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*\ IP®<ai<s@ ©m ELoiritk QwrnsttM®s W5i to Mm IFakacr By A. W. I ERRIN %TO ono welcome* tin 1 advent of tho holiday season more heart- I ^ ll.v than the sidewalk tner- / rlmtil of Hu* city, tlio street fakir, for, while he seems to flourlnli like n Kroon buy tree nil Uie yenr riiiiiul, lit «'lirlMtiiiiih time be roiipu bin groat bnrv(;Ht of pennies, nickels mill dimes. The lienrtM of even the most inirxIinonlotlH open with llie approach at i lirlstinjiH. mid purse strliiKs loosen its ut no other time. On every corner mill tietween corners these curbstone noiniiils lire surrounded by sduilrlng mnl piircbnsliiK citizens, and "novel ties," from rubber plK* which can be Inflated to the size of a small tin I loon mnl III eilmuntlng their nlry contents H|iienl like s renl porker, to elnhorate mechanical toys, sell like hot cakes. Nvery year distinct features Of thla tpieor trade come to the surfaee and ure pnt on the market simultaneously tiy fakirs throughout the country. The fnetortee 111 which these things are made work overtime to meet the de- iruind of the shrill voiced "barkers" who personify Hants Clans to the chil dren of the city. New York la the great licadquartara of the feklra, and they visit It at least once a year to arranga for tile noveltlea of the enanlng seaaon mid to do a little business In the me tropolis itself. There are several large Jobbers In the city who deal etclualTely with the sidewalk peddlers, and they Imhup voluminous catalogues describing thousands of articles suitable for sala on the street. Kvory fakir carries one of those books, and when ho runs out of stock lie sends an order to hla Arm, whirl) Is tilled by return express. (In must of the tbliiKs lie handles the fakir makes h profit of 11MI per cent and sometimes umre tliiiu that. Ar- tlcloa sold for a dime are uaually botiKht for a nickel, and thoao which sell for a nickel for L’bj cents. Occa sionally, however, when some novelty nmkes n real hit, the manufacturers put up the price until the fnklr'a profit Is only s cent on each aale. The old time favorite, the Jumping )nck, evolved Into a sailor who elltnhs n rope hand over hand; dirigible tin mice, klsalng bugs, lobsters and craha, papier tuache frogs which Jump like the hero of Mark Twain's famous story, all find a ready market, while cheap perfumery, Christmas cards and lead soldlera are peddled In vast quantities. Just where the fakir gets hla title la a mooted quentlon. The real fakir, whose habltnt la India, la a person of religious consequence end has nothing to do with "fakes" unless It be that he performs wonderful tricks which owe their success to sleight of hand rather than to the Influence of the gods by whom the fakir la professedly actuated. However, fakir Is as good a name for fbe Itinerant vender ns any other, and N' By J. A. EDGERTON Cnjnirighl. IDOS, hy ./. A. Kdgrrtns IN6C66N hundred year* ago Came a meneage swtet and low | O'tr sn Infant's humble birth fill a new strain to the earth. Hngel* *ang the choruo then, " Peace on earth flood will to men.” 6 1J0C6 that dtmandd'S- tant time Blar has been In every dime, Barth has been submerged In blood Of a common bro therhood i Yet amid the bat tie cries Oft that sweet song would arise. B uck and forth the standards reeled On the grim and tested Meld, II title star that hallowed air gaae to heaves like s prayer, ■Here the few were chanting atilt, "Peace an earth, to «an gaad m Bang ib tub nan- nan. I N thta later, brighter day Ire we nearer peace than they I •till our aotl with bland la wat. Bar la round about ua yet. Hill the carnage ever eaaac i •tilt we hear the aong of peace. r C will come. Xla not a dream. Chrough the darhaeaa ahlnea a 'Cl# a gllmpee, a prophecy Of the years that are to be, Of a new time come to birth, Of the dawn of " peace on earth." LINTON, honeyboy, Isn’t It charming nntl awfully, de lightfully wicked to go off ou 11)ire spree all by ourselves?" “Absurdly so," replied the Htill Infat uated young husband, squeezing the plump arm tucked so confidingly under Ills. "And Aunt Mary thinks we are In Connecticut, whllo Uncle James be lieves us to Ih> In ('Hirnda and our mothers and fathers are sure we are lit Florida. It Is Just too lovely for anything. Isn't It?" "And so we escape the deadly bother of n Christmas tree nnd the Intermina ble dinner party nnd nil the sticky lilldren. And we will have our Christ ust going to turn out horrid, after I nil"' “Now. honey”— “Don’t homy mo! Please call me by | my proper name. I am not a child. ! You Just snld so.” “Hon—dearest, don't do that!” She was showing symptoms of tears, I though she bravely tried to hide her i feelings. She frit the eyes of the very | respectable head wnlter upon her. His portly back was turned, but she sensed the disapprobation In his attitude. The lights swam, nnd the hum of conver sation was like the strange noises In deep forests at night. Hhe winked furi ously, angry with herself. She finally overcame her temptation to dissolve Id mas eve dinner all by our lonesome In tenrl1 ’ ol j* y to that her honeyboy the swelleat place In town. And here we are, honeybun." The happy couple stepped Into the vestibule, shaking the flukes from their mats and stamping the snow from their feet. The light lingered lovingly ou the pretty young face with Its blue was nlttlng partly turned away In an attitude of deep dejection as well as set determination. People came In from the snowy streets laden with parcels and carry ing hunches of holly and mistletoe, nud every one beamed with Joy and pleas- JUMI’ED THE CONCLUSION THAT HAD RELENTED. Tfe ©IF CIM&teiasftntdl© By ARTHUR I. BURDICK Copyright. inns, by Arthur J, Burdick 7JTGUL, Christmas Is her* \Vl With Its chfll as’ cheer, Hn' l am happy an’ broke I My surplus has flown Co the “Qrcat anhnowst" I've not the price of a smoke. But looh at the smile on my Johnny's face, Hn' listen to Molly's laugh I Hn' I ain't regret- ttn’ the cash I've spent In my little ones' be half. T 66. Christ mas Is here, Hn' It’s mighty dear Chat I am cleaned out o' pelt i But should I mah* moan O’er each as has flown I would bt •shamed ef myself I for Jfancy to wast in' a happy •tails— With the dmaa I bought far her Chat’s worth about twenty - fly# ttmaa the price X am ready to aver, iim ut BBon!" Tin, Christmas to haw, J.1 Ha’ It’s worth s yaar O’ savin’, -on' slavin' too, far to get tbs feel O’ the Christmas ssal H coursin’ yer at’ hsort through. Bn’ a gttmpaa a’ the happiness X vtetr, Ms I’ve satiated to bring, Xa a recomptnae far ou I bays spent, Mn’ a let to boot, X flag! CKHNOtt of steel end cable bind Closer all of humankind, HnJ the workers of the world have a common flag unfurled. Chough! and traffle banish strife i Love becomes the law of life. N INBCB6N hundred year* ago Came a message sweet and lowi Hnd that song by angels sung Chrough the centuries has rung, hark I It rises once again, “peace on earth, good wilt to men." home Clirletllins History. In isttt the terms of pence between France anil Austria were argued and j agreed to on Christinas. In these Aus tria was forced to trnke several large gifts of territory to France, and Italy 1 to acknowledge Napoleon ns king of ! Italy. The United States forces began their I withdrawal from Charleston, S. C., to Fort Sumter on Christmas, 18d0. Under duress from the powers, Tur key, on Christinas, 1S70, gave out a new constitution for the whole Otto man empire, which granted Christians equal rights with Mohammedans -n de- ! cree, by the way, which the sultan be gan cheerfully to disobey as soon •• eyes nnd rosy cheeks and the snowy teeth showing between the smiling Ups. And the same nrc light looked on the handsome, clear cut features of the tull man with his fond and protecting nlr. “A flue couple,” It spluttered. "A flue couple. Ah, I've seen mnuy such, but they aII ciul the same way.” With this pessimistic remark the light blinked wickedly. The door closed on the young couple as they walked slow ly along the thick carpet waiting for that lordly personage, the head waiter, to assign them to a place. This astute personage Instantly sized thorn up us a recently wedded couple nnd beckon ed them to nil Ideal spot, a cozy little table In a corner, half surrounded by palms. There they were shut In from prying eyes and shut out of the hurry and noise of the rest of the world. As a work of supererogation the head waiter brought a bowl of white roses aud with hu unctuous smile, directed I at no oue lu particular, sot them in the i center of the table, and tills called up a pretty blush on the fair one’s checks. Clinton took the elaborate menu nnd with a hopeless glance at Us foreign | names handed It to his bride, saying In the blind hope that she understood It. "You order the dinner, honeybun." Miriam glanced In the mirror and gave a cry of dismay. "Oh, I am perfectly disreputable! Just look at my hair!” She remembered the time when she THE VAklit AT WORK. Its etymology doesn't matter much. Koine of the fakirs make enough by their petty trade to graduate Into man ufacturers of Christmas novelties or i the duress was removed. even Into a higher line of business, and It Is well known that oue of the wealthiest men of New Orleans, who owus sugar plantations, stores and fac tories, once peddled shoestrings. Carrying his capital In his pack, the wandering salesman Is Independent to a degree rarely equaled except by tha lldle rich and Weary Will!*. In tha olden days, before the Invention at the new»p«|ver and the telegraph, me diaeval merchants, traveling from pal ace to palace and from town to town. David'* Well. Within two miles of Bethlehem Is a well which Is said to have been the one from which the mighty men of bat tle In Israel, after breaking through the rhlllstlne host, brought water to David. In response to hla exclamation, “Oh, that one would give me to drink of the water from tbtf wall which la by the gets!” David refused to taste the water for which hla brave men had risked their livea and poured It eut aa ►hared with the troubadours the pro- j an offering to OoA. Some pfletnraaqua feast on of disseminating the news. rains are said to be tboee at Che henae 1 ef David's youth. ant anticipations. Time passed, and tho obstinate young couple grew hun grier aud angrier, for now each began to nurse the situation ns a real griev ance. But, though the waiter hovered around with unmistakable anxiety, no one called hltn to give tho order. Tho situation was growing tense. Hon eybun was seriously thinking of get ting up and going straight home to her mother, aud honeyboy was wondering why men were fools enough to marry. The old head waiter was sutHoiently Interested to watch them meditatively by menus of mirrors, all unsuspected. Something lu the air, or maybe It was the Christmas spirit, crept under bis vest, and he felt a tugging at bis heart. The bride was so pretty and the man so handsome be could not bear to see this discord, especially tonight. Sud denly he said to himself; "Blessed, if 1 don’t do it too.” He called the waiter and gave him a quiet order and thou took from bis pocket a small package of cards, each having either a bit of mistletoe or holly in colors in one corner. ’ On these he printed lu very neat charac ters: "POT AG E-CHRISTMAS EVE. VERY PEPPERY.” The waiter came to him with the tray, on which were two plates of soup and ail the concomitants belonging thereto and the proper wine. The CWsttDl® Triumplii By GEORGE LAY LAW H FTER a little over 1,900 years from the birth of Its founder Cliristmas has become the most generally observed re ligious holiday on earth. There Is scarcely a land beneath the sun that does not wltuess some celebration of the dny set apart to commemorate the birth of the Carpenter of Nazareth. While In many Asiatic countries few participate In these celebrations, there are yet enough so that all peoples are learning the significance of tie cere mony. Then, too, the number of actual participants Is increasing year by year, so that It takes no very great stretch of the Imagination to picture a time when Christmas observances will be practically universal. The charge of the Master to cirry hie gospel to all the world has been re ligiously obeyed, and the propiecy of the thousand years of peace wlibb were to follow close on that coneunmatlon should be on its way. Of the six conti nents Christianity entirely dantnatee four and Is rapidly winning Its way In the other two. Both North aid South America are Christian In ever part. The same Is true of Australia and the surrounding Islands constltutng Aim tralaata. All Europe follows he same faith, with the single except!® of the southeastern corner belonglnf to Tur key, and even a conslderabl! part of the Turkish empire, Including Armenia, Bulgaria and others of th< Balkan •tatee, embraces Chrlstlanly, while Christian missions exist In Tlrkey. In Africa, where the Brlttb govern Egypt and all South Afr-a, while France has virtual control € Morocco and other European powers iave colo nies throughout the contlnen. the faith of the Nazurene has a large following than any other religion. Asia, teeming with Its vst Chinese and Hindoo hordes, is prattcally the only continent In which Ctlstlanlty Is not the dominant fnlth, aii even here It has incalculable politico and strate gic advantages that are rpldly work ing a transformation. Sibrla, occupy ing uearly half of the entre continent. Is ruled by a Christian pwer. India, on the south. Is under to control of England, and the mifloiiaries are gradually winning thehway. Tibet, the stronghold of BuddUm, Is under Russian Influence and iibeing Invaded by England from Ima. Palestine, Syria and Persia com In Important Christian missions, tlmgb as nations they are still under loslem control. The Boxer uprising w» practically the last gasp of the virulit opposition to the advance of Chrlsanlty In China. The lesson received rom Europe at that time, the Impoaut concessions granted in the chief )rts to the great Christian powers, thiuvaslon of Man- tried to translate the menu to some "’alter entered the tluy place and de- frieuds lu a restaurant, giving poisson ■ posited the things with a grave busi- aux raux vlves as “poison to the lively ; nessllke air, putting a card at each waters." She was not going to allow Clinton to gloat over her—above all. at this early stage of their married life. Bo she returned the menu to him with great apparent self abnegation. “No; you order, honeyboy." "I asked you to do It, honeybun!" “Oh, well, I can't do It. 1 never had to order a dinner in my life. Father or some oue always did.” This last was said with Just the least little bit of spirit. Besides, she was hungry; so was be. That fact may pardon his next words, spoken with wbat be thought a noble and masterful air: "It Is time you learned then. Now, honeybun. I don't want you to look at me In that grieved and frightened way. I am In the right It la your duty—yaa, fluty—to learn to make out the dinner ■ards. You are not a child." “Sir, I never had to do ouch a thing, and I won't* bo bow! I think yon are place, and then discreetly retired. Clinton scarcely noticed the arrival of the man, but honeybun saw him. The soup looked good, and the little card caught her eye. She was the one woman In this generation with a keen sense of humor. She began to eat Clinton now turned squarely and looked at the table. He Jumped to the conclusion that ahe had relented and had been adroit enough to give the order unpe>:celved, but though be would condescend to eat and the soup smelled very good, be would not let her enjoy bar triumph too soon, so be took hla soup in dignified alienee. The next course was ready as soon as ha was. On ona large platter filled with chopped ice were placed sixteen small clams arranged to spell the words: “LOT* ONE ANOTHER.” Ona small clam officiated aa a period, thla arrangaaaant was toe tkrlotn aa- OIFTS FOB A BO TIL FORLORN. Y 68, Christmas Is here mtth its chill an' cheer, Hn’ I know one soul forlorn Hs will dine today In a diff’rent wav Chan she flggered on this mom. If I had not sent that basket down Co that wldder, I would choke H-catin' my dinner, but now, ye see, I'm happy. If I am brohe 1 pecially as the waiter sot the clisti so tile words should read. The little clams went where all good clams should go, and two hearts began to soften insen sibly. Two squabs, nestling side by side on toast, were accompanied by two cards bearing the legend: "PEACE ON EARTH." The salad was delicious, the entrees a dream, and with each course came two cards with some sentiment calcu lated to remind the recipients of the day. Honeyboy pushed his cards ln- gloriously away, but honeybun gath ered hers In a neat heap. The last course was ice cream—very pink—uud molded into the shape of a large heart with a white ribbon tied In a true lov er’s knot around It, but the heart was broken through the middle and press ed apart deftly. A single card read: “CHRISTMAS NIGHT. PEACE AND GOOD WILL. GET TOGETHER." Even Clinton now saw, but he thought this was all the clever work of I honeybun. He looked at her. She was j all rosy and sweet, no longer pale and hungry. Maybe, too, the good dinner had something to do with it, but he : beamed love on honeybun, .and reacb- I lng over took her little left band and ‘ kissed the wedding ring. Neither aver > knew that the fat head waiter nearly ; danced In hla retreat aa be saw the : broken heart drawn together and eaten | from the same dish by both. He sighed I aa be whispered. "I have reunited them, but this house has lost two cue- tontn.” churla, the loduetion of the railroad I and the ev Increasing numbers of 1 mlsslonarierill of these things are gradually wiing a change In the Chi- I nese ernpir Mission work Is rapidly increasing Korea. Japan has bor- | rowed moof her civilization from ; Christian ions and is seriously dls- t cussing t proposition of adopting j their rellg also. The Philippines be- | long to .erica, and a considerable I portion bbeen Christianized. Christn morn In the year of our Lord 190-111 therefore have a mean ing to ip nations and more people than aiyrevlous Christmas morn In | the hist of mankind. Tha fact that i this davlll be celebrated by such ; widely lant types and In such wide- ! ly oep*d nations gives a powerful 1 auggaul natty la the human race.