Show re 11 HEN UN christmas bolla bells are ara av ringing merrily on christinas wk rl eve it la Is pleasant to think that the whole world X Is celebrating and that as aa long as tho the human family has baa been on earth it has baa mado made merry at a midwinter feast the little children in your house or mine and the little children across tho the street treet fi are ara just like other little children in russia in norway in franco and in italy or tho the german fatherland who have made ready for their christmas trees when the winters sun has baa set and the stars are shining over head bead at th time that the holy babe lay in the mi ger in Bothi chow to be the christmas babe for the christian world the romans wore were celebrating their Satur saturnalia nalla and trimming willow wands as wo we trim christmas trees of course with a difference but just the same they were celebrating the midwinter festival they danced and sang gave gifts and hung wreaths while across the alps to the north the wild huntsman was chasing through the woods to be the terror of all naughty children the christmas tree honored because it was evergreen gained fresh honors when adorned with tapers the evergreen was eternal and tile the lights ched glory around how jolly la Is the raising of the christmas treel tree I 1 how the children love to talk about jt it before hand and to trim it or to got get the gifts from its over laden boughs in germany the whole household goes to church in many villages the church is left in darkness and the worshipers iwo rehi pers carry lighted candles coming in one by one u itil it Is a brilliant sight when the season is over the old hymn sare sung Es ea der tag des dea herrn and christmas greetings are heard beard on an every side the lafred Ju or vevie po e of christmas Is publicly proclaimed in sweden and norway the churches are decorated and the children are the first to enter in tho the gray of tho the early morning no OLO ole Is forgotten the poor are remembered with food and clothing and best beat of all the little brothers of the air the birds have a tree hung with a sheaf of wheat for christmas cheer chee in serela and in bulgaria no ono one crosses a strange threshold if it can be avoided friends rejoice together the little children dance and sing and gifts ore are exchanged an ancient cere mony has to be performed by the head of every household before a mouthful of food Is eaten early in the morning corn Is placed in a stocking and the chief of the family sprinkles a little before the householder saying christ Is born to which one of the far family tilly replies he Is born indeed then the housefather house father has to wish and advancing to the burning logs on the hearth lie be strikes them until the sparks fly up upward ard with r good wish for the horses another for the catties the calves and the goats and so on through the entire band of stock on the farm concluding with a special prayer and an extra blow upon the embers of the logs for a plentiful harvest in this manner the gods of nature are appeased then the ashes containing the wish are collected and burled buried secretly As for the yule logs they are not permitted to burn bum entirely away but the fire being extinguished the burnt ends eire are placed in the clefts of fruit trees so as to ensure a bountiful crop the more playful customs of putting hats about for presents as french children do of baskets which italian children make of girt gift boxes and the tour of st nick prevail everywhere even inthe tropics christmas Is observed as it if the cold snow lay round about mexico has many beautiful customs and catholic countries never forget the feast odthe of the babe in the manger in church lip m 1 N 7 v baur vaur 0 P and thou Bethle bethlehem bem in the land art not least among tho he princes of juda Judas matthew 11 II 6 0 little town of bethlehem how still we see thee lie the song brings bach tho the silent astler at peace of Christi nases gone byl byi brings Bri balck bach the olden mystery and siets sets the heaxt heart thrill a with fancies of the snow draped firs that nodded on thia the hill with memories of ruddy lights that night would find aglow which from the cotta cottage Efe windows flung their ba banners on the snow I 1 above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by the stars above the little town were very far and high i they marched triumphantly from lands whereof a boy might dream to other lands that beckoned him with dawns enchanting gleam but under all the silent stars that marched from east to west the little town the little town contented conten was at rest yet in th thy v carh streets shaneth the everlasting light the mellow blaze of memory swi still leaps serenely bright and aad through its wondrous necromancy romance manciB th the a bare trees it allumes illumes all pink and white are alre radiant with snowy apple blooms aho vho whose se petals when the winter winds the branches sway and lift float dreamily away away to pile in drift on drift the hopes and fears of all the years are ara met in thee tonight are met in every little town seen in the christmas light for none of us but muses now when this old song is sung of edl all the blessings that were his when head and heart were you young riff and miser etke he counts Ws his store of treasures for of thern them ile he builds anew at christmas timo his town of bethlehem copyright 1910 by W 0 chapman |