Show 1 z I 1 41 i n y L t 4 it I 1 S I 1 k I 1 I 1 I 1 WW I 1 T t 14 the e christmas rosr roser and the holit ir an dathe mistletoe adde in the pride A their which has gar maed the years yea of all ages and climes stoked with disdainful wonder and d Us at approval PrOva at the modest little christinas 83 rose which fair fingers had intertwined among the sinuous sl ulIous glossy V green foliage bollage and scarlet white berries of a christmas wreath W atch the christmas rose and the holly rustled its shiny toothed leaves to so angrily at the little intruder that one of its sharpest points pierced the tender heart bean of the christmas rose and it felt that it was dying As it lay quivering in agony it heard the proud boasting of the haughty evergreens ever greens and trembled at the scornful glances which they bestowed upon the humble little christmas flower for they boasted a lineage dipping bade back into the darkness i of pagan antiquity 1 I why I 1 have the winters of ages said the holly 1 I have known all ah umes calmes all religions in my hardiness and strength I 1 have wreathed my shining leaves and bright red berries round columns and pillars which long since have fallen into ruins and crumbled away I 1 have trailed my enduring beauty through centuries which have hav long since cycled into their past tense I 1 have decorated the altars of all rell g j tons ions with my brightness the pam pagan temples of the ancient sun borshi worshipers the me temples of the greek god jove the temples of the roman saturn I 1 was baptized into christianity in the blood of the early christians and my scarlet berries took on a ruddier hue I 1 was at one ume time both pagan and christian i be decking the pagan festivities of the romans and at the same time screening with my thick clustering branches the worship of the christiana christjans Christ tans 1 I oh I 1 am enduring one of the earths a citizen ot of the world a cosmopolitan of the universe even you and he be turned to the pale mistletoe even you cannot boast such world orld wide vide popularity in the heart of the mistletoe arose the mighty celtic pride of at ancestry arose irose the mysticism of the olden druid days of ancient wales and in lofty lafty scorn she replied although in modern thought I 1 have been associated chiefly with christmas festivities aud kisses yet among m kinsmen the ancient celts belts I 1 have ever been held sacred the mystical plant of the druids druies and the principal object of their veneration and when clinging to an oak I 1 was prized beyond rubles rubies and pearls 1 I am christmas evergreen now but la the olden days my gala day was na N 1 a i lears cars day when the great festival of the welsh was celebrated my cutting was the most solemn religious rite of the oar ear on this occasion the ancient drulis druids habited in their white robes wearing long beards and carrying wands walked in solemn i procession toward the oak on which 1 I the mystic plant was growing one of them ascended into tue cue tree and cut my clinging branches a golden knife while another stood below to catch ue e as I 1 fell and then and she lifted her er white berries in great pride and then two milk white bulls were sacrificed in my honor and reat great feasting and rejoicing were held in worship of the mystic mistletoe and she looked with utmost com laci ncy at the holly and cast a withering glance at the shrinking christmas rose while you turning to the holly have pleas ed the eye of man with your beauty I 1 have given pleasure to his hia heart hearl how haw many times have my bruci es thrilled and my berries trembled with the shock of that sweetest kiss under my magic boughs I 1 have been at once the peril and delight of beauty and the golden opportunity of chivalry ry and in the heart of both have I 1 been frequently blessed and with an air of supreme satisfaction that she had been instrumental in creating hap pints she ceased speaking yes they were both aristocrats and they turned a look of such caln caan disdainful scrutiny upon the now thoroughly humbled christmas rose that it blushed rosily in its humiliation and to this day it has retained its modesty and pink tips of its blushing petals and seeing its timidity they scornfully questioned its right to mingle a its loveliness with their leaves and berries and the christmas rose breathed bortl its longings Iong ings to become a christ mas evergreen it taso was so chill and dark in me ane earths vw Ws bosom but one day a great trembling came upon the earth a and nd in ibe he fissure re above my head I 1 saw the golden light and the light drew me ever toward it until at last I 1 had left my dark hiding place and looked upon the fair white world and I 1 heard the singing of carols which they told me were christmas carols and I 1 heard the and meek and lowly aud somehow komeh ow r was not afraid to be abroad tw in the world for it seemed then to unfilled In be filled with gentleness and the of love iove and ray my heart beart opened ue U e beancy and love of life and I 1 aveto i to the christmas time a fair jwta tt ower andone and coneway day a christian 4 bidet badlu read in my mr blooming my hearts be a christmas alwer and add wr 5 hare to io the christmas 2 joyousness I 1 I 1 1 maidli mAIt li loving lingers angera he heroo tookie kle up op me through your hardy be smilingly saluted sainted me nePa lr fetman gh botand and I 1 awas was proud ana Y huew W 1 W and the wm ded dd e i in sobs arid and cries A ana dhe sSu abour oay boid bitsie IT mistletoe letoe E iw icil aia catching 1 the i hii ads I 1 arle hr le d 1 n eal anal they ith 1 eai JF i lowliness the son 8 wS assem I 1 f ajr seM ed af 11 afir i ha trpana Sr aie oriz panA jin d ai 11 t ose mg i ido 0 UM E e ma deaths feat hs and kavA het 7 S ii blawn far 5 g 40 am aa M 4 1 Y t a 1 1 ito Z Q J t eia 1 1 1 1 14 V P 1 1 r V f na |