Show OOCOCQCOCOCOCOCQCOOOCQCQOO OLD STORIES OF CHRISTMAS Some Have Interest Freshness and Beauty That Keep Them Always Al-ways New There nre some socalled old stories sto-ries that aro really not old for they have an Interest a freshness and a beauty that keep them always new Of such nro the story of Chrlstmns and all the legends and tales that belong be-long to the great festival There Is n legend In Germany that when Evo plucked tho fatal apple the leaves of tho tree Immediately shriveled shriv-eled Into needle poInts and its bright green turned dark The nature of tho tree changed and It became an evergreen In all seasons preaching tho story of mans fall through that first net of disobedience Only on Christmas does it bloom brightly with lights and become beautiful with lovo gifts Tho curso Is turned Into a blessing by tho coming of the Christ child and thus we have our Christmas tree The visits of St Nicholas to tho homes of tho people on Christmas eve as an annual custom grew out of a festival In honor of Ilertha a Norse goddess At this festival tho house was decorated with evergreens and an altar of stone was set up at the onfl of the hall where tho family assembled assem-bled From Herlhas stone wo got our word hearthstone On the stones so set up were heaped fir branches which were set afire and through the smoke and lame Hertha was supposed to descend and Influence the direction of tho flames from which were predicted pre-dicted the fortunes of those present c |