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Show 1 THE SPANISH FORK PRESS, M HERB was once In a far away country, where few people hare ever traveled, a wonderful church. - - It stood on a high hill In the midst .of a great city, and every Sunday, and on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to the church. When you came to the building Itself you found stone columns and dark passageways and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church. This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see the other end, where the choir and the minister sat near the marble altar. At the farthest corner was the organ, which was sotloud that when it began to play the people far off could hear It The strangest thing about the whole building was the wonderful chime of bells. There stood at one corner of the church a gray stone tower with Ivy growing over It as far as one could see. It was so high that It was only In very fair weather that anyone claimed to see the top. Up and up climbed the stones, and since the men who built the church had been dead for many hundreds of years, everyone had forgotten how high the tower was supposed to be. Now, all the wise people knew that at the top of the tower was a chime of Christmas 1)6118. They had hung there ever since the church was finished and were the most beautiful bells in the world. Some thought It was because a great musician had cast them and arranged them in their place, and others said It was because of the great height of the tower, reaching up to where the air was clear and pure; however this may be, no one who had hoard the chimes denied that they were the sweetest In the world. Some T' , . city, In a little village where nothing could be seen of the great church, save glimpses of the tower when the weather was fine, lived a boy named Pedro, and his llttld brother. They knew very little about the Christmas chimes, they had heard of the service In the church on Christmas eve and had a secret plan that they had often talked over when by themselves for going to the beautiful celebration. Nobody can guess, Little Brother," Pedro would say, "all the fine things there are to see and hear in the church, and I have even heard it said that the ChrlBt child himself sometimes comes down to bless the meeting. What if we could see him? The day before Christmas it was bitterly cold and a few lonesome snow flakes were flying In the air and there was a hard white crust on the ground. Sure enough, Pedro and Little Brother were able to slip quietly away early in the afternoon on their way to the celebration ; and although the walking was hard In the frosty air, before nightfall they had trudged so far, hand in hand, that they saw the lights of the big city Just ahead of them. Indeed they were about to enter one of the great gates In the war that surrounded It, when they sav something dark on the snow near the path, and stepped aside to look at It It was a poor woman who had fallen Just outside of the city, too sick and tired and cold to get In where she' might have found shelter. The snow made a soft pillow for her and she would soon be so sound asleep In the winter air that no one could ever awaken her again. All this Pedro saw in a moment, and he knelt down beside her and tried to rouse her. He turned her face toward him, so that he could rub some snow on it, but he soon sighed and said: Its no use, Little Brother, you will have to go on alone." Alone? cried Little Brother, and you will not see the Christmas festival?" No," said Pedro, and he could not help a little choking sound of disap See this polntment In his throat. poor woman, she will freeze to death if nobody cares for her. You can bring someone to help her when you come back, and I can keep her alive. You can easily find your way to the church, and you must see and hear everything twice, little brother, once for you and once for me. I am sure the Christ child muBt know how I would love to come and worship him, and, oh, if you get a chance, little brother, slip up ter the altar without getting in anyone's way, and take this little silver piece of mine and lay it down for my offering when no one is looking. Dont forget the place where you left me, and hurry, now, so you won't be late." He winked hard to keep back the tears as he heard thl crunching footsteps ot little brother sounding farther and farther away in the darkness. It was also hard to lose the muslo and the splendor of the celebration that he had planned so long, to lose the chance ot offering his silver piece that be had saved for the offering to the Christ child, and to spend the time Instead in the lonesome snow outside the dreary walls. But it never occurred to him to leave the poor woman in the freezing cold. The great church was truly a Laid His Crown on the Altar. ' described them like angels sounding far up in the sky. But the fact was that nq one had heard them ring for years and years. There was an old man living not far from the church who said that his mother had spoken of hearing them when she was a little girl, and he was the only one who could say as much as that They were Christmas chimes, you remember, and were not meant to be played by men or on common occasions. pn Christmas eve all of the people In the city brought their offerings to the church to offer to the Christ child, and when the greatest and best offer Ing was laid on the altar, there would come sounding through the music of the choir the voices of the Christmas chimes far up la the tower. Some said the wind rang them and others that they were so high angels would let them swinging. But for many long vears, as was said before, they had never been heard. The minister said that people had been growing less careful of their gifts for the Christ child, or gave them rather to make a display for their own honor than for love of him, so that no offering was brought good enough to deserve the music of tho chimes. Still, every Christmas eve, the rich people of the city crowded to the altar, each one trying to give some better gift than anyone else, and the church was filled with those who thought that perhaps tho wonderful bolls would ring again. But, although the music was sweet nd the offerings were plenty, only the roar of the wind could be heard Car up In the old stone tower. . Now, n number of milos from tho won- derful place that night Every one said that it had never looked so bright and beautiful before. When the organ played and the thousands ot people sang the hymns, the walls shook with' the sound, and little Pedro, outside the walls of the city, felt the earth tremble all around him. At last came the procession to bear the offerings to the altar, when great and rich men and women marched up to lay down their gifts to the Christ child. Some brought wonderful Jewels, some baskets ot gold so heavy that they could scarcely carry them down the aisle. A great writer latd down a book t)iat be had been making for years, and last of all walked the king of the country, hoping tu win for himself the chimes of the Christmas bells. There was a great murmur througn the church as the people saw the king take from his head the royal crown, s all set with diamonds and other Btones.and laid It gleaming on the altar as his offering to the Holy child. Surely, said every one, "we shall hoar the bells now, for nothing like this has ever been offered before. And they all stood still to listen, but only the cold, cold wind was heard in the stone tower; and the people shook their heads, some of them saying as they had done before, that they really never believed the story of the chimes, anyway. The procession was over, and the gifts were all on the altar, the choir had begun the closing hymn Suddenly the organist stopped playing, and every one looked at the minister, who was standing In hie place holding up his hand for silence. Not a sound could be heard from anyone In the church. While all the people pre-clou- strained their ears to VBten, there came softly but distinctly swinging through the air the sound ot the bells in the tower. So far away and yet so clear seemed the music, so much sweeter were the notes than had been heard before, that the people in the church sat for a moment as still as though something held each of them by the shoulders. Then they all stoo! up togother and stared straight at the altar to see what great gift had awakened the long silent bells. But all that the nearest of them saw was the childish figure of Little Brother, who had crept softly down the aisle when no one was looking and had laid Pedros little ploce of ill vsr on the altar, i SPANISH FORK, UTAH ClSISliSJ 111 low the Festive Season Is served Aboard Ship, Ob- r Not Much Work la Done Athletic Sports, Traditional Dinner and Evening Entertainment Features of Occasion. t 5 . In all the world Is the NOWHERE Christmas entered In- to more than on board the ships ot the United States whole-heartedl- navy. Observance of this chief ot all national holidays varies, of course, in form with the location ot the fleet at ' the time. Into each of the continental home ports (headquarters of certain individual vessels) the big gray monsters come dropping in by twos and threes till, in New York and Philadelphia, and Norfolk and Frisco, it looks alCandles on the tree aglow, most like a naval review. According , Holly red and mistletoe; to long established custom, they are Radiant faces, rapturous cries, there to give the boys In blue a run In the nursery wondering eyes. on the beach ("liberty, as they call Stockings full and bulging out. Toys of every sort about; It In the service), and every man Jack Muslo, Joyous, glad and gay; who is not actually undergoing punAll ot Christendom at play; to Is allowed and encouraged ishment Season of the Holy Child, ri' Dearest gift, divine and mild, take his look at the bright lights go Angel aongs, dispelling fear, home on leave or uptown for fun or Yule, the bleesed Yule la here! anything else be likes as long as his Rose Mills Powers, In Youth's Compaa from lasts but the ion. ship away money In any evenL This custom applies not alone to the enlisted men, but to OF GIVING PRESENTS the officers as well and, when Christmas morning dawns in a home port, Llttls Embellishments Such as there are not likely to be many more Slmpls 8eals and Holly Count Ribbons, r than persons on board any for Much. the regulations call for in the minimum. At no time does the manner of doThe few shtpkeepers cannot, un- ing a thing count for so much as at der such circumstances, make a very the time of Christmas giving; and successful effort toward merriment, while in a few Instances there are Rear Admiral Samuel McGowan writes those who overdo the outward embelIn the National Monthly, but what lishment of gifts, none of us now like they lack in numbers they invariably to offer the simplest little rememmake up In other ways, one of these brance unless wrapped in fepotless paways being the complete satisfaction per, tied with gay ribbons and adorned of the Inner man. with bright seals expressing merry Abroad and at sea, though. It Is' al- greetings. together different. Every soul on And this Is as It should be for the holiday season gains a great deal of cheerlness and zest from the multiplicity of beribboned white parcels whisking to and fro, and we do not regret the passing of the yellow paper bundle of our grandmothera day. But the attractive appearance ot the gift Is not all that counts; we muBt be careful of the how and when and where of presenting IL The time that custom more and more sets apart for the exchanging of gifts among friends Is Christmas eve, any time from dusk to midnight; but Christmas day Itself Is sacred to presenting gifts within the family circle. Borne families put all the gifts In the library or living room. In separate piles, and then, after a deliberate breakfasL they all walk in and open the packages In the presence of each A Christmas Concert on Board Ship. other. Never give a gift In person if yon board, from the usually sedate flag can contrive to send It or put It where officer and the more or less unapit will be found awaiting the recipient down to first lieutenanl proachable when he or she is alone, for when reJimmy-leg- s and the ships cook and ceived In this way the gift makes Its the messenger boy, voluntarily constito one's appreciation. appeal strongest tutes himself a committee of one to In giving money, even to near relasee the thing through In old navy tives, the utmost care should be taken fashion, and even King Neptune, when to give It In the most delicate way he comes on board on crossing the If yon know the line to douse every hayseed and possible; especially Is needed. money landlubber, has a formidable rival In One ot the cleverest tfays is to take the spirit ot ChriBtmas. a tiny Japanese umbrella, place the It matters not much whether the money In a paper bag and, after rollship be anchored off Vera Crus or ing and tying the bag around the up plowing through the Pacific ocean, per part of the handle underneath, the distance from home and friends close the umbrella over It and tie with makes it incumbent on all to do their narrow ribbon. level best to make at least a brave try 'Another good way is to present an for "Merry Christmas." attractive little booklet with a check Routine drills are entirely suspend- or a greenback for a bookmark, writed; and, except for cleaning ship ing on the flyleaf, "note page 14. (cleanliness in the navy being deemed Turning to see what Is noted, the not only akin to, but actually neck fresh new paper money Is seen and and neck with godliness itself), not a the recipient appreciates the manner lick of avoidable work Is allowed to of its presentation no less than the be done by anybody. material benefit All hands are call 3d, to be sure, on scheduled time, but many more men WHY YOU HANG STOCKINGS than usual are allowed to sleep In, and, after the tiniest minimum ot Popular Christmas Custom 8ald to tidying up, preparations tor the days Havo Come Down to Us From festivities are gotten under way. Old Italian Practice. There is a varied athletic program that begins In the forenoon, and after There is a story from Italy which an hour or so off for dinner at mid- some suppose to be the beginning ot day, continues well along toward' the present Idea ot the Christmas Sailors are taught to be thorough. stocking. Years ago good old SL So they go at their potato races and Nicholas of Padua used to throw contests and tugs ot war knitted purses with money In them In and Jumping contests wtth the same at the windows of the poor. These fervor that they show when trying for knitted purses were not unlike a turret gun record or stamp- stocking without a fooL and later It a ing out a Caribbean revolution. There became the custom of the people to Is no lack of InteresL That can be de- hang this knitted sack Just Inside the pended on. And when call is sounded window that SL Nicholas might put they are a tired lot something In as he passed. When Toward sunset the various contests these purses went out of use the have been completed (or not unusu- stockings were substituted. In the ally called off "on account of dark- northern part of Italy It was a little ness," as the baseball people say), too chilly to leave the windows open and, after an early supper,' a stage Is and the stockings were hung by the and the mantel place bo that they might be rigged up on the quarter-deccrowning event of the entire celebra- filled from the chimney. tion Is on. Sometimes It Is a minstrel how, another time a vaudeville performance, but without exception there I riay Santa, it yon will, but is plenty ot music and near music, and 5 dont get your whiskers burnt no such entertainment would be cominimInevitable and plete without the itable cakewalk. Some of the Improvised costumes are fearfully and wonJulklspp Delivery. This Is an expression used in Denderfully made. But they are striking and, for the most part, very appropri- mark and Sweden and denotes their ate, while the pirouetting and gyrating way ot sending gifts. Before Christot the cakewalkers themselves are mas all the gifts are wrapped so as to well worth seeing. The program Is a disguise the contents. Each package tong one, but Interest never lags tor Is labeled for whom It Is Intended and a moment for American sailors are then at odd moments during the day Just as thorough at play as they are these are thrown In at the doom wUUs ait work. the windows, J Military Barracks on OUT in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, 1,200 from the coast of Africa and 1,800 miles from South America, lies the rocky little Island of St. Helena, one of the many outposts of the British empire. Discovered by the Portuguese about 1502 and settled by the Dutch In 1645, it was taken by the English In 1657 and almost continuously since then has been held by them as a naval station. Its economic and commercial Importanpe Is almost nil, and its population is only about 6,000, but its name will live forever, for to that distant rock one hundred years ago Napoleon Bonaparte wan taken by his conquerors, there to spend his remaining years in exile under strictest guard. There for six years the man who had dominated and Europe lived In such state as was afforded by the somewhat meager allowance made him, and there, on May 5, 1821, he passed away. During all this time several thousand troops and a fleet ot warships were maintained at SL Helena to prevent the escape ot the great Corstran. Once again, many years later, the island was put to similar use by the British, for during the South African war of nearly 5,000 Boer prisoners, among them General Cron-Je- , were sent there. The island is a crown colony and is administered by a governor and a FAR e 1899-190- 2 , council , Among Oldest Land on Globe. Because of Its isolated position, its peculiar fauna and its very remarkable insular flora, together with its geological character, scientists believe St. Helena is amongst the oldest land now existing on the face of the globe. It is said that out of sixty-onnative species only two or three are found in any other part of the world. The natural strength of the island lies in its compact form and size together with its inaccessible coast, formed by an almost uninterrupted belt of rocks which rise perpendicularly to a height of 600 to 1,200 feet From the sea the lofty hills divided by huge fissures and deep gorges almost without vegetation make the island seem grimly barren, but in the e LONGWOOD Interior are great expanses of beautiful woods and pastures. In reality the gorges are valleys that narrow as they wind inward toward the central ridge, which, rising in places to of 3,000 feet, crosses the island from southeast to southwest, dividing it distinctly into two parts. On the slopes of this ridge are the most fertile spots, the richest pasture lands. There are a number of picturesque peaks that are clothed in a forest of flora tree ferns, dogwood, gum and cabbage trees. The sharp contrasts afforded by the fertile fields, the forests, the rugged heights and the huge ravines make SL Helena a old-worl- d scenic marvel. To the south of the central ridge lies Sandy bay, an enormous basin four milos across, part of the crater which existed at the volcanic period. The view over Sandy bay from the ridge U most delightful. To the right are Diana's peak and Acteon, richly clothed with trees to the summits, and to the right rugged black mountains whose naked summits are split into fantastic outlines. In front is a vista of ridges, eminences and ra-- ( vines converging towards the sea Into one common valley. In the center of the basin Lot and Lot's Wife, two rocky pyramids, shoot their weather worn pinnacles abruptly out of the surrounding scoria, the former being nearly 300 feet highland the latter about 260 feet, this one being narrower at the base than at top. Not far from them is a strange columnar for station called the Assos' Ears. Fine Health Resort. Two hundred springs ot fresh water, a climate as fine as any In the world and the purifying sweep of the St Helena trade winds combine to make it. Helena a health resort that Is alAost unsurpassed. Generally the temperature is decidedly pleasant, but twice a year, during the short periods known as the roller seasons," the ocean current sets strongly from the equatorial regions, a stagnant calm prevails and Europeans suffer from headache and weariness. Then in a few hours the wind shifts again to the southeast and brings coolness and comfort. , When this breeze is stiff and accompanied by showers it is called the for it parish doctor sweeps all Impurities from the Island. At times high clouds hang over the Island, veiling the siin and making what the natives call covered days, the moBt delightful days tor the sight- seer. On the north shore of the Island, between two great fortified rocks, Mun-den- s and Ladder Hill, lies the little city of Jamestown, the capital and only town of SL Helena. Its white houses nestle prettily in & narrow valley and conspicuous among them church. stands a white, It has a good sea wall, a deep moat and drawbridge, a portcullised gateway and a spacious parade ground, for a garrison is always maintained there. The fort on Ladder I11I1 is connected with the town by a flight ot 700 steps. Among the points of interest in the city are tho Castle, where the governor resides, the fine botanical gardens, a museum and an excel lent civil hospital. Where Napoleon Lived and Died. It goes without saying the place of greatest interest to visitors is Long-woodthe house in which Napoleon lived during his exile and in which he died in 1821. This is called Long wood Old House, because Just before the emperor's demise a new and more pretentious residence, known as New House, was designed for him and The Old House nearly completed. was merely a farm building of the Longwood plantation In the east central part of the island, and until the arrival of Napoleon was used for some time as the residence of the lieutenant governor of the island. After the death of the great exile it fell into ruinous condition and for a time was high-spire- d , OLD HOUSE used as a stable and threshing barn. In 1857 the building was conveyed by the British government to Napoleon III and it is now restored so as to resemble, as nearly as possible, its appearance as it was in 1815-21- , Close to Longwood, in a shady valley where Napoleon often quenched his thirst at a spring of water, is the tomb where the emperor was first buried and where his body lay for nearly twenty years. The little glen is shaded by beautiful Norfolk pines, cypresses and firs. The vault itself is covered by a flat stone, twelve by six feet, now run ovejr with cracked cement and bearing no name or inscription. It is surrounded by a fence outside of which is a privet hedge and a wooden sentry box in which an attendant keeps a visitors' book. The grave and its surroundings, like the house, are now the property ot the French republic. Rovers Lesson? For some time after the interurban was built through our place, related the farmer, our dog would chase the car every time it passed. He would tear after It, raging and roaring, until It crossed the line, and then return strutting and puffing with importance over having driven the Intruder off the dear old farm. But one day while he was ripping along bohlnd it something went wrong, and the car stopped rather suddenly. Faithful Rover uttered a yell ot surprise and apprehension, and streaked for the house. Never afterwards could he be Induced to chase the car. He evidently Imagined that he had bluffed It once too often and It had turned on him." Kansaa City Star. . i man-o-wa- v - sun-sc- g k , L |