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Show OGDEN ITEMS. As Viewed Through the Eyes of Sacred Sa-cred Heart Academy Students. j As the parishioners of St. Joseph's 1 church entered the edifice last Sunday morning a look of satisfaction was evi- ; dent on their faces, and yet it was a I satisfaction unsatisfied, for in the al- I ways scrupulously neat and orderly ; sanctuary an immense scaffolding had j been erected. The modest altar which ' for so many years has held the only j sacrificial stone in Ogden had lx-eu I placed forward near the railing to I make room in the rear for the rnonu- I ment of love and piety, now curtained j from view, but which Christmas morn- j ing will reveal in all its grandeur to j the anxious eyes and devoted hearts of those who have clone so much to make 'possible this magnificent tribute of adoration and gratitude to the liv- j ing God. I By a few" privileged ones who were j fortunate enough to secure a glance behind the screen, a feeling was ex- I perienced not unlike that awakened by j the-introductory notes of a grand ora- ! torio tempting measures which make us impatient for the ghid burst of harmony har-mony whose music will fill all hearts Christmas morning. bringing that "peace on earth, good will to men." promised nineteen hundred years ago by the angelic choirs in lowly Bethlehem. Bethle-hem. Notwithstanding the dose application to study, there was. for several dnvf:. a decidedly Thanksgiving atmosphere around Sacred Heart academy. Visions of boxes filled with goodies, of a play ty the seniors, and of a real holiday, instead of being distractions, were incentives in-centives to continuous study. It is even told, sub rosa. that the Muse had been invoked in -behalf of odes to turkeys tur-keys about to give their lives for the day's celebration. The subject is certainly cer-tainly an inspiring one, and the efforts ef-forts were doubtless' specimens? of realism. real-ism. However, the true idea of Thanksgiving Thanks-giving was uppermost that of earnest gratitude to Him who "feeds the birds of the air, clothes the lilies of the field, notes the fall of a sparrow, yet by whom even the hairs of our head are all numbered." It is gratifying to the faculty and all interested in Sacred Heart academy to note that the Alumnae retain their old-time old-time devotion to Alma Mater, and that neither the flight of time nor the cares of the workaday world prevent the social meetings which do so much to keep alive the love and memory of happy school days. That these gatherings gather-ings are not infrequent, we observe from the columns of the daily journal, one having been held lately at Miss N. Maguire's. ' ?9, and another for a not distant date at the home of Miss Har-combe, Har-combe, '02. "I am so busy making Christmas presents, that I have not a minute to spare." So said one of our young acquaintances ac-quaintances a few days ago. and the expression was thought-provok'ing. Indeed, In-deed, any loving heart finds genuine pleasure in presenting tokens of appreciation, appre-ciation, but the true spirit of gift-making has lost its force in these days of barter. What motive prompts people nowadays in making presents at Christmastide? Is it to manifest good will, appreciation, gratitude? In many-instances, many-instances, we trust, this is the case, but often, it is to be feared, the reason may be discovered in a remark so frequently fre-quently heard: "Well, I don't know i what to give Katheryn or Evelyn, but ' I must send her something showy; she always mails me such an elaborate present." -. We . measure our tokens of regard, not by the estimation in which we hold our friend, nor. in accordance with our ability or. taste, but by the worth of what she presents, forgetting Emerson's Emer-son's wise injunction: "The only gift is a portion of thyself. Therefore, let the farmer give his corn, the miner a gem. the sailor coral and shells, the painter his picture, and the poet his poem."'., It is the Christ-like spirit that is wanting.. We forget the origin of the gift-making custom; the significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh is lacking. How many of us neglect to prepare gifts for . Him who is the Mighty Giver of all? Too short, indeed, in-deed, will we find the four weeks of Advent if 'we but strive to make our hearts fit resting places for the Infant God. Let us adorn them with the gifts He most desires, foremost among which is that unbounded charity that gives to Christmas its real meaning a time when all men are brothers: when, as Father Sh'eehan so beautifully and tersely says: "Contention is banished and humanity asserts itself in Him who assumed it." Sacred Heart Academy, Ogden, Utah. James Kennedy of Fargo. N. D., is in the city. 4 Mr. and Mrs. Walter R. Sebree of Caldwell. Ida., are stopping with Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Stewart at the Reed, and will be their guests over Sunday. f Professor F. A. Sullivan of Denver is visiting Mr. and Mrs. Albert F. Rickey. The professor is on his way to Idaho. The members of the Sacred Heart Academy Alumni spent a pleasant last Saturday with Miss Nellie Maguire at her home on Adams avenue. The afternoon after-noon was devoted chiefly to discussing the literary topics of the day, during which very dainty refreshments were served by the hostess. The young ladies departed at dusk, to meet Dec. 1 with Miss Ethel Harcombe at her home, 619 Twenty-fifth street. The students of the Sacred Heart academy gave an entertainment at that institution .Wednesday evening, which was attended by about 200 people. The programme consisted of dialogues by the pupils, interspersed with vocal and I instrumental musical selections. Rev. Father P. M. Cushnahan delivered an address and complimented the school on the talent displayed. |