| Show t s m aa U g 0 X V 0 o Z 4 HE 1 I N TAL DAY OF THE J I 1 I 1 41 PRINCE OF F is W I 1 I 1 1 P V RING S TO I 1 awaa OF HOMES ONLY X t THE MEMORY OF E 1 a I 1 DEAR ONES FOR av Z by JERLE DAVIS 0 EVER GONE AND 0 HAT a ghastly holiday christmas will be III europe this year THE GLOOM lions of families in mourning all ions of women and children stara OF FADING ing millions of homes in ruins millions of new graves millions of dead men that even the HOPE de R rill 1 shelter of earth millions of square miles of fertile land laid waste by IL war millions of men killing fathers husbands brothers sons and sweet hearts 4 belgium serbia northern france and poland 41 are a hades of wreckage in germany everyone yone y J 1 Is living on short rations and turning all energies to the pursuit of war even the half grown boys of france are under arms awaiting the call 0 the trenches austria and italy and england a d russia and bulgaria are pouring their money in 0 4 the mill that turns out guns and explosives wh e A am the poor exist in the misery of v r aj getting their mite of food and fuel and clothing k a by taking their turn in the bread line all of warring Eu ropes able bodied men are 4 A jv soldiers in one capacity or another in the s J ak streets of all the cities and villages of the con UW U W Z W J wm excepting the little neutral nations one V sees only aged men veterans of other wars a nd 4 maimed men who are recovering from wounds t received in this one everywhere are hospitals I 1 i ir A schools churches factories homes every sort of habitable place Is filled with wounded and one of the most flourishing enterprises over there is the sale of artificial limbs even from asia comes the wall of sorrow tor for mohammedan turkey Is religiously slaughtering its hundreds of 0 thousands of christian armenian subjects news dispatches of 0 the last few days describe the terrible plight 0 of refugees refu gies penniless ragged hungry diseased non combatants and exhausted beaten soldiers who are sweeping out of desolated leibla into greece we read of women with children in arms spending a month tramping through the snow covered mountains hoping in the end to find a little warmth and food and peace we read of frozen roadways strewn with the bodies of those that stopped on the way tor for a bit of 0 rest and never went on none of 0 the hundred million of 0 us in the united states can appreciate the horror of 0 it all some of our war over there have seen and heard but none has bra suffered and endured as those who are a part of 0 the conflagration santa claus will have a sorry time abroad this year fathers and mothers have neither the heart nor the means of commemorating the birth of the child ol of bethlehem and his bis mission among men of necessity they and their children will fast instead of feast cast if there is any feasting it will be a feast of prayer and hope america sent no christmas ship abroad this year why not some of us may ask why not with the united states at the height of prosperity and blessed with peace perhaps because we realize what a horror the war la is A prominent newspaper man in one of our large cities a man who had much to do with the success of the project last year had bad this to say when the question was brought up A christmas ship this year a boatload or two or three boatloads of dolls and jumping jacks and red apples and candy and cakes and mittens and redtop red top boots for or the kids of europe I 1 shall not dwell on the fact act that the warring nations have become much more deadly in their hate bate and suspicion and probably would refuse safe passage for the cargoes from one country to another I 1 shall not concern myself with the fact that the nations embroiled look upon the united states as a greedy animal growing tat fat and sleek feeding on their life blood and probably would return our gifts to us with curt no thank instead I 1 shall confess that I 1 am weighed down with the hopelessness of the situation here in america we have all wo we may reasonably ask ot of providence considering our own sins of 0 politics and social injustice over there they are cursed beyond the power of words to describe and the curse will be felt tor for generations millions in europe are dying in the agonies of starvation cold and disease tor for want of food clothing shelter and medical aid what a ghastly joke it would be in these circumstances tor for the richest and luckiest nation to offer those millions of 0 pitiful children a little candy and fruit when they need milk and broth mittens when they need blankets and clothing dolls and toy trains when they need doctors and nurses ind and sanitary supplies no this Is no time for polite mementoes let us concentrate on giving the only real help that would suffice and that would be welcome peace as soon as possible let us look upon the manner in which europe celebrated christmas before the war in france and belgium on christmas eve the baraques bardques bara ques or booths appear in the tha streets without hindrance and are all ablaze with candles and glittering treasures tor for every household must contain some bright trinket in honor bonor ot of noel the midnight mass to Is thronged thron ged the magnificent christmas hymn Is chanted everywhere and then all Is gleeful holiday for an hour or so tor for it ta is christmas morning the peacemaking peace making morning ot of the world there Is the boudin to be eaten the calen or christmas lamp symbolical of the star that guided the magi to bethlehem to be lighted tho the little to be exposed and all happiness all goodwill good will to everyone to bo expressed before retiring with the grand chorale of peace sounding in the ears in the country the lads and lassies classies merrily drag home the buche de noel corresponding to our yule log which Is kindled by the head of the family the boudin must be eaten and the hot spiced wine sent round and many a misunderstanding der standing to la made clear beside the christmas 4 fire on this the day of good will in germany and austria every housemother and every father makes christmas the feast tor for the children the great day of reunion the glad time when all meet under the old rooftree roof tree ani and social customs prevail over religious icus observances the Christ christmas rilas tree Is ubiquitous everyone haa bau it rich or poor and no one omits or christmas gifts to provide these the german people will it if need be save up halt hair the year each member of the household must have something as a surprise generally ser serviceable vice presents that are often needed and always acceptable singularly enough the christmas Is not celebrated as aa one would expect in italy there the night of the year Is less a religious festival than a fair the world seems absorbed in delirious excitement and all crowd round and divert themselves hilariously till the churches claim them for or the midnight mass but the run fun goes on they laugh gleefully as only italians can laugh enjoy themselves to their hearts content but the tha celebrations are not home celebrations it Is a general not a domestic feast in russia and poland the children put their shoes filled with hay bay outside the door for or the horses 0 of st nicholas and it Is believed in most sections that st nicholas comes first on a pre visit ten days before christmas to learn which children have been good he leaves nuts t and candy in the shoes of those who have been good but nothing for or those who have been bad who thus know that they may expect no presents on the real christmas day in serbia and the other balkan countries at dawn on the day before chrismas Chrt smas the sturdy peasant proprietor dispatches his sons to the orest forest on reaching rea ching the spot where the destined christ mas tree stands the ax bearer offers up a prayer then he draws on a pair of gloves tak takes e a handful of corn flings it against the tree and nd says good morning and a happy christmas to you this done he addresses himself to the task of tilling foiling paying careful attention to the laws of the Dad badri nyal yah which prescribes among other things that all the cuts be made on one particular side once felled the tree Is carried home and leaned against the east side of the house where it remains till evening then the wife lights two can dies and places one on alther i side of the door way while the husband goes fort forth h to bring in the barnyak the master of the house now throws three nuts into each of the tour four corners of the room saying as he does so in the namo name of the father in the name of the son in the name of the holy ghost amen all night everyone remains gloating over the crackling roasting pig with an eagerness of anticipation proportionate to the zeal with which they have observed the six sit weeks fast enjoined by the greek orthodox church by this time christmas day ban owned and on christmas everyone must go to service |
