: ed British comedian, Stanley Lup: . ino, but a popular screen star: in her own right, will play opposite : Conrad Nagel in , tre" productions to be heard over the Columbla-net.-- . work on both Christmas and New Year's - Day, WABC-BS, 6:00 T.). In order to get away from the possible sur- feit of Christmas _plays to be heard' * "during the. holl- days, these two episodes of "Sil . ver Theatre" will be devoted to a presentation of Da: vid Garth's "Challenge for Three" the story. ot a smuggling ring. And among the American pletures fn' which Miss Lupino has appeared, 'have been "Artists and. Models," Ida . Lupino * upoter Ibbetson," "The Gay Desper: 'ado" and "Anything Goes." ": ¢ sponsored. by the Kellogg Company, will begin on: Bunday,, January. 15, 1939, and. will bo heard each week over the NBC-Red Network Trom 10:00 to '11:00 p.m, EST, Miss 'Lombard is the first of several tars doit the new ul r show, Other members of the - cast And. the dirastor of the a 8atraiwlll bo announced In the near . ga RADIO TUBES GUARANTEED ( ~The Rogers Radlo Tube factory have just announced that they. are now giving an unqualified warran: - ty to apply on all types of Rogers radio tubes, Which shonld be good news to every owner of a radio set --and of course, they will always ° "bo sure to re-tube with Rogers Ra: | "dio Tubes. This also applies to ev. | ¢ gir take in theknew 1039 Rogers, | . eForest Crosley 'and Majestic ra dio sets, = © HAY the ° 'Ancient Holly . ~ Spreads Cheer In homes throughout the contin. ent this Christmas, the holly plant _ will carry on its age-old duty. of 'spreading Yuletide spirit, 7a cus. 'tom' that dates back to the pagan * tribes of continental Europe. Current popularity of: the holly is'a continuation of the custom of the Druid feasts which honored. {the mistletoe and holly in pagan rites. In Europe the tribes under Roman rule sent holly branches to each other as evidence; of good - will. Homes and churches -were decorated with holly ladén with crimsan berries when the pagans celebrated the feast of Saturn. alia, the "turning on: of the sun." Feast of Celtic Sui' God = Yuletide, the feast made to the . Celtic sun god, Yaioul, finally be- -came the celebration of -Christ- mas, and the holly tree, known as - the holy tree, became the sacred tree for decorations at our Christ- mas. festivals, ERAN Holly does not bear berries un- til it is five years old. Before that time the male _and female trees "| cannot be told: apart. There are more 'than 300. species of the plant, 'all of them native to the - jemporats and. tropical regian Molly will love it," he sald with-a wind blows through Its branches." -- = Sp « Only the American and English holly. trees have rich green leaves, These are outlined 'with = sharp spines or teeth, and the fruiting _ branches have round crimson: ber- ries. 3 ied \ OS i