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Show 2 CHRISTMAS DAYS Island of Madagascar the Only Country Thus Favored. Queen Ranavalona II on Ascending Throne Became First Christian Ruler and Adopted "Glory to God in Highest" Motto. There is only one spot in the whole world where Christmas is celebrated twice each year and that is the Island of Madagascar, oft the eastern coast of. the southern end of Africa, and which dominates that part of the Indian In-dian ocean. Marco I'olo, the great traveler, tirsi made this island known to .medieval ' Europe in 1298. It was nearly two hundred years later when a Portuguese Portu-guese traveler obtained the first authentic au-thentic information about the island, i in 1-11)7. From that: time on there were ! attempts by the Portuguese, French and ; J-aiglish to settle the island, and they ! met with defeat at the hands of the , wild and savage Hovas, who controlled the island, and many died from Mala- gasy fever in the low hinds of the coast. On Christmas eve in 10TJ all the Frenchmen at Fort Dauphin were murdered mur-dered by the natives;. In LSI!) a llova chief, Radama I, a young man, allowed the Christian missionaries to teach their Iiible doctrines in the island, and by ISO Protestant Christianity was effectively introduced among the Ilovas. First Christian Ruler. Eadama died-in lSUS, and one of his wives became Queen Ilanavulouu I. She was bitter against the Christians avid persecuted them in many cruel ways, and she had her warriors from the interior mountains of the island massacre the native Christians, who would not renounce the Christum Cod and go back to the worship of idols. The cruel queen reigned until her death in 1SG1 a wicked record of o3 years. Then her sun, Radama II, became be-came king, and although he was a great drunkard and led a wild life himself, he allowed the Christian J.nis-sionaries J.nis-sionaries to come into the island again, lie was assassinated in the palace in ISO", and his widow, Itasohei-ina. was proclaimed queen. Fpon her death in isi;s, a niece of Ranavalona I ascended i be throne as Ranavalona II. When a nirl, her gentle charities and sympathies sympa-thies with the Christians during their persecutions had won respect and love, and when she became queen it was understood un-derstood that Madagascar had the first really Christian ruler on its throne. Petween 1SI50 and is:',.j the entire Bible Bi-ble had been printed in the Malagasy language, also an English-Malagasy dictionary. So, on the day of her coronation coro-nation the idol which had been prominent promi-nent on similar occasions was banished by Ranavalona II. and a copv of the Malagasy Bible placed near the throne ; while on the canopy above. In golden letters, were the words: "Glory to God In the Highest, Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men." With one hand on the Illbh.', tie- queen addressed the people, expressing the hope that they would adopt the Christian faith, but added: "In this matter you shall not be compelled." com-pelled." Ordered Idols Destroyed. She ordered her own household Idols and the chief national Idol to be burned burn-ed and gradually her example was followed fol-lowed by the general destruction of household Idols among the Ilovas. She married the prime minister the following fol-lowing year and made a public profession profes-sion of her faith, and from that time on thf Christian religion has been growing fast in Ihe Island. The words over the canopy at her coronation the queen knew to be spoken spok-en by the aiC'els in the sky when Ihe shepherds heard the noise of winics at the time the Christ was born in Bethlehem. Christmas Is ci blunted over the Island now. But Ihe Hovas have different way of competing lime and by their system Chr'simns falls some time In November, and they celebrate cele-brate It llien." The Cbri-lian date of December 2i Is also celebrateil by the natives along wiih the missionaries. But It Is not a Christinas of snow and sleighbells. It is a troph-iil country atid Christmas day Is under, a torrid sun, but. the sky is brilliant, and the magnificent, flowering trees of many vivid colors are flllwd with many peculiar pe-culiar birds (jf brilliant plumage, while the ground beneath Is bespangled with wild blossoms of varied hues. |