Show Womans Woman's Athenaeum The December meeting of the Womans Woman's Athenaeum was held at the Bardsley building on Main street with Mrs W. W J. J Bardsley acting as hostess Monday afternoon The theme for the occasion was Christmas Tree Lane Under the able direction of Mrs Harold Hartwell as assisted ns- ns assisted by Mrs George Gasparac Mrs Bardsley and Mrs Melvin Melvln Kidder In all Christian countries Christmas Is celebrated as the anniversary of the birth fo Christ That day by common consent December is marked by special religious services and by merry merry- merrymaking merrymaking making and rejoicing Today tie tte observance observance observance ance is 15 well nigh universal Everywhere it Is above all a childrens holiday Having that fact in mind Mrs Hart- Hart Hartwell Hartwell Hartwell well and her assistants arranged the Christmas Tree Lane theme Into a musical program presented by children Community singing sinking opened op ned this gala ala occasion The 16 members present and the th many guests Joined In singing Jingle Bells Mrs Foster Jones acted as the accompanist To Mrs Jones and the theother theother other accompanists who helped make the program a n success namely Mrs Blanche Flete er Mrs Frank Stone and Miss Connie Cunningham Cun Ingham we sincerely appreciate your efforts and offer thanks Following the tho community singing Mrs I Ed reviewed the Story of the I Christmas Tree The Christmas Tree ee with Its silver star and lights and Its Imi- Imi Imitation I tation trimmed frost-trimmed boughs Is as ns much mucha a n. part of the celebration as any ny other I phase of Christmas Some Its or- or orgin orgin gin gln back to Roman days das but Its first appearance as a regular Institution was J I along the Rhine some time In the century At the beginning of the century the fashion spread all over Gel Ger- GerI Germany I many and by 50 years later had conquered con- con conquered conquered Christendom Along with the Christmas tree goes Santa Claus Glaus And to the Jovial old Dutch settlers of New i York Vork goes credit of that Idea For they I brought brou ht with them across the ocean thet the the- j Joyous observances of the fatherland We of the new now world owe our Santa Claus to them for this Jolly old saint Is none other than St St. Nicholas or San the the patron saint of children as pronounced In Dutch Next Mrs Hartwell read the Girl Scout Leader the reason re-ason why laurel holly and mistletoe were cus us with Christmas The laurel Is more commonly Known to us as cranberry When n the Christmas season approaches each home puts on Its gala attire and sprigs of holly adorn the chandelier chand lIer and lane anI an i in wreathe tho In the windows The bright red berries conspicuous among the dark green prickly leaves lea add a n cheery note to the occasion The mistletoe toe loe IR a shrub of many miny man traditions and has pleasant associations n with Christmas It grows as a parasite on the trunks and branches of various trees trets Accord- Accord AccordIng According Ing to tradition whenever the Druids I ancient priests of the Alts found mistletoe mistletoe toe too growing they cut it off of with a golden blade and gave bits to the people for charms Early European nations seem to have revered the mistletoe as a cere cere- ceremonial ceremonial plant a practice which is the probable origin of the Christmas custom of kissing under the mistletoe Mrs Hartwell opened the musical program pro pro- program program gram by singing Noel and selections from the children followed inthe in inthe Inthe the order given Barbara Goodwin sang sangIn sangIn sangIn In My Little Alice Blue Gown with I appropriate gestures and tapped a Mickey Mouse dan dane e. e Jennings Hartwell played Silent Night and Where Oh Where Is My Little Dog Gone on the piano Little Marian Marlon Stone sang A Christmas Lullaby and Sleepy Little Robin The he song of Hurry Mr Clock was ery very nicely given by Mae Jean and Donna DonnaLou DonnaLou DonnaLou Lou Thomas Elynor Elyn r Anne Hartwell play play- played played played ed the piano selection Edelweiss Glide Ollde Miss Elynor along with the Mc- Mc McP P sisters Miss Grace and Miss Betty sang Star of the King And The Bell Bellr Bellof of Saint Marys was very beautifully given In song by little Paula and Miss Betty Cunningham As It had started so It ended filth Ith community singing All Joined In that ever beautiful old favorite Silent Night Who ever heard of or a Christmas party without th the candy nuts and oranges This Tills Athenaeum party was no exception cep- cep tion so while the hostess Mrs Bard Bard- Bardsley Bardsley sley served donuts Mrs Kidder found gay packages of goodies beneath the brightly decorated branches of the Christmas tree for those who had taken part on the program It was wa splendid a program and a nice party Because this Is our last meeting before the new year we Join our President Mrs C. C 0 O. O Hull in wishing all a very happy holiday season We also bid welcome a new member Mrs George Locker and Invite her ber to Join us at t the home of Mrs W. W W W. Evans E ap for tor the first ot 1938 on 1 JanU JanUary ary 3rd at two o'clock EVELYN E YN A. A TUGGLE Secretary |