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Show ..Otir loy$ and .fflrls.. j Edited by Aunt Busy. This department is conducted solely in the interests inter-ests of oar(giri and boy readers. v Aunt Dury is glad to near any time from the nieces and nephows who read this page, and to give taem all the advice and help in her power. "Write on one side o the paper only. Do not Lave letters too lone. Original stories and versos will be gladly received and carefully edited. The manuscrlps of contributions not accepted will te returned. trStaU ,Uers 10 Aunt Busy, Ir-tcrmountain '-athollc. Salt Lake City. AUNT BUSY WISHES 3IERRY CHRISTMAS TO HER BOYS AND GIRLS. Dear Xioccs and Xophevs: Aunt Btisv liopcs dm the beautiful feast of Christmas will find all Jkt nieces and nephews well and happy, vou know that the sure-t vray to be happy is to ninkc others nappy and i. there ever is a time when faith is cn-Jnoned, cn-Jnoned, and hrts iiinuenoeJ with charity it is during the Yuletidc. Love and gratitude, for the Infant Christ, who came, to earth smiling and sweet, thouirh in the loveliness, miswy and poverty of the stable, tills il'o hearts of all true Christian?. Dear girls and boys, do not think that Christmas Christ-mas is only for fun and frolic. Grand lesons may be learned from the Holy Child of Bethlehem, Bethle-hem, lessons of obedience, humility and eharitv. Jlis cradle was a manger filled with coarse- straw, His garments ragged and the time of His birth 'he coldest and nmst cheerless time of the year. How then can the great festiVal be celebrated! P.y prayer and good works, dear little folks, which' is the only way to keep the spirit -of the dear Babe, who came on earth centuries ago to teach us how 10 live. - 1 Let us truly feel in our hearts and souls on Christmas morning the glad pong of the angels, "Glory to God in the highest! Peace on earth and good will to men.'' Lovingly, AUNT BUSY. Holy Night. Ilily 'nislit! S! ' night! All things Kit Anpels brietht Jlevcrent watch with Mary mild O'er the cradle of her child, ' S1"'.'P in heavenly res-t. Sleep in heavenly re."t. Holy night! Silent nU;ht! Sh-ph--rds paw ihe wondrous light ; "Waked by Ang?F' -glorious-strain Peace on earth, pood will to men, ' Christ is born indeed. ' ' Christ is born indeed. f LETTERS AND ANSWERS, Desplaincs Ills., Dec. 13, 1105. Dear Aunt Busy: This is the first time I have written to you. 1 am in the Seventh grade and am Vi years old. I am going to write about Columbus Co-lumbus tomorrow. 3 will close with much love. HONOll A. BARKY, 501 "Minor St. Aunt Busy gladly welcomes the little niece from Illinois. Your penmanship is excellent, Honor, - and what' a pretty name you have! Your story ibout Columbus will appear in the next issue. A merry Chridmas, dear, to you and yours. A LETTER TO SANTA CLATJS. . (Written for Intennountain Catholic bv Carrie Craddock, Salt Lake City.) The cold, frosty night was scarcely heeded by the merry CLiistmas shoppers. The business streets ' of ihe great city were ablaze with the glory and bpkndor of Christmas tide. As the moments flew by, ihe gny and eager throngs 'seemed to be steadily increasing and on many of their faces was reflected the inner joy they experienced in spending so much lime and thought and care in selecting gifts for others. In front of the gaily decorated windows of a large store was a group of children rapt in gazing at the wonders of toyland. To the childish mind there is perhaps no image dearer than that of the generous, faithful Santa Claus. and no vision half so beautiful as that of the enchanting, alluring .fairyland of toys. There everything in the grown-up world is skillfully represented, rep-resented, and unfortunate indeed is the. child whose binning for some favorite toy cannot be satisfied. Many of the children ir. this group were, attended at-tended by parents or guardians and their faces shone with delight as they pointed out the. treasures treas-ures which -they wanted Santa Claus to bring. But there was one little fellow all alone, standing with his face pressed close to the window and with his i big brown eyes fixed upon the glittering decorations decora-tions of a large Christmas tree. "vYliile he was gazing gaz-ing at the. toys he seemed to be unconscious of everything around him, but now' and then some one in the crowd jostled him and then the brightness vanished from hi thin little face and left it very pule. A strangely wistful expression came into liis eyes as he turned to look at the busy, throng around him, and then he could feel how lonely and cold and hungry he was. But when his gaze wandered wan-dered back to the beautiful Christmas tree, he forgot for-got that he was hungry, forgot that there was any Aorl-1 outside of that window. There were many kind, gf nerous ouls in that crowd.-Ah, if they had t -nly known the longing in his little heart for one j of those toys! ', Th decorations of this window were especially j rd tractive tonight, and as the crowd of admiring j spectators increased, the little boy was pushed away j from Ids place. He was not strong enough to re- j sist the rude hands that thrust him oil the pave- i mont find into the street. " ' I Suddenly ihere was a commotion and an excited j cry of "Fire" hoard in the di-tance. Down the J street came the firemen and their swift steeds and j the popple hastened to clear the way. 3Iothcrs i caught up their children in their arms. But there j was no one to warn this lonely little fellow of his j danger. He was still trying to get a glimpse of the j Christmas tree and did not hear the clanging of the tire bells. A man standing near happened to notice him and reavhed out his hand to pull him buck out of the way, but jut an instant too late. 3u that moment the relentless wheels had 'crushed the life out of the frail little body. A gentleman stepped out from the horror-stricken horror-stricken crowd and picked up the lifeless form. Xo nnn know the boy's name or where he lived. 3Iuny eyes were filled with tears as the thought occurred oc-curred to the people that the accident had happened hap-pened on the evo of what should havp been the happiest day in the year for the boy. the kind-hearted -gentleman had the body carried car-ried to his home and taken to the room, where his own little boy liy dreaming of Santa Claus. He removed 1 he "torn cap and the Ihin jacket that served as a covering for the little form. "Just a waif of the street',"'. he mused thoughtfully. thought-fully. Inside" the pocket of the jacket he found a torn and crumbled paper. He opened it and found written on it in an uneven, childish hand, these werds: "Dear Santa Claus: They told ran that you vouldn't bring me anything. But I know hnt you are good. So if you have anything left, woVtyou please bring ra. something? "HQBBY."' Here and tin' re was a c.po1 ca' the paper as though, tears had fallen upon it. The gentlemen stood for a- moment thinking 3vpiy. He was a wealthy men crrl .had. been lavishly lav-ishly spending time fnd money ia i.-nyvnc; gifts for friends who already had every luxury that heart could desire. He wondered if he had been giving in the right spirit. To be sure he had contributed to several charitable funds, but he had done so thoughtlessly. Suddenly he thought ' that it was still not too late for him to bring cheer t some desitute homes and lonely hearts, and he determined that all of his gifts should not be given withdut the giver. His eyes were dim as' he looked again at the crushed little form. "God grant that there may bo something for you in heaven, Hobby," he said fervently. A CHRISTMAS CAROL. A'.Mc-rrie Christmas, Gentlefolk! May nothing: ye dismay, May peace of mind attend c all This blessed Christmas day. There was a .star whoso light. Mystical and holy, Shone through the silent niglit O'er a stable lowly. Sing praise to God on high! And rejoice that He Thus should heautify Humble poverty. A Merrie Christmas'. Gentlefolk: And may your wealth and pride lie mindful of the humble oijes This blessed Christmas-lido. There was a Tattle Child, Innoeent and holy, ! Born of the Virgin mild. In that stable lowly. Sing praise lo God who Gave I'mo you and ine Such Gift our souls to save.! J O: the charity! A Merrie Christmas, Gentlefolk.: And may your wealth and pride 3 mindful of the humble ones This blessed Christmas-tide. T. A. Daly. Little Christmas Gifts. Any child who is old enough to hem and to sew over and over can make a Christmas gift for some one. A few minutes' time raid a few stitches each day wilt accomplish a great deal. The articles described de-scribed are not especially new, but are simple enough for small workers, and may be made with little or no expense. A laundry bag for soiled handkerchiefs and stocks can be made from two hemstitched towels. Tliese may be stitched together at the sides and I bottom, just inside the open-work border. The top j is then turned over for the depth of about, four I inches, and a run made for a draw-string. This top j may be turned over a brass or wooden ring, if one I prefers an open-mouthed bag. A cotton-ball fringe of any bright color is trimmed about the top and j across the bottom of the bag. Bibbons of the sumo ! shade are sewed to the sides, forming a loop with which the bag is hung. A pencil case is a convenient gift for a school friend or an artist. This may be made of linen or heavy silk. One piece is cut in the size most convenient, con-venient, and the second piece of the same width, but with the top cut diagonally. These are placed together and bound with ribbon or braid. Stitch together to-gether to form pocket sabout one inch wide. When not in use, the case may be. rolled up and fastened by two little ribbons sewed to the side. For clippings. Every woman likes something to hold recipes or clippings. Take sis large envelopes, envel-opes, and put them together so that the flaps all i face the same way. Take two pieces of cardboard a little larger than the envelopes and cover with fancy paper or with cloth. Letter with writing or outline. "Kecipes." Lay covers and envelopes evenly even-ly together at the bottom, and with a sharp knife make a gash an inch from each of "the two ends and run ribbon through these with a ribbon needle. Leave it loose and tie in a knot. Attach ribbon at top for tying. For pins and needles. A pretty -little affair, which is a cushion and a needle case Wonbined, may he made from small bits of fancy silk. Cut twto circular cir-cular pieces of cardboard, and cover with the silk on both sides. Cut smaller pieces of white flannel, and pink or cut in small scallops round the edges. On the top of one of the pieces sew a small ball, filled with anything that will allow the pins to stick in. and cover with silk. Sew this down firmly so that it will look like the crown of a hat. Tie a rib' bon round this and finish with a bow. Sew ribbons on each piece to fasten the cushion, and just cat oh together at the back. A shoe-button bag is made in this way: A small doll is used; the skirts are made of fsticy ribbon. On the under one an extrs gathered piece forms a little bag in which are kept shoe buttons. Little leaves of flannel arc inserted for the needles. A rice pincushion is just the thing to carry on a journey. It is made of one length of ribbon folded and stitched, leaving n space an inch and a half wide' down the center, which is filled with rice. The top is then gathered and tied with narrow ribbon. The pins easily pass through the rice. Napkin ring. A birch-bark napkin ring may be made with very little trouble. Take a strip of birch bark five and one-half inches long' by one and-a quarter inches wide. Cut slashed in the -strip wide enough to pass a ribbon through, which ties the ends together and finishes with a dainty bow. The- Companion. Com-panion. Christmas Night. By Sister M. D -niinie, O. S. I). In rapture lost, our sweet Madonna bends Above her new-born . babe. As l.'ly. fnr.. . Her form Her radiant face and flowine hair A veil in part conceals. Ali love 'oho t;ndn Hr Child, her God: "Who now to hr .extends His infant hands What joy! ' Maternal carp Hi net-forth with reverence co-nl'in?d and grayer Shall fill her days: shall latfr make amends For seven-fold wounds. As rests her saz- on II Un Do visions rise of scourge and crown and cress'. Or. as she feels His rosy tenderness e;;pvissed In ways all mothers know do. her ryi dhr? Her heart in sorrow swell? Oh. yo whom 'loss Of sons IweAved, draw . near "God's will be blessed." , . Bnsnry Macn."tiie. . Christmas-Tide. By Wilis B.iyd Allen. ?now limn, sad time. The world is growing old; Th shadowy fa'l ucroes the wall, . ' The night is wan and cold; When lo! the joyous songs aiisv? . Of angels in the starry skies. . "Child time, glad time. The world is young again;-The again;-The starlight streams, the holly gleams . Upon the frosted pane. Grant us. dnr Lord, a place beside The baby Christ, at Christmas-tide! From Harper's Bazar. SANTA CLAUS. , . ...... It's a merry old man , , I'm setting to rhyme. And Ire comes when he can At Chriftmas time With everything from a rattle to a ring Oh, hark to the sleighbell's chime! N "His reindeers race o'er housotops tall And over the hilltops steep: But they never grow weary-r-no, not at all And he never goes to deep. With dolls and drums down the chimney he corr.es- Sing ho for his reindeer leap. And he fills every stocking . .From tip to toe; And it's awfully shocking To wake you know, . ' . ' Simply because it's old Santa Claus. ' Hurrah for i!ie Old Man of the Snow! ' --John Jordan Douglass. |