fAKMER PAIR'S CHRISTMAS EVK,
The light ahona out through the windows bars
Of the laborer's cottage over the way, '
Showing a plenty of poverty there
A plenty of children, too, mt play ;
Jt shone in the eyes of Farmer Paul,
Taking his ease by his chimney wall.
A mother dandling her babe on her knee.
A father joining his boy in shout.
To raise up the palm and Christmas tree,
.As the bells of the Christmas eve rang out.
This vision, and more, saw Farmer Paul,
Resting his head 'gainst the chimney wall.
Bis eyes they lingered over the way
Over the mother and the babe on her knee ;
-Vy boy may be sick and dying to-day
Whose breast will he rest on over the spa ?
uneasily mnrmnred Farmer Paul,
As tears to his lap began to fall.
A brave yoong lad and a maiden fair
Knelt 'neeth the palm, at the laborer's feet.
The hope of their new life telling there.
In tht ir blushes warm and a yoong love sweet.
"Ah me, ah me," moaned Farmer Paul,
" On my poor, lost boy no blessings fall."
As the night waned on, still Farmer Paul
Looked oat and thought, while the laborer now
Xadened each stocking upon the wall
With tokens of love, and every bough,
While my wealth cureee the miser's greed,
The gift or a crust my boy may need." ; .
Bending his hesd 'gainst the chimney wall.
And bending his eyes to the moldering blase,
With many a sigh he thought of it all,
Just as it was in those olden days
J uat as it was when Farmer Paul
Had a son of his own to hear his call.
Be may have treated him too severe.
Keeping him wearily bending low
At a constant toil, in terror and fear
Of his passionate words snd smarting blow.
But then, a pitiless, iron sway
With beast and creature wa ever his way.
The tender touch of the delicate lad,
The womanish look of his handsome face,
The patient Rlnnce which his soft eyes had.
Angered him till he forgot the place
The boy should have in his heart, and then
Well, who is so faultless he may condemn?
The boy passed out from his father's borne,
With saddened heart and an empty purse.
But sadder than all things that may come,
Out with him followed a father's curse.
First, however, it seemed to fall
On the blighted life of Farmer Paul.
The farmer worked in his fields alone.
And wealth he reaped in a glittering maae, .
A prosperous sun upon him shone.
But ah, tbey were long and weary days.
These that followed to Farmer Paul,
Sitting alone by his chimney wall.
WeAry with seeing the morning dew
Weary with bearing the noon-day heat
Weary with living the long days through
Vk eary of heart and weary of feet.
Most weary of all, to Farmer Paul,
Taking his esse by the chimney wall. ,
Sad the crickets beneath the sill,
Sad the crows in the locust lane.
Sad in the garden the whippoorwill ;
AH earth wss sad and full of pain
To the childless life of Farmer Paul,
Beated each eve by the chimney wail,
x
Bending bis hesd 'gainst the chimney wall.
And tending his eyes to the smoldering blase.
Be tried to imagine he heard a call,
A step familiar in olden days,
Before there came to Farmer Paul
This waiting life by the chimney wall.
Fearing to look, and trembling deep.
He thoogbt bis boy's breath fanned his cheek ;
He thought bis boy's step tried to creep
Koftiy near, and his boy's voice sneak Z
" Will you welcome me. Father Paul T
Will you hear my pleading call T"
So, not a dream, for there stood his boy,
A brave, bronsed man with a bearded chin !
Oh, how be clung to him in his Joy,
As the bells fair Christmas morn rang in.
This was the gift to the farmer born
Out of the call of the Christmas morn !
Firtmle Friend.
THE DOYE-COLORED SILK.
A Cnjrlstmas Story.
By a kind of thoughtful arrangement
on tie part of their employers, every
domestic in the kouse of Sir John Dav-
ton.baronet and bankerr received his or
her salary one week before Christmas
Day.
Very bright and tempting looked the
tiny pile of sovereigns that Lottie
Warde, Miss Dayton's own maid, car
ried away to her chamber, and sat med
itating over, with a clond on her pretty
face snch as it seldom wore. Last
Christmas the spending of her money
xi aa cost ner no irouoie, except a quick
ly stifled regret that she could not da
more with it for those dear ones, whose
kisses and joyful thanks had been snch
pleasant requital i tier generosity.
Although she was as dutiful and lov
ing a daughter and as kind a sister as
of yore, there had been an event in
Lottie's life since the year began that
was closely connected with the impa
tient sigh she gave, as she sat gazing at
her gold, and abstractedly turning it
over and over in her palm. She had
met, at the house of an old friend of
her late father, a young man so well
connected that many wondered .he
should think of wedding a girl who was
"in service." Mr. Charles Morison.
they argued, with his good prospects
and excellent situation in the office of
Srnithson Brothers, ought to leok
higher for a wife than Lottie Warde,
whose father had died bankrupt, and
whose mothers sole dependence was
the annuity some of Mr. Warde's com
passionate creditors had purchased for
her. . But if Charlie Morison heard
these things hinted, he laughed and
forgot them. He loved Lottie for her
self her sweet temper, her goodpf
cinJes. ana we pretty iace ana ntfare.
that were always set off by the perfect
neatness and propriety with which she
dressed.
Lottie, however, had taken to heart
many of the remarks made in her pres
ence or told by ill-natured friendB, and
had rather hastily decided in her own
mind that the relatives cf her affianced
husband looked down upon her because
of her position. This fancy for it was
no more had made her shy of meeting
them, and nn willing to accept the invi
tations so kindly sent to her. But
nharlie had made a point of her acced
ing to his parents' wish that she should
join the family party tbey always gath
ered round . them at their,, handsome
house at Clipham on the eve of the
great festival ; and a Miss Dayton had
cheenuuy consent "j""" uer, sue
hml not been able to excuse herself.
Vat.nro.llv timid and shrinkiner from
strangers, Lottie looked forward to this
visit as an ordeal rather than a pleas
nrfi. She was to be introduced to
rr.a.vl!A'B married sister from Manches
ter and to the wealthy uncle from whom
he had expectations t and JLer anxiety
that they should think weU.of her cul-
minated in we inquiry, mst uumi
It was no use discussing this question
with her betrotfced. 9 She knew he
would say that nothing could be in bet
ter taste than the well-fitting dark
merino that had been her best dress
since the commencement of the autumn.
"Rnt Iiottie bad her snare 01 girusu van
itv. and as she raised her eyes to her
looking-glass a vision rose before her of
a certain dove-oolored silk in a mercer's
m'n nsar St. Paul's that would be
come her admirably; rlt was true that
r, an TTinsive purchase would ab-
.k avn farthing in" her possession.
v, .Via oii-aA fa ignore this. So strons
t.VtA tAmrttatum that when Lottie
;L ito Avaninir to visit her mother
she lingered long at the mercer's win
dow, and decided that on the morrow
the dove-ooiorea mux. inoaiu i v
at,- .KiUnn tVrAw down their books
Mid tovs when ixittie entered, for they
loved her dearly, and Mrs.- Warde,
though she hadbeeuwearing every anx
ious lace, as sue euMmou
esraA ohildiaih . Mrmellt. contrived
smile at her eldest daughter, who, how
ever, was not easily deceived. -
Knmufhins V.aa irnnA WTODff. mOW'
er, I am rare of it by your looks. What
is it?"
" Nothing yon can alter, dear ; noth
ing, in fact, that -I ought to dwell upon.
I heard, by chance, that the man
through Whose roguery your father
failed has returned to England, and is
in prosperous circumstances; and it
worried me for a little while to think
that my excellent upright ; husband
went to his grave in sorrow and pover
ty, while this dishonest man : holds up
his head and grows rich ; but it was only
for a minute, child ;" and Mrs. Warde
smiled now with less effort. : " I know
tc whom I have committed my cause,
and I wil? not murmur at anything He
wills."
Lottie kissed the placid speaker
affectionately, but she was not as sym-
Eathetic as usual. Her little sisters
ung about her, wondering whether
they should have a Christmas pudding,
and one of them blurted out a fact
hitherto concealed ; that mother did not
go to church on Sunday till evening
service because her shawl was so shab
by. Lottie slid her hand i into the
pocket-where lay her little purse, but
drew it back again, telling herself that
she could not possibly go to visit Char
lie's friends meanly dressed ; and when
tne youngest child climbed on her Knee
and frankly asked what she was going
to bring him for a Christmas present.
he was set down again and so sharply
told not to tease that Mrs. Warde's
mild eyes were raised in surprise.
I beg pardon, mother." said her
daughter, coloring under the reproof
the look conveyed. " I am afraid I am
rather stupid this evening. What were
you saying about Robert ? he is elect
ed pupil teacher at his school. Of
course he is I knew he would be ! he
has worked so hard for it, dear, good
boy 1" and she ran across the room to
kiss the studious lad, who warmly re
turned her caresses.
" Then you're glad of it, Lottie ? So
am I, only I think mother s bothered a
bit about the books I shall want."
"Will they cost much?" asked his
sister.
"Well, dear, it seems much to per
sons of our limited income, Mrs.
Warde replied. " And he must have a
new suit of clothes. But I hope to
Manage it without running into debt, if
you can help me a little."
Xxntie did not speak, and her mother
thoughtfully added, "The girls will
have to do without the new hats I
promised them ; and baby's pelisse
must last another winter ; and
But here her daughter stopped her
by pettishly saying, "Oh, mother!
pray don't tell us of any more wants ;
they seem endless. How miserable it
is to be so poor ; how sick of contriv
ances and makeshifts you must be. I
know I am. And somehow the children
always seem to need most when one has
least to spare." '
I did not know yon were in that
predicament, dear, or I would not have
spoken so plainly," "Mrs. Warde re
plied; "but don't let it worry you,"
she added, with the cheerful air that
covered a multitude of anxious thoughts;
we shall manage very well, X dare
say."
Lottie went away with her money
still in her Docket, but with a load at
her heart half shame, half selfish ill-
humor which was not lessened by
standing at the mercer's window for
another half hour before she went back
to Sir John's. While her gaze was
fixed en the silk, her rebellious spirit
was murmuring at the difficulties of her
position. It was so hard that she
should always be hampered ' with the
home cares. Other young people could
spend their salaries on themselves.
while her purse had such constant calls
upon it that there was nothing left for
herself ; and mother was not thoughtful j
of her ; she never seemed to remember
that a girl of her age would naturally
wish to be smart, especially when she
visited persons in better circumstances
than herself.
Miss Dayton wanted seme trifle
brought from her own room that even
ing, and Xiottie had executed her com
mission and was retreating, when the
voice of Sir John, who was reading the
evening paper, arrested her. " Dear
me ! how sad these cases are : one nev
er knows who to trust. Listen to this,
Letitia : ' The confidential clerk of
Srnithson Brothers absconded last
night. His employers had had their
suspicions aroused by some circum
stance or other, and hinted an inten
tion of looking into his accounts. As
soon as he learned this he made busi
ness in the country a pretense for his
flight, and it is supposed that he is on
his way to America. i
To Lottie's strained ears every word
of this was horribly audible, and the
next minute she was running down
stairs, putting on her shawl as she went.
" Xf X am asked for.' she gasped to
the wondering housekeeper," say that
1 am m that x have gone to my mot ti
er s: but dont stop me dont ques
tion me, or I shall die."
But it was to the home of Austin
Crawley, a fellow-clerk of Charlie's,
she first took her way. . She would not
give up all hope till she had seen him.
and heard his lips confirm the dreadful
tale ; and as she went along she tried
to comfort herself in repeating, fit
cannot be ! Charlie Morisen a default
er, a fugitive from justice it is impos
sible 1"
Mrs. Crawley herself answered Lot
tie's knock, and her smiling, cheerful
face made the girl feel ber own misery
grow sharper, ' t ;
" No, Austin had not returned from
the city yet," she said. . " Would not
Lottie come in and wait for him? She
was quite alone, for Mr. Crawley had
been at Smithsons all day, taking the
place, she believed, ol (Jhartie Mori
son, whose absence seemed to have put
the firm very much oat ol tneir way.
There was nothing amiss, was there V
she added, as she took a closer survey
of her visitor s face.
But ' her question remained unan
swered, for Lottie was already hurrying
away. The last faint hope that the re
port was a dreadful mistake had per
ished before Mrs. Crawley's placid ut
terances. Austin, the gay and careless.
whose spendthrift habits had often dis-
tvleased his parents, had preserved his
integrity ; while Charlie Morison, the
son of many prayers, the steady, intel
lectual young man, who indulged in no
low tastes, no "loud " attire, had for
feited his high character and disgraced
bis family this was ber conclusion.
Away through the busiest streets of
London, hurrying on with her face
muffled in her veil, lest any one should
perceive the anguish depicted on it, she
walked, till she found herself in front
of the well-known office of Messrs.
Smith son. They had been closed hours
earlier : but the old man who was por
ter and care-taker was standing at the
door, talking to some curious acquain
tances.
Un perceived by the garrulous speak'
er, Lottie paused long enough to hear
her lover's name coupled with words
indistincly caught relating to the large
sums ox money was were muiuiig.
" His father was here this morning
as soon aa tho news was made pub
lic," the porter went on "Buch a re
spectable old gentleman." But here
his voice was lowered, and Lottie
passed by, hearing only something
about the young man's broken-hearted
mother as she went ; but it remind
ed her that she was not alone in
her grief ; that the loving parents, who
had cherished their son in his child
hood, and seen him gradually expand
into the bright, intelligent man, must
be well-nigh crushed beneath the blow
that had fallen so suddenly upon them.
Oh I what was her grief to theirs ?
And now Lottie flew to her own ha-
ven.
the arms of her mother, and there
went the first tears her burning eyes
had shed.
Shocked, and for some time incred
ulous, Mrs. Warde, with infinite pa
tience and tenderness, sustained her
child during those hours in which her
anguish was almost more than she
could bear.
Never again would Lottie accuse this
dear friend and comforter of being
wanting in sympathy. Who else would
have borne so kindly with her wild
bursts of impatient sorrow her rest
less pacings to and fro her passionate
complainings ? Who else so skillfully
taken advantage of her better feelings
to bring her te her knees, and teach
her to bow her head to the Divine will ?
"How good you are tome, darling
mother!" she sobbed, when Mrs. Warde
had prevailed upon her to lie down, and
was bathing her aching head ; " and
indeed I don't deserve it. I have been
so selfish, so ungrateful, that if you
knew all my hard and bitter thoughts
you would surely cease to love me !"
Mrs. Warde's only reply was to stoop
and kiss her ; and that kiss uprooted
the last fiber of selfishness in her child's
heart. Never again did Lottie let van
ity stand in the place of duty ; and in
the midst of her trouble she could be
humbly thankful that this dear mother
was still all her own.
All that night she wept and bewailed
herself, but when morning dawned and
she saw how weary and exhausted Mrs,
Warde was looking, - Lottie put her
good intentions in practice and restrain
ed her grief.
While her mother rested, she moved
quietly about, dressing the little ones,
whom her altered looks and swollen
eyes awed into unwonted soberness ;
nor was it till every task had been ac
complished that could spare Mrs.
Warde fatigue that she seated herself
at her mother's feet and wept herself
into the sleep of exhaustion.
But stronger arms were sustaining
her when, with a start, she awoke. It
was not the mild face of her mother
that bent over her and smiled at her, it
was Charlie Morison himself, and for a
moment she believed herself to be in a
happy dream.
"Can it be you?" she asked wist
fully. " Speak to me, for I know not
what to think, nor what to believe."
"You may believe that Charles Mor
ison has committed no act that disgraces
him," said her rejoicing mother, who
stood by. "Need we tell you more ?"
Lottie pressed her hands to her head,
and looked from one to the other, till
the tender smile on Charlie's lips con
firmed the tidings.
" I seem too much bewildered to be
as glad as I should be," she exclaimed.
"Am I really awake? has there been
no robbery after all? That dreadful
newspaper! why did X believe the
paragraph I heard Sir John read from
it?"
'Sit down here, von poor, pale
child." said Charlie, " and let me help
you out of your mystification. I think
' M W 1 1 - A 1. m 1 W "V
li Degan me mgni oeiore iasi, wnen J.
sought you ' at Sir John's to say good-
by before I went on a hurried journey.
and to tell you the twofold object of it."
' L had heard, dear, that the man
who was the cause of all your father's
misfortunes was at Birmingham; and
Messrs. Srnithson freely gave me per
mission to go there, and see whether
my remonstrances, and, if those failed,
my threats to expose his nefarious pro
ceedings, would induce him to do jus
tice to your lather s widow and or
phans."
" And you succeeded ?
"Beyond my expectations. I have
just had the pleasure of putting into
your mother's hands a sum that will
enable her to educate her children with
comfort,
Lottie was obliged to interrupt him
that she might throw her arms around
Mrs. Warde s neck, and congratulate
her rapturously. Then Charlie himself
had to be thanked in loving, tearful
whispers ; and then so many pleasant
little plans were discussed for the
widow's future that some time elapsed
before they recurred to the explanation.
" When X had oompieted my own
business, Messrs. Srnithson desired me
to go to Sheffield and make some in
quiries there for them. The drift of
these I scarcely understood when I
started, but I soon discovered that they
had reference to certain suspicions they
were entertaining.
" But not of vote, Charlie ?'
" No. love : they have never had any
reason to doubt my integrity, and they
have just proved weir oonnaence in it,
by promising me an increase of salary.
But another of their clerks, led into
temptation by a love of gayety
.. V n . tt " i t - i -
"j. see is an now, signea unua
" Poor Austin 1"
Charlie resumed : . " Mr father, for
whom, aa an old friend, Messrs. Smith
sou sent, to assist them in breaking the ;
news to his parents, can scarcely bear
to speak of the scenes he witnessed, i
Mrs. Crawloy is very ill, Lottie. The
truth was concealed from her as long as
possible. It was not until late last night
she learnt that it was to hear the tale
of her son's guilt that Mr, Crawley was
summoned to the city; and it appears
that no one had suspected how, while
Austin was believed to ke quietly
sleeping, he had packed a portmanteau
and stolen out of the house in the dead
of night, to embark for America,"
And so Lottie's joy in herbetrothed's
innocenoe was tempered by the knowl
edge that if his parents had been hap
pily spared such deep sorrow, others
were enduring it,
She spent her Christmas Eve at Clap
ham, but not in the dove-oolored silk.
She was clad soberly in the dark
merino, and heard, with drooping head
and a troubled conscience, Mrs. Mori
son tell her how fully she and her hus
band approved their son's choice, and
how her conduct as a daughter and
sister had won their esteem long since.'
"Iam not half as good as you think
roe!" Lottie tearfully confessed, and
deepened their interest in her by her
nonesty.
After alL it was Mrs. Warde who
wore the dove-colored silk at her
daughter s weddinar. It was made nn
for her by Lottie herself, who, as her
needle passed in and out of ner work,
drew from the events connected with
her purchase the lesson every wise or
foolish deed conveys to the heart that
is opened to receive it.
Tins Hon. Bev. Prof. Seelye. M. C
is attracting considerable attention
down East by reason of the multiplicity
ox his legitimate titles.
THE JTATITITY.
The Suppressed Story of the Nativity
, aa Narrated ta tUe Uospel or tle Pro
! tevaMisrelton.
''- The Pretevangelion, or historical ac
count of the birth of Christ and the
perpetual Virgin Mary, his mother, is
ascribed to James the Less, who has
been sometimes styled "cousin and
brother of the Lord Jesus, and chief
apostle and first bishop of the Chris
tians in Jerusalemr The allusions to
this gospel in the ancient Fathers are
frequent, and their expressions indicate
that at one period it was widely credit
ed. The controversies founded on it
chiefly relate to the age of Joseph at
the birth of Christ, and to his being a
widower with children before his mar
riage with the virgin. The book is
supposed to have been originally com
posed in Hebrew. PosteUns brought
the MS. of this gospel from the Levant,
translated it into Latin, and sent it to
Oporinus, a printer at Basle, where
Bibliander, a Protestant divine, and the
professor of divinity at Zurich, caused
it to be printed in 1552. Postellus as
serted that it was publicly read as
canonical in the Eastern churches, they
making no doubt that James was the
author of it. It is, nevertheless, con
sidered apocryphal by the most learned
divines in the Protestant and Roman
Catholic Churches. We reproduce from
this ancient, though reputed spurious
gospel, the account of the Nativity :
V T" T- T- 1- -1
And it came to pass that there went
forth a decree from the Emperor Au
gustus that all the Jews should be tax
ed, who were of Bethlehem in Judea.
And Joseph said, I will take care that
my children be taxed ; but what shall I
do with; this young woman ?
To have her taxed as my wife, I am
ashamed ; and if I tax her as my daugh
ter, all Israel knows she is not my
daughter.
When the time of the Lord s appoint
ment shall come, let him do as seems
good to him.
And he saddled the ass, and put her
upon it, and Joseph and Simon followed
after ber, and arrived at xsethlehem
within three miles.
Then Joseph, turning about, saw
Mary sorrowful, and said within him
self, perhaps she is in pain through that
which is within her.
But when he had turned about again,
he saw her laughing, and said to her,
Mary, how happens it that I sometimes
see sorrow, and sometimes laughter ana
joy in thy countenance?
. And Mary replied to him, X see two
people with-mine eyes, the one weeping
and moaning, the other laughing and
rejoicing.
And he went again across the way,
and Mary said to Joseph, Take me down
from the ass, for that which is in me
presses to come forth.
But Joseph replied. Whither shall I
take thee, for the place is desert ?
Then said Mary again to Jesepb, Take
me down, for that which is within me
mightily presses me.
And Joseph took her down. And he
found there a cave, and let her into it.
And leaving her and his son in the
cave, Joseph went forth to seek a He
brew midwife in the village of Bethle
hem. But as I was going (said Joseph) I
looked np into the air, and I saw the
clouds astonished, and the fowls of the
air stopping in the midst of their flight.
And I looked down toward the earth,
and saw a table spread, and working
people sitting around it, but their hands
were upon the table, and they did not
move to eat.
They who lifted their hands mp to
their heads did not draw them back.
And they who lifted them up to their
mouths did not put anything in.
But all their faces were fixed upward.
And I beheld the sheep dispersed,
and yet the sheep stood stilL
And the shepherd lifted up his hand to
smite them, and his hand continued up.
And I looked unto a river, and saw
the kid with their mouths close to the
water, and touching it, but they did not
drink.
Then I beheld a woman coming down
from the mountains, and she said to me,
Where art thou going. O man ?
And I said to her, I go to inquire for
a Hebrew midwife.
She replied to me. Where is the
woman that is to be delivered ?
And I answered, In the cave, and
she is betrothed to me.
Then said the midwife, Is she not thy
wife?
Joseph answered, It is Mary, .who
was educated in the Holy of Holies, in
the house of the Lord, and she fell to
me by lot, and is not my wife, but has
conceived by the Holy trhost.
The midwife said, Is this true?
He answered. Come and see.
And the midwife went along with him
and stood in the cave.
Then a bright cloud overshadowed
the cave, and the midwife said, This
day my soul is magnified, for mine eyes
nave seen surprising things, and salva
tion is brought forth to Israel.
But on a sudden the cloud became a
great light in the cave, so that their
eyes could not bear it.
But the light gradually decreased.
until the infant appeared, and sucked
we breast of his mother Mary.
Then the midwife cried out and said.
How glorious a day is this, wherein
mine eyes have seen" this extraordinary
signti -Kv.
And the midwife went out from the
cave, and Salome met her.
And the midwife said to her, Bnome,
Salome, I will tell you a most surprising
thing which X saw.
A virgin hath brought lorth, which is
a thing contrary to nature.
To which Salome replied, as tne
Lord my Ood liveth, unless X receive
particular proof of this matter. I will
not believe that a virgin nam Drougnt
forth. :
Then Salome went in, and the mid
wife said, Mary, show myself, for
great controversy is risen concerning
thee.
. And Salome received satisfaction.
But her hand was withered, and she
groaned bitterlv. , -
- And said. Woe to me, because of
mine iniquity ; fori have tempted the
living . God, and my hand is ready to
drop on.
Then Salome made her application to
the Lord, and said, O God of my
fathers, remember me, for I am of the
seed of Abrahcm. and Isaac, and
JaOOb. ,
Make me not a reproach among the
children of Israel, but restore me sound
to my parents.
For thou well knowest, O Lord, that
I have performed many offices of charity
in toy name, and have reoeivea my re
ward from thee.? t-:
; Uoon this an anflrel of the Lord stood
by Salome, and said: The Lord God
hath heard thv prayer ; reach forth
thv hand tn th child and carry him.
and by that means thou ahalt be re
stored. '
' Balome. filled with exceeding loy,
went to the child and said, I will touch
him.
And she proposed to worship him. for
She said. This is a erreat kinc. which in
born in Israel.
And straightway Salome was cured.
Then the midwife went out of the
cave, being approved by God.
And lo ! a voice came to Salome, De
clare not the strange things whioh -thou
has seen till the child shall come to
Jerusalem.
So Salome also departed, approved
of God.
Then Joseph was preparing to go
away, because there arose a great dis
order in Bethlehem by the coming of
some wise men from the JSast.
Who said : Where is the King of the
Jews born ? For we have seen his star
in the East, and are come to worship
him.
When Herod heard this he was ex
ceedingly troubled, and sent messengers
. .7 xA i-u i- i
TO we wise meu auu w tus pmio, ouu
inquired of them in the town hall.
4 . . tm 1
And said unto wem, wnere nave you
it written concerning Christ, the king,
or where should he toe born ? ;
Then they say unto him in Uethle-
hom cf Judea ; for thus it is written :
And thou Behtlehem, in the land of
Judab, are not the least among the
princes' of Judah, for ont of thee shall
come a ruler, who shall rule my people
Israel.
And having set away the chief priests.
he inquired of the wise men of the town
hall, and said unto them, What sign was
it ye saw concerning the king that is
born?
They answered him. We saw an ex
traordinarily large star standing among
the stars of heaven, and so outshined
all the other stars, that they became
not visible, and we knew thereby
that a great king was born to Israel,
and therefore we are came to worship
him.
Then said Herod to them, Go and
make diligent inquiry ; and if you
find the child bring me word again,
that . I may come and worship him
also.
So the wise men went forth, and be
hold ! the star which they saw in the
East went before them, till it came
and stood over the cave where the
young child was with Mary his moth
er.
Then they brought forth out of their
treasures and offered unto him gold,
and frankincense, and myrrh.
And being warned in a dream by an
angel, that they should not return to
Herod through Judea, tbey departed
into their own country by another way.
A Christmas Plum-Pudding.
The true English plum-pudding is
made up and mixed some time before
it is to be used, and then must be put
on early in the morning and boiled for
many hours. The recipe we give be
low, acd constantly use, is, we think,
an American improvement, and has the
advantage of being so digestible that
dyspeptics even may partake of it, in
most cases with impunity.
Two hours hard boiling is enough to
cook it to perfection, though it will not
be hurt by being kept longer on the nre.
Seed raisins enough to fill a quart
measure heaping full prepare one pint
of foreign-dried currants, a half-pint of
preserved citron cut up-, a light quart
of apples chopped after being peeled,
a pint of finely-flavored dried cherries
(these may be omitted), a light quart of
very fresh and nicely shredded beef
suet, and a heaping quart of stale light
bread crumbs. Beat up very light and
separately the whites and yelks of eight
eggs. Mix them, and add one tea-
spoonful of salt, without which addi
tion the best-made plum-pudding will
be insipid. Add a half pint of sugar
and one nutmeg grated up very fine.
Have ready a light quart of sifted flour.
With some of it flour your fruit thor
oughly. Proceed to . mix as follows :
Having your eggs welt beaten in a large
bowl or tray, add to them a pint of
milk, then stir in the floured fruit and
bread crumbs, lastly putting in just
enough flour to make the mass stick to
gether in lump. This will probably
consume the quart provided. Next dip
your pudding-cloth in boiling hot water,
and dredge over the inside a thick coat
ing of flour, fat in your pudding.
Tie up tightly, but at the same time
leave room for it to swell. Have plenty
of boiling water in the pot, and renew
it if needful. By inverting a plate in
the bottom of your pot, you will be sure
that we pudding cannot stick and burn ;
if you have a strong cloth tied with
trustworthy twine-string, water cannot
get in ; the two most important cau
tions to be given the inexperienced
cook. If you would serve up your
pudding in true old feudal style, nave
ready a gill of pure alcohol, and the
pudding being turned out on a large,
handsome flat dish, just as we waiter
enters the dining-room let another per
son outside be furnished with a lighted
match. Having poured the alcohol over
the pudding, ignite the match, and a
beautiful blue flame will gladden the
eyes ox we benoiders, and nsner in a
feast fit for King Arthur him sell.
The above recipe furnishes pudding
enough for twenty people, but if the
f amuy is small, it may be kept as long
as the housekeeper chooses, and is al
ways thought better the second than the
first day.
The German Chrlst-Kindje.
A better way prevails in Germany.
There is all the simple-hearted merry
making which belongs to the oelebr-
tion elsewhere, but all is referred to
Vhrxst-JCinaje, the dear, little Virist
child, who is thus commemorated.. , It
is the grand jubilee of children, who
are taught thus to recognize the , ex
istence and sympathy of the Christ
child. ; His childhood is just as present
to him with him now, as his man
hood. He never forgets. Nay, his ex
istence is a ceaseless one. .Hence he
is to-day, as really as he was three
thousand years ago, the Christ-child.
And who can estimate the effect which
this fact and its impression on the
minds of children produced. " No one
can measure the joy and blessing whioh
from year to year flow forth upon all
ages of life from the contemplation of
the holy child Jesus, in his heavenly
innocenoe and divine humility," ' This
festival, thus celebrated, keeps con
stantly before us the truth so beauti
fully stated by Irensaus in the second
century : " Christ came to save all who
are born again in God through him
infants and children and youth and
age. For this reason he passed
through every age made an infant for
infants, sanctifying infants ; a child
among children, sanctifying children
(and at the lame time affording to them
an example of piety and righteousness
and subjection); a youth among the
youth, being made an example to
youth, and sanctifying thm. to the
Lord ; so, also, a senior among seniors,
that he might be a perfect director in
every class." . .
Which shall our children worship,
Nicholas or Jesus?
Ton can't " take a trick " with the
"trump of fame."
A RACE FOE LIFE.
A Fab of Scalps Barely gaved-Licat.
Wbetnon ud Ilia Strrsat Flnd Very
llttlet Cliole Between Kcdikini and
a Snow-8tarm In the Texas Pan Handle.
From the XVeavtnworth Commercial.
It . appears that on the 16th nit,
.uieut. wnetmore, accompanied by - a
servant, left Gen. Miles' headquarters
on the Washita to carry dispatches lo
vamp supply, rteaching the Canadian
river, he conceded to leave the train
and escort with which he had been
traveling and strike for Supply, accom
panied only by his servant. This was
a very risky undertaking, as the balance
of the story will show. Scarcely hod
Whetmore and Hamilton, his servant,
left the train before they saw signs of
the redskins. But they werej 'both
full of pluck and anxious to reach their
destination ; and so, unmindful of the
danger they were in, defiantly galloped
on toward the north. Toward night,
on the 17th, the two reached a stream
where they determined to camp, but on
rounding a point came suddenly on a
band of three redskins who, on seeing
the blue coats, scattered through the
brush like leaves before a winter wind.
Here was a nice position for the two
men, for they well knew that the In
dians they had met were but stragglers
of a still larger party in the immediate
neighborhood. And so it proved. Re
tracing their steps they put spurs to
their horses, only to ride into the midst
of a party of nine mounted savages,
who were so completely taken by sur
prise at the appearance of the soldier
boys that they merely turned on their
horses and gave one steady, prolonged
stare at the blue-coated intruders. But
Whetmore and his companion did not
take the introduction so coolly. Quick
ly wheeling their horses they started
down the slope and out on the sleety
and frozen prairie with the speed of the
wind. They were in for it now. One
look behind them revealed the savages
in full pursuit. But they had a good
start. The wind was blowing a gale
from the northwest and the piercing
needles, of sleet drove straight into
their faces with blinding fury, but they
could neither stop nor change their
course. On went the fugitives, and on
came the blood-thirsty pursuers. it
was a veritable race for life. None of
your dime-novel fictions, but a living,
breathing, palpitating, exciting fact.
Nine hell-hounds of the frontier after
two blue-coats and their scalps. This
was the exact situation, and Wetmore
and his oompaniin knew it. They also
knew that their horses would not hold
out long against the terrible storm, and
began to devise ways and means to sell
their lives as dearly as possible. They
thought ef making a stand in the buffalo
wallows, when the remembrance of the
terrible fate of Chapman and his com
panions made them dig in their spurs a
little deeper and seek a more favorable
location. At last it was evident that
they could go no further, and some
thing must be done.
The trail they were making en the
sleety surface told them there was no ,
escape by flight, so unshnging their j
carbines, they dropped behind a small
thicket and prepared to "pass in their
checks" as lively as possible. By this
time darkness had set in, and the storm j
of sleet and snow was raging with un- 1
abated fury. Long and anxiously those
two benumbed and benighted men knelt
on the frozen crust and waited for the
appearance of their savage foes, but
they came not.
Hither the red-skins had been pelted
out of their purpose by the terrific
storm, or else they had con e to the
conclusion that the market price of two
scalps would not justify more than one
or two twenty-mile heats on a stiff and
slippery prairie. At all events they
gave up the chase. Lieut. Whetmore
and Hamilton stayed behind the thicket
all night, narrowly escaping freezing to
death, and expecting every moment
that the whoops of the savages would
be heard and tha crash of a tomahawk
put them out of their misery and end
the terrible, terrible suspense.
When morning dawned, the savages
had disappeared, but the beleagured
men were in another pickle.' They were
lost on the prairie. Lost as effectually
and completely as though they were in
mid-ocean. The storm howled aa fierce
as it did durinor the night. By nothing
in the heavens above or the earth be
neath could the points of the compass
be determined. Weary, frozen, hungry
and discouraged, the wanderers began
to feel that their miraculous escape of
the night before was only a putting off
of the inevitable, Finally, seeing that
they were completely bewildered, they
struck for the nearest stream and fol
lowed it to the mouth. It emptied into
larger one, and thus these men kept on
until, after innumerable hardships,
they succeeded in striking the old trail
flftv miles south of Camp Supply. Forty
miles from the post they met the caval
ry out m search for them, and were es
corted to quarters, having been nearly
three days without food, and with
their clothing frozen tight to their
bodies.
Lieut. Whetmore says his hands and
feet are badly frost-bitten, but other
wise he is in good health and spirits.
Hamilton, his companion in the advent
ure, 'has not yet arrived from the
frontier, owing to his exhausted condi
tion. : A Pitiable Case.
An Irishman arrested for highway
robbery, on being brought before a
magistrate, asserted that he was more
entitled to be pitied than to be pun-
" Pitied 1" exclaimed the Justice, while
his eyebrows arched with more than or
dinary wonder and contempt '; " and on
what account, pray?"
"Sure, on account s of my misfort
une," .
" Your misfortune, indeed I What !
That we have caught you, I suppose ?"
"Oh, the jictleman that's brought
me here knows my misfortune well
enough."""'.' ,"
Hut the gentleman was as astonished
as the magistrate himself , and was in
capable of understanding the culprit's
meaning. - ' A".-.-
" You will own, I suppose," said his
worship, "that you stopped this gen
tleman on the highway ?"
" " O, yes ; I did the same. "
" And that you took from him 30 in
bills ?" . 'ri :
" And there your honor is- right
again." '
" Well, then, you perplexing vaga
bond, what do you mean by your mis
fortunes?" '
r " ure, ana we money wasn't in mv
pocket above a week when the dirty
bank stopped payment, and X was
robbed of every sbiUin'."
Dubtno the late bathing season an in
dividual walked np to the office of a sea
side hotel, and with considerable flour
ish signed the book and exclaimed :
" I'm Lieutenant Governor of .
"That doesn't make any difference.
says the landlord; "you'll bo treated
just as well as the others."
All Sorts.
Hawaii is pronounced How-are-ye.
FEtmsTLTAinA has thirty-one colleges,.
Tom Thumb has become a Knight
Templar. Mbs. JoAQtns MrLiiEn has decided to
turn actress.
" Lo " cost us a little over six mill
ions last year.
' Thb Southern negroes are beginnings
to talk about colonizing in the West.
: Mb. Motley, the historian, has taken
a house in London. His health is muchs
better. , ,
'Mbs. Woodhuli. is in trouble; he-
paper and her health have tailed to
gether. Bbighah is getting better, and there
is some hope that he will outlive all his.
mothers-in-law.
Mb Dez.08, of Wisconsin, has 149
warts on his hands, and that's warts tho
matter with Delos. '
Thb oyster beds of France and En
gland, in spite of artificial propa gation,.
are practically exhausted.
Thb phenomenon of a well-defined
cross was seen on the moon, at Knox
ville, Term., the other evening.
Thb total steamboat tonnage for the
entire civilized world amounts to 6,244.
888 tons, of which sum England owns
3,015,773. .
Thb proprietors of the London Time
now cast their own type, and the same-i
plan is about to ' be adopted by all the-
lead ing dailies Of that city. . r
Thb making of dolls' shoes has
within the past Bix or eight years into a,
business of sufficient importance to oo
cupy several manufactories.
Adhibaii Dot. the " great" American
dwarf, has had a period put to his ex
istence ; henceforth that rather self
important semicolon, Mr. Thumb, "Willi
remain the national atom as hereto
fore. Ojrrrk is rrttrr fv utnJ lit.
nial show a cheese weighing 14 tons..
The export of big cheese from this
country to England, by the way, is
very" large. An In man steamer froms
New York recently took, a number
weighing 300 to 600 pounds each, one;
weighing over 1,200 pounds and ones
2,200 pounds.
The son of Dr. Livingstone, the Afri
can explorer, complains tuat the ben
longings of his father were appropriated,
by British officers upon the arrival of-'
the doctor's body at Unvanvembe. the
only genuine article belonging to the-,
great traveler which reached London
being a pair of air cushions. It nowcr
remains for the British officers to ex
plain matters. -
Wb once were acquainted with a man.
who had large hot legs of roasted mut
ton every morning for his breakfast ;
and what gigantic pieces de resistance s
he had for his dinner only his cook and
butcher knew. When he bought tur
keys he bought two -one for himself
and one for his family. No Em pe or in
the days of the Roman decadence over
ate more than this honest New England',
citizen, and he lived to he eighty, in-t
spite of hot sausages every night just .
before going to bed. New York -une.
Most of the Southern States are nowu-
m deiauic eiwer as to we interest or? -principal
of their bonded debt. The
following table shows the amount thus
due and without prospect of being -
paid :
Bond in
Default.
.$01,860,000
' Bond in -.
Default-.
. 7,000,000
. 24,900,000
State.
Vlabama...,
States.
Mississippi..,
N. Carolina..
Arkansas ..
Florida ....
Georgia.
Ijoniaiana..
Minnesota.
. 12.800,000'
. 8,774,000
. 11.009.000
S. Carolina...
Virginia
... 13,'.2UO,OOU
. . . 46,000,OOC t
.t 164,732,000
. 34 433,000 1
. 2,270,1X10
Total.
A New ShelL
The English Army and ZTavjf Oa .
zettehaa enumerated on several occasion.'
the various results of experiments un
dertaken by the committee on exploy
sives, with a view of ascertaining thes
practical effects of Prof. Abel's pro
posed plan for the explosion of common?
sheas nued with water, by means of a. .
detonator, consisting of dry compressed. ,
gun-cotton enveloping a small cap ofT
fulminate of mercury. Some months-
ago the practicability of exploding six
teen-pounder common shells in this .
manner was satisfactorily establiahetl,. .
and the result of snch an arrangement -
was the bursting of a shell into three -hundred
fragments, whereas only afeowt ,
thirty pieces were produced by the ex-.-ploeion
of an ordinary bursting charge--of
gunpowder. The effect of such an
explosion among troops in the field,
could not be otherwise than disastrous-,
in the extreme. Lately, however, says-1
The Gazette, experiments have been,
made with 9 inch oommon shells, which
far exceed in effect that of any eon-- ,
ducted with the field service common
shell. , On this occasion the bursting;
element employed was wet gun-cotton i
lieu ef water. It will be rememberedl
that the danger hitherto experienced im
the employment of this explosive hast,
been obviated by wetting it, a disco
ery haying been made to the effect that
it detonated equally well wet or drr
Nine-inch shells were placed upright
upon the -sands at Sboeburyness, at.
boarding being erected around them at
a convenient distance to confine thee
fragments. The projectiles being then
filled with some eight or nine pounds of
wet compressed gun-cotton, and a "de- -tonator,"
as described above, having '
been fitted into the fuse-hole socket, '
they were fired by an ordinary electric .
fuse. The i result was extraordinary, 1
the shell bursting literally into thou
sands of pieces. v
Lard on a EsJlroad Track! i
Some unknown partiessbnandrd
bucket of lard on the railroad track a ,
mile above town a few nights ago. and.
at the lower end of the greasing stuck,
np a placard, which, when the train ar
rived and the head light shone upon it
revealed these terrible words " Blow.,
d u. you; blowj The engineer didt
blow, lie blowed his engine whistler
and he blowed his own private whistle,
and he blowed out such language- that
hia chance for eternal salvation is not
worth a tinker's denunciation. The
train came to a dead halt, train bands
and passengers were put to work sand
ing the, track, and by the aid of a yoke
of steers borrowed from Mrs. Wood mi!
the train was put in motion. It cot to.
Macon an hour behind time, . The en
gineer has resigned. If he will come .
up here we will run him for coroner.
Griffin (Georgia) News.
Thb Railway vss Gbbat Beratx.-
The total number of miles of railway
open and working in the British Empire
at the most recent- dateB attainable
mostly on the 31st of December 1873
was 27,564 miles. In the United King!
3W Vla wests, 1 A - . - A
uviu uj uusuuerui BUiesopeUlS 11,1)82.
din the Colonies, 11,482. Of these
5,872 are m India, 3,839 in the Domin
lon.of Canada and 1,257 ia Awtralia