Show LEN GOULD’S the pleasure and bustle of our own celebration of the birth of the Christ child we are apt to overlook the fact that another portion of the world is doing precisely the same thing — in a different manner of Scarcely the territory of the globe is Christian aad but a proportionate number f its inhabitants celebrate Christmas Fet even in this comparatively small Dumber of people there are surprisingly diverge methods of celebrating the peat day Of course all countries that have a Christmas have a similar spiritual celebration — thanks and praise ind worship to God for the birth of his only son in the manger at Dethlehem But the diversity of celebration along material lines and the great variety of Christmas customs in other lands are surprising Indeed Even between oountrles so closely as the allied United States and England the difference is marked Of all places on Christmas surely the Holy Land— the birthplace of the Christ child— is paramount in Interest And naturally the celebration of the people of that land centers in Bethlehem the humble little village where the shepherds found "the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" On Christmas eve the Christians of Jerusalem and from all over Palestine and visitors from other lands flock to Bethlehem to witness the gorgeous ceremonial In the Roman Catholic cnapel in the Cnurch of the Nativity One by one and In groups they come with their caravans of camels or on foot down the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem leading through stony rolling plains with here and therd an olive grove or an orchard Under the wonderful radiance of aa eastern night they wend their ways the crooked streets of the through quaint little town to the market place opposite the church The scene is indeed a festive one Christiana from all the countries of the Eact are congregated here in gala attire Vendors of sacred relics are selling their crosses and pictures In olive wood and small boys dressed in garments red fezes and bright red shoes are darting hither and thither In the crowd In of boyish wild exuberance spirits are being killed by family Sheep poups for their evening meal after The in the church the ceremonies with their mothers of Bethlehem large lustrous eyes and brilliant comare making merry with their plexions children There is a babel of many voices and a great running to and fro The door of the church opens and The Church of the crowd presses in the Nativity belongs to the Latins the Greeks and thfe Armenians each sect having its own convent adjoining The Latins are holding their service now the Armenians later and the The en10 days afterward Greeks trance Is through a small door In a high stone wall and one has to stoop as he enters —thus Insuring bowing to the crucifix opposite The building is believed to be the archioldest monument of Christian tecture extant the basilica erected by Bt Helena In 327 A D The services an are held in adjoining building and are all seated on the the worshippers marble floor The priests and monks to the enter in solemn procession The chant of the grand Te Deum in follow and archbishops bishops gorgeous robes richly embroidered In Paeons of worship gold and silver1 peal forth from the grand old organ At midnight the music grows softer tnd then there comes a pause The silence is complete except for the chimes outside peal of the Christmas as though In the village Suddenly by an unseen hand the curtain above the chancel arch is drawn aside revealing a miniature cradle holding an From the organ Image of the babe and the choir bursts forth in glad the ringing triumphant cadence strains of the "Gloria in Excelsis” The little cradle is lowered and the The “Bambino" reverently raised themselves worshippers prostrate 60000 $ BATH TUB N the ground The sacred Images are then borne the head of the procession to the Priests chapel of the manger all carry monks and congregation sollighted wax tapers and move in The chant emn cadence with the Grotto of the Nativity is reached a subterranean vault it has Once into a chapel lined been converted upon at and over floored with marble Directly the manger is an altar profusely decorated in gold and silver and silkIncense is burning en tapestries fragrantly and lamps that are never allow ed to go out cast their dim radiA large star of crowd the ance over brass marks the spot where Christ was bom and hears the inscription in Latin "Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary” The little manger with its wax figure of the Christ child is devoutly laid upon the altar It rests there for the remainder of the week a symbol From f adoration for the multitude chapel to chapel the long procession its chants slowly wends Its way withservices are and lighted tapers The continued nearly all night long on this spot where first came to the of message the shepherds faithful and on “Glory to God in the Highest Will Toward Good Peace Earth Men" From Palestine to France of the tic LAST WOE LUXUBy burst and at the opposite end an outlet will keep the depth constant at all times the pool will be 16 marSurrounding ble columns the roof of supporting a walk of glass and standing upon ceramic tiles bordered white with marble benches Scattered about this walk will be marble benches covered with rugs and pillows on which the bathers may rest as they become fatigued from swimming or from which their friends may watch them while at play in the water White and green will be the prevailThe pool Itself will be ing colors lined with green tiles At the base and along the upper edge will be white marble The interior walls are to be white and the rays of sunlight will be filtered through tinted the delicately glasB ceiling Water Supply Provided For In order that the water In the pool may be ever fresh pipes through the basement of the building will carry water not only from the spring on the grounds but also from the mains of the city water system Should an exceptionally dry season cause the spring to run dry it will be possible to make use of the other means of filling the pool The pipes will carry the water first through a system of filters that will then remove particle foreign every through boilers which will heat it to the required temperature It will take two and a halt tons ot coal and sixteen and a half hours of time to fill the pool for the first it Is filled and heated however it will constantly remain at an even temperature present day is a far cry in point of time distance and customs of celebration Aside from the church services there is much of Interest in the land The day of "Mofcleur” at Christmas is chiefly for children though of lose sight of course the the real meaning of it no more than do the fathers and mothers of our own land In France the great symAll bol of Christmas is the mistletoe over Northern France it is cut in carloads carried to the quaint quays of seaport towns and shipped to England — for John Bull comes nowhere near supplying the Christmas demand for mistletoe in his own land Just before Christmas the French lads and lassies go out into the hoary old forests and search for mistletoe The boy who sees the first tuft gives a shout of Joy climbs the tree cuts it and is carried back in triumph with his prize as king of the feast The mistletoe is hung above the entrance to a door and the young girls pass beneath it one by one to be kissed by On the first lad who catches them aH Paris streets at Christmas mistletoe is for sale and it is a real Christmas necessity A queer superstition clings to this winter blossom in the minds of the ignorant French peasants —the burning of the mistletoe Ugly practices and crazy exaltation have been known to take hold of an entire village with attendexcitement the superstitious The ing the burning of the mistletoe custom is apparently an ancient one A part of the blossom from the Celts is broken up into little bits placed in a pan and held over the blazing fire The ashes are carefully collected placed in little bags and distributed to be worn around the neck as these little bags are Frequently burled in the mffidle of a field to bring good crops Some wives of the French peasants hold that these little bags are marvelous in preventing their husbands from coming home drunk and ferois to All that Is necessary cious sprinkle a little of the ashes of the mistletoe in his drink when he Isn’t for drink and his appetite looking will decrease The ashes will at least keep him soberer than he would he without them In many sections of Germany is celebrated in many diChristmas Yet all the festivities verse ways and have cling together by tradition many parts quite similar Santa Claus is the main feature and he differs a great deal from the Santa Claus of America The German Kris Kringle never distributes any toys but he carries a large bag of nuts These nuts are distributed among the German children on Christmas day Santa is peculiar in that he also carries a bundle of switches They are for the children who have been disobedient during the past yehr When the auts are distributed the bad children receive a Instead of their portion of switching In distributing the nuts the nuts they are usually placed in the center of the table and Santa Claus hands them to Hie youngsters Frequently the lads are too anxious for their portion of the goodies and the switches in the hands of Santa come across their shoulders with a v Then they keep a safe distance the table in children believe The German Santa Claus until they become ahout In Germany only one 10 years of age beeve Christmas celebrated is day This is more so ing left unnoticed as the among the laboring people shops and factories never give a half holiday on the day before Christmas On Christmas day almost all of the have a Christmas tree for churches the little folks and the gifts are distributed from it In nearly all of the homes Christmas trees are to be The gifts are very rarely givfound en out on the night before Christmas German children have many of the amusements same Christmas that the American children have and some of ttn It is the expectation of the builders ot this modern bathtub that the glass roof which will be of what is known as puttyless glass — the Joining of one pane to another being invisible to the eye — will not only serve to light up the pool 'during the day but that the rays from the sun will also aid in r talning the heat in the water them are very similar to the American Halloween Candles always cover the Christmas tree yet this is never in full blaze until the night of Christmas day In Germany There is no week of festivities lasting until the first day of the year as in this coun- Extrema in England are probably more fully enjoyed than In any other country Many of the old English customs have been transplanted to America but many of them are still known only in the country In no other country across the sea are the festivities more Joyfully welwhere the comed than in England has not “old honor" as it is called fled In that country it is the custom on Christmas eve after the usual devotions are over to light large candles and throw on the hearth a huge log called the Yule log or Christmas block At court and In the homes of the wealthy an officer named the Lord of to superintend Is appointed Misrule the Christmas revels In Scotland a and Is similar officer is appointed This called the Abbot of Unreason is merely one mode of creating an fun of ago years but long abundance to was this officer really appointed superintend the festivities In the year 1515 the office was abolished by an act of parliament The reign of the original Lord of Misrule started at Halloween and continued until Candlemas The favorite pastimes which he day now presides over are gaming music conjuring dipping for nuts and apples dancing and “fool plough” hot cockIn England les blind man's buff etc the favorite dish for dinner at this season of the year is the boar’s head with an apple or orange in his mouth and set off with rosemary plum pudding and mince pie The English children look forward even more eagerly to the Christmas season than the American children and ChristIt is their Thanksgiving mas combined season lasts The English Christmas 25 from the night before December until the first day of the new year and everything Is merry during that The season long years ago was time in celebrated to a greater extent England than it is today on account of the fact that the heads of many of the churches complained that the season should be more sacred and not so much given over to the joyous proThis called a halt on the fesgrams tivities as the churches were then the ruling powers of the country Since that time the change has been felt right 'along The Santa Claus of the English children is an being and they are stern believers In the mythological gift giver until quite up in years Many of the English Christmas customs date back hundreds of years Right at the very door to our own country — Ellis Island — a Christmas celebration of more than passing terest takes place every year There is never a Christmas that does not find at least one steamship depositing its load of immigrants from Europe Strangers in a strange land on Christmas day! Surely they are worthy oi all that can be done for them to make them feel a little of the Christmas cheer! And much Is done The little immigrant children are treated to all sorts of Christmas gifts dear to the heart of childhood and their fathers and mothers come in too for Yuletide remembrances Several months before Christmas donations come in from all over the coun try From the middle of December packages begin to arrive some containing touching little offerings ol candies cheap tops and ornaments fruits From the 'Ghetto from little Italy from the crowded alleys and the stifling tenements come the gifts There is always a big Christmas dinner and a Christmas tree on Christmas eve Many of the little ones have never had so many good things and so much attention In all their lives befora Luxury At night clusters' of electric lights from the roof and will he suspended from the ceiling over the walk surrounding the pool while single lights will shine in every corner of the building Not a detail that will add to the of the bath has been omitted Under the front of the building a complete system of heating wjll be inFrom it heat will be carried stalled and drying to each dressing room Women bathers will even find room on their dressing tables the means to try Christmas festivities dry their hair by artificial heat The work of erecting this palatial The bath is already well under way actual construction is being carried on by A M Hunter & Son of Irvington wors at been A large force of men has for several weks and the builders expect that the bath will be completed by Easter There are other luxurious baths is many private houses — notably that iu the basement of Senator W A Clark's New York mansion on Fifth avenue public and there are a few magnificent baths ot which the Broadwater bath Is the Mont Helena outside Just last finest but Miss Gould's is the word In private bathhouse luxury I CROW His AN Futile Raucous AWKWARD LOVEP to Soften Efforts Voice Furnish for Bystander Hie For a few years 1 had crows but their nests are an Irresistible bait for boys and their settlement was EW YORK— Did you plunge into the foot and a half of Croton that all but overfrom flowed your t bathtub this morning? Did you float on your back gazing up at the rays of the sun which didn’t fithe lter through stained glass winbathroom cupboardlike were battling off you their summer estates pools that are and surrounded loggias by pergolas tropical gardens But Miss Gould Is going to have the finest of them all Directly opposite her handsome home at Irvington she is having erected a magnificent bathhouse which Is to contain not only a huge swimming pool but small baths and showers The luxury planned for this bathhouse reminds one of the baths of Imperial Rome Building Beautifully Designed Constructed of red brick with granite trimmings the building will be 138 The front feet long and 68 feet wide which will be of Doric design will be A two stories In height beautiful Miss Gould's shaded walk connecting mansion with the bath will lead to a of Back of the marble steps If you did how would you like Just flight granite pillars at the top of the steps for a change to take a bath in a will be three massive doors of oak and tub? As the doors swing outplate glass Perhaps you may have that privilege ward the guests will find themselves some day if you should be fortunate room in a spacious lounging where from enough to receive an invitation in ease and comfort berest Miss Helen Miller Gould for Miss they may fore and after the bath The floor of Gould is having erected on her beautiwith cork will be covered oriental ful summer estate Lyndhurst at and lounging chairs and divans a bathtub that rugs the palms will be scattered among will cost that amount of money which will convert the room into a Just think of the plumber’s bill if tropical grove should happen to go wrong! At either end of the lounging room What the plumber might do however to dressing rooms each of no terrors for has Miss doors lead evidently which might well belong to the boudoir Gould who planned for a private bath a princess of that would excel any other of Its kind When Miss Gould’s guests in their in the country the wide bathing suits step through New 8oclety Amusement doors at the rear of the lounging room the walk surrounding to the pool itself with every pleasSociety surfeited face to will be face with the glory ure that money could buy has at last they found a new way to amuse itself It of the ?G0000 bathtub Gently lapping the marble sides of has taken to swimming and like the small boy who has a secluded little the pool will stretch the huge basin of At the end nearest the loungpool back of the old mill to which he water he can escape from ing room the pool will be four feet Steals whenever to a so do rich people build their deep sloping gradually school away own little pools to which they can re- depth of eight feet at the farther end Pool Fed by Spring tire when the routine of dances and The water will flow through the pool dinners becomes irksome the last year many of the in a steady stream fed by a spring far During door pools on back on the spacious grounds of Lvndwealthy have built dow of your and imagine Palm Beach? Did you happen td bump your head on the medicine closet which projects over the end of the tub as you scrambled out to the floor which felt for ail the world like a cake of Ice? broken up They grew so wonted as to throw oft a great part of their shyness and to tolerate my near apOne very hot day I stood for proach seme time within twenty feet of a who sat on mother and three children ac elm bough over my head gaspiDg in the sultry air and holding their All wings half spread for coolness bebirds during the mating season come more or less sentimental and murmur ‘soft nothings in a tone very unlike the and repetition of the'r habitual song The loudness crow is very comical as a lover and to hear him trying to soften his croak to the proper Saint Preux standard of the effect of a Mishas something boatman sissippi quoting Tennyson Yet there are few things to my ear more melodious than his' caw of a as it drops to clear winter morning you filtered through five hundred fathoms of crisp blue air The hostility of all smaller birds makes the moral character of the crow for all his deaconlike demeanor and garb somewhat He questionable incould never sally forth without sult The golden robins especially would chase him as far aB I could follow with my eye making him duck to dodge their importunate clumsily however bills I do not believe that he robbed any nests hereabouts for the refuse of the gasworks which is is alour free and easy community lowed to poison the river supplied him with dead alewives in abundance —From AcLowell’s My Garden quaintance Parnell I never saw a braver man than Pan la The story of his downfall nell one of the most pathetic in history There is a rumor that Capt O’Shea said to Gambetta: “What are we going to do with Parnell? He is getto the ting to be a great danager And Gambetta replied: country" “Set a woman on his track” And the woman instead of betraying him fell In love with the patriot and that was his undoing — Recollections oi Mrs T P O’Connor |