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Show ALSATIANS FILL THE CHURCHES ON CHRISTMAS DAY ALSACE, via Chantilly. Dec. 2.". (From ! a staff correspondent of the Associated 1 Press.) Never in t lie history of Alsace, reconquered by the French, has Christmas been celebrated with such fervor and hope-lulness hope-lulness as this year. Every village church and chapel was rilled to overflowing for mid nigh t masses -services at which t he : clergy in some instances offered public : prayers that the national counsellors ' might be guided aright in considering the j situation. The religious exercises were preceded and followed by Sabbath school and family fam-ily assemblings around Christmas trees, j which local custom tLis year carried out j apparently with a feeling of growing security se-curity in the changed form of government. 1 The Associated Press correspondent at- tended several of these public and private . functions during the day and night and found everywhere the highest expressions of confidence in the future. The correspondent also visited a long section of front line trenches and cantonments canton-ments behind the lines. In every company, battery and detachment, detach-ment, the commanding officer acted as Father Christmas toward the men. each-of each-of whom received some simple gift. |