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CHRISTMAS MORNING
:: CONFERENCE ::
b By Christopher
G. Hazard
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the resources of his prodigal spirit.
It used to take time and pains to
send letters to his headquarters,
Lut now anybody can call him up
In a moment or send a wish out into
the space that tingles with electricity,
that swift and willing servant of joy,
full of light, and heat, and power.
So, vhen Tim had suggested a letter
to had
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motion car—that was the answer he
got!” “Well, I’ll try it, anyway,” said
the half-convinced Tim.
But the line was busy. Moreovor, it
was likely to be busy for the next two
weeks, Central said, which rather dis¬
couraged the boy, but at the same time
gave him a bright idea: Why not put
up his own wireless telephone? Then
he could ask for all that he wanted!
The neighbors, and especially the
neighbors’ boys, were much interested
in Tim’s experiment as it progressed.
The stock of materials was limited,
but with friendly help the two wires
and the rest of a simple apparatus
were contrived and the boys Imagined
that they heard things as they listened
in. They imagined, too, that there was
an ear at the other end of everywhere
as they -were sending out their expres¬
sions of desire. Certainly it was well
noised about in the neighborhood that
McCann’s boy was scientifically hope¬
ful for himself and family; even the
particulars of his aspirations were un¬
derstood.
Among others, old man McKeefrey
heard the news. McKeefrey was a pe¬
culiar old chap. He lived alone in a
rather dilapidated house on the edge
of the village and had little to do with
anybody. Once in a while he would
give his views on the one subject that
employed his thoughts to an evening
company at the corner store, but no
one paid much attention to then). Kis
one idea was that charity began at
home, and the popular opinion that in
McKeefrey’s home it stayed there.
There was also a general opinion that
in McKeefrey’s home it was not very
much needed. The old man was not
much on dress and he seldom went
anywhere or seemed to indulge in any
of the non-necessities or luxuries ol
life, but he was supposed to have
means enough to outshine the test
them, should he desire to.
It was when he had been descanting.
to a few listeners who sat about the
store stove, upon the folly of send-
' THESE days, when wires
stretch from pole to pole
and wireless messages fill
the air like auroras, Santa
Claus is not left without
hints and suggestions as to
the desires of his bene¬
ficiaries. They come in from
all quarters and tax even
don’t you use the
tell-’em - phone?”
and Nora had
said that wireless
was better. “Sure,
he’s too far away
for them things,”
objected Mrs. Mc¬
Cann. “No, not
if he was ten
thousand miles
away,” said Mr.
McCann. “Mike
H e n n e s y sint
worrud to his fa¬
ther in Australia,
and him as far as
that, and look at
him now, wid his
POCKXXXXXXXXJOOCCOOOOOOOOOO
Walter de la Marc, in Poetry.
TN dead of dark to his starry North
Saint Nicholas drew near—
He had ranged the world this wintry
Hit night,
elks-bells jangling clear.
Now bitter worn with age was he,
And weary of mankind, for few
Had shown him love or courtesy.
His sacks lay empty—all save one—
Stirred And this, to his affright.
as he stood with fingers numb.
Ablaze with hoer-fro9t bright.
Aghast he stood. Showed fumbling thumb.
Small shoulder, a wing—what stowaway
Was this, and whence was it eomep
And out there crept a lovely Thing—
Half angel and half child;
"I, youngest of ail Heaven, am here.
To be thy ioy,” he smiled;
"Oh, Thy Nicholas! Our Master Christ
Hath grief hath seen, and He
bidden me come and keep His tryat.
And bring His love to thee—
To serve thee well, and sing Nowell,
And thine own son to be."
ing Christmas things to soldiers that
he heard about Tim McCann’s hopeful
electrical efforts.
The old man was
at once interest¬
ed. In e a r 1 i e r
years and before
his retirement to
Apple Center he
had known the
ambitions that
are common
enough in the
world and had
compel led for¬
tune to yield him
some of his fav¬
ors. A dishonest
partner and some¬
thing that went
wrong in a love affair had embit¬
tered him, however, and caused his
misanthropical retirement into his use¬
less obscurity. Reacting against so¬
ciety, he had more and more turned his
thoughts inward and inclosed himself
in a shell of selfishness. He was the
sole inhabitant of his little world and
charity was his servant; the only needs
he really believed in were his own
needs; to their supply and protection
his means were consecrated.
But now McKeefrey was strangely
interested. Something of old sympathy
and youthful feeling stirred In his
crusty heart. He was touched by the
thought of boyish anticipations and
afraid for the disappointments that he
foresaw. He remembered that once
his own heart had been warm and
hopeful, that he had made effort for
good and sent out dreams into the
future. There came back to him a
sense of the bitter and blighting frost
that had chilled and deadened him, and
there sighed in his soul a faint hope
that happiness might visit him again
in his effort to bestow it upon others.
It seemed a sweet and desirable thing
to him to honor the faith that was
causing Tim to reach out into
world for a blessing.
So it was that there were signs of
strange activity about McKeefrey’s
house and mysterious arrivals at Mc¬
Cann’s house. And when, on Christ¬
mas morning, the McCanns awoke tc
the very liberal response that Santa
Claus had made to their specifications,
Mrs. McCann’s pessimism was retired
in confusion. “I wouldn’t have belaved
it,” she said, “that ould McKeefrey
could be that changed, the cratur; that
he could be a Santy Claws, the oma
dhaun. It do heat th’ divil. It is more
wonderful than all your phones and
wires. These do be great times we do
be livin’ In. I niver thought electricity
could go that fur.”
It was Tim’s first step in science, but
he went a good deal farther than that.
Now he can put you into real communi¬
cation with all the rest of the world
if you like. But he owes It all to that
change of heart that came to old Mr
McKeefrey.
As for the old man—he has nevei
been able to get back into his ole
house and hard shell. Charity ha*
taken him out Into a large and happiei
world 1
w
CHRISTMAS FEAST FOR BIRDS
Feathery Tribe in Bosnia Not Forgot¬
ten— Food Placed Near Nests
and Shelters.
jjMlWlP a. r
**
in which animals and birds give evi¬
dence of their adoration. A well
known Bosnian legend offers a version
of world-adoration. They claim that
on the holy day "the sun In the east
bowed down, the stars stood still; the
mountains and forests shook and
touched the earth with their summits,
and the green pine tree bent; the
grass was be-flowered with the open¬
ing of blossoms; Incense sweet as
myrrh pervaded upland and forest;
birds sang on the mountain tops and
all give thanks to the great God.”
In Bosnia on Christmas Day a sheaf
of rye is put near birds’ nests and
bird houses for the birds’ Christmas.
An old Indian legend says that on
Christmas night all the deer in the
forest kneel in adoration before the
Great Spirit. Woe to him, however,
who tries to spy upon them. He is
punished with perpetual stiffening of
the knees.
Many people of the Old World
claim that on Christmas night animals
are gifted with speech, but none must
trespass or eavesdrop.
Many and many have been the tales
which account tor thfc robin’s red
breast. In great many parts of Europe
he is called the Savior’s bird, and a
story is told that when the Christ was
crucified the robin, unable to stand
His suffering, ventured to pluck the
thorns from His head. In doing so, the
blood stained the robin’s breast, which
sign he wears today.
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USE OF CHRISTMAS STOCKING
Custom Comes From Sunny Italy
Where Poor First Used Long
Knitted Purses.
JOG £
In the city of Padua, long ago, good
old St. Nicholas used to go about the
streets after dark and throw through
the windows of the homes of the poor
people long knitted purses, tied at
both ends, and containing much need¬
ed coins. These purses were made of
yarn, and when untied looked not un¬
like a footless stocking.
Finally, as time went on, the poor
people, hoping thus to remind the
more fortunate of their needs, used to
hang these empty purses out of the
windows on the night before Christ¬
mas, so that a gift might be placed
In them.
In the north country, where the
weather is cold at Christmas time, the
purses were hung by the chimney
place in the hope that St. Nicholas
wonld drop his offering down the
chimney.
When the purses went out of fashion
stockings as the thing most like them
were used in their stead, and that is
why we today still observe the prac¬
tice and the custom.
“COME AN' GONE!”
TN THE days before prohibi
tlon, an old, southern aarky
was wont to celebrate Christ¬
mas with a quiet and solitary
bottle of liquor. Upon one oc¬
casion he was going home with
his prize under his arm, when
he stumbled on the curbstone.
The bottle slipped, fell and
broke, spilling the contents all
over the pavement.
The old darky regarded the
catastrophe with gentle mourn¬
fulness.
“Dere, now,” he murmured,
“Christmas come an’ gone!”
CHRISTMAS DAY IN ICELAND
Natives Still Cling to Old Customs and
Songs; Day Is One of Great
Happiness.
dBM
est day Is four hours long, and where
at Christmas time the sun does not
rise above the horizon for a week.
Christmas is a great day with the
people of Iceland and they still cling
to all their old customs and songs and
the day to them Is one of great hap¬
piness.
One of their favorite old songs is
filled with simplicity that is touching
and yet gives a glimpse of a philos¬
ophy of life that Is pretty fine:
When I go good and think aright
At peace with man, resigned to God.
Thou looket on me with eyes of iight.
Tasting new Joys in joy’s abode.
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mE COVINGTON NEWS, COVING A O'!*> GEORGIA
HRISTMAS is not merely a
festival celebrated by and
for man alone. Among the
folklore of other countries
are several quaint stories
HE custom of hanging up
stockings on Christmas Eve
comes to us from a land far
across the ocean — from
sunny Italy.
a strong-winged thing
* s Christmas Cheer that it
bas betaken itself even to
that Isolated island of the
far north, where the short¬
A HARD JOB.
For little children
in a flat,
Drawbacks are
growing
greater;
For how can San¬
ta with his
pack
Crawl through
a radiator’
Franklin’s Grocery Service
No. 7 PHONES No. 7
■ mmmmHsmnammmamm
Beginning Friday morning, December 15, we will give
with each 5 cent purchase a coupon good for one vote i i
the contest 10 r the electric train. This contest closes
promptly at ten P. M., Saturday night, December 2-3rd.
when all votes must L. • tu-ciod hi to us securely tied m\
and with your name on each otc, This is a $50 Lionel
outfit, and is on display in our , rout wendow, and we h -
lieve will make some boy or girl a desirable Christmas
gift. Come in to see cr for particulars.
We are headquarters for a full ^Cstmns line, in -hid¬
ing nuts of all kinds, candies h is icOsins, fruit opL
ingredients, Downey’s bo? candy Bunin Bros, hard can¬
dies, A. J. Nigh oranges.
Our market is absolutely sanitary, and don’t forge
that our building is rat proof.
PROMPT DELIVERY, COURTESY, SERVICE
Franklin’s Grocery Serv IPS iUU
Always Busy—There's a Reason
SB ■ -J
AUTO OWNERS
WE WISH YOU
MERRY CHRISTNI
Come to our Garage when having
Auto Trouble.
YOU WILL APPRECIATE OUR GOOD SERVICE.
■i-wojscr r-KMfiam
We are prepared to put any make automobile in shape
for road duty again with the same effortless ease that it
knew when it first went in service.
Our superior equipment ana ample help makes it possi¬
ble to turn out even major jobs in a few hours. We guar¬
antee all our work—if it is not done right, we make it
right.
In Ford repair jobs, we use only genuine Ford p t li
Foyd owners everywhere in this section recognise
superiority of our service anil appreciate the moderate¬
ness of our charges.
WEAVER & PITTMAN
Dodge Dealers, Gas and Oil, Tires and Auto Acer--- -o: i*
COVINGTON, GEORGIA
