FOREST GROVE PRESS, FOREST GROVE, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1912. «JEST TORE CHRISTMAS” ¿ /E U G E N E FIE,LD. J 7 A T H E R calls me William, sister calls me Will, Mother calls me Willie, but the fellers call me BilL Mighty glad I ain’t a girl— ruthei be a boy Without them sashes, curls an’ things that’s worn by Fauntleroy! Love to chawnk green apples an' go swimmin' in the lake— Hate to take the castor ile they give for belly ache I 'Most all the time, the whole year round, they ain’t no flies on me, But jest ’fore Christmas I’m as good as I kin be I r SUNSET 1 OGDEN & SHASTA I ROUTES I Got a yeller dog named Sport, sick him on the cat; First thing she knows she doesn’t know where she’s at I Got a clipper sled, an’ when us kids go out to slide ’Long comes the grocery cart, an' we all hook a nde I But sometimes when the groceryman is worried an* cross H e reaches at us with his whip an’ larrups up his hoss, A n’ then I laff an’ holler, “ Oh, ye never teched me I" But jest ’fore Christmas I’m as good as I kin be. Granmar says she hopes that when I git to be a man I’ll be a missionarer like her eldest brothel Dan, A s was et up by cannibals that lives on Ceylon's isle, W here every prospeck pleases an’ only man is vile. But granmar she has nevei been to see a wild west EC O E.N E F IE L D . show Nor read the life of Daniel Boone or else 1 guess she’d know T hat Buff’lo Bill an’ cowboys is good enough for me! But jest fore Christmas I’m as good as 1 kin be! A n ’ then old Sport he hangs around as solemn-like an’ still; His eyes they seem a-sayin’, “ W hat’s the matter, little Bill?” 1 he old cat sneaks down off her perch an’ wonders what’s become O f them two enemies of hern that use to make things hum! But r m so polite an’ ten’ so earnestly to biz That mother says to father, “ How improved our Willie isl” But father, havin’ been a boy himself, suspicions me When jest 'fore Christmas I’m as good as 1 kin be! For Christmas, with its lots and lots of candy, cakes and toys. W as made, they say, for proper kids and not for naughty boys; So wash yer face an’ brush yer hair an’ mind your p’s an’ q’s. A n’ don’t bust out yer pantaloons, an’ don’t wear out yer shoes; Say “ yessum” to the ladies an’ “ yessur” to the men, A n ’ when there’s company don’t pass your plate for pie again. But, dunkin' of the things yer’d like to see upon that tree, Jest ’fore Christmas be as good as yer kin be! CHRISTMAS AMONG THE MIKADO'S PEOPLE. OHDS adequate to n descrip­ tion of the festive season in Japan are dlllicult to com­ mand. Kven the camera and brush would fall to do Justice to a acene of such gay activity and color. As Christmas approaches city, town nnd Village take on n new appearance, unit the diversions of llio people a new turn nnd tone. In Japan Christmas Is not n mere holiday. It represents a holiday season In the fullest sense of the term. For weeks before the dawn of Christ­ mas day preparations elaborate In kind nnd degree are under way. Men In tight lilting costumes, their profes­ sions, or tho contractors' names print- « h 1 on their backs, speud day after day decorating the streets and houses. Stands for (he lanterns nnd the festive greening must be erected, and u thou- W be, has some sign of the New Tear Idea. Itefore every gate nnd doorway Is placed the chief symbol of the sea­ son, what the Japanese call the kndo- uintsu, or pine tree of the honorable dale. At each side of the entrance to the house or garden three short pieces of bamboo tree, cut at an acute angle, stand tied together ns a pedestal from which rises the ever glorious pine tree. In shape something like a Christmas tree, for the young pine Is the emblem of a loyalty and life that are ever fresh and green. In addition, over tho door of each house is set up a lobster attached to an orange. These are usually the gifts of a friend to express tho good(?) wish that the recipient will live Ull the loins are bent up like a lobster. Whether the orange i—presents orange blossoms and plenty of weddings in the family Is not clearly known. Above the orna­ ments of the doorway Is stretched a piece of artistically woven straw rope, tho slilnto sign of reverence for the ancestral gods. As one goes along the streets they seem gradually to be transformed Into long and winding av­ enues of trees, suggestions of ttie an­ cestral hunting grounds, and at night the whole Is lit up by Innumerable lanterns that shed a varicolored light on the decorations nnd ttie crowds that throng ttie thoroughfares. Tho blaze of lantern color lends ttie scene a mag. Ic touch that charms ttie Japanese mind and lias no little attraction for the foreigner. To tell of the endless nrrny of gifts that at this season pass between friend nnd friend, nelghlior nnd neighbor, would be Impossible. Among the morv common may he mentioned n basket containing a dozen eggs or oranges, a box of sponge cake, or a cake of soap, the latter gift being In no way Intend­ ed ns a reflection on the benetlclary New York Post L e t Her Pass. S e e th e m e rr y C h r is tm a s sh o p p er. Hut fo r g o o d n e ss' s a k e d o n 't s to p h a rt I-et h e r h ik e a lo n s h er p a th w o y ; l.e t h er p a s s you w ith a sm ile. T h o u g h you kn ow her. d o n 't d e ta in h er. F o r th e f a c t co u ld not he p la in e r T h a t If you tw o s e t to c h a t tin g Y ou w ill m e re ly b lo ck th e a isle , Ih> n ot a s k h e r how s h e 's fe e lin g . I f h er s i s t e r 's b a b y 's p eelin g F ro m th a t a w fu l s c a r le t fe v e r O r If 'tw ill a f f e c t h e r m ind. D o n 't In q u ire a b o u t h e r -m o th e r O r h e r n ep h ew o r h er b ro th e r. C a n th e Idle goaalp , lady, T h e r e s a c ro w d o f ua b eh ind . T H E S T I i E E T S HI R M U t. r w ih p in o a v k sc k b o r ctiiu si has Tunes. sand little matters have to be seen to before nil ts In complete readiness for the burst <»f gladness. Every house of the mnnj that shel­ ter the fifty millions of ttie Jspanese empire, however bumble (tie abode may Do n ot a s k h e r w h a t'a s h e 'e k n ittin g O r c ro c h e tin g fo r a tiltin g l itt le C h r is tm a s g ift th is se a so n . I f you g e t h er s t a r te d sh e " 'I I I re la te h er w h o le Ilfs s to r y . All Its tr a g e d y a n d g lo ry . A I th e r e 's fu ll tw o h u n d red people T ry in g h ard to w alk on m e. He« th e m e rry C h r is tm a s sh o p p er. t i n t fo r g o o d n e ss' s a k e d o n ’t s to p h e rt , • U , t ' n c a n th in k o f T h a t Is re a lty now w o rth w hile, l e t h er go s h o u t h er b u y in g. T h o u g h to sp e a k to h er y o u 're d y in g . C ut It o u t th is C h r is tm a s e e a so a , L e t's h a v e tr e -dom In th e a isle , ATTRACTIVE SEASIDE RESORTS, FAMOUS HOTELS, M A G N I F I C E N T SCENERY, DE­ LIGHTFUL CLIMATE. OUTDOOR SPORTS OF ALL KINDS, WITH MILES OF DRIVES THROUGH ORANGE GROVES AND ALONG OCEAN BOULEVARDS ROUND T R I P FARE Portland to Los Angeles with s to p -o v e r g o in g o r re tu rn in g and a final tu rn lim it of s ix m on th s fro m d a te of sale Excellent Train Service ! ,ncludes i® S h a s ta ■■■" Lim ited wi th Observation Standard Drawing-room and Compartment Sleeping Cars and Dining Car. Leaves Portland 5 :5 0 p. m. daily connecting with ■‘O w l" at Port Costa for Los Angeles. Two Other Fine Trains California Express Leaving Portland 1:30 a. m. [Sleeping Cars open 9:30p.m .] Th e San Francisco Express carrying Observation Car. Both trains carry Pullman and Tourist Sleeping Cars, Dining Cars and High Class Coaches. A ll these trains connect at San Francisco with the Overland Limited and other trains East through Ogden and with the San Fran­ cisco, El Paso and New Orleans trains through Los Angeles and the Sunset Route. D e s c rip tive and in te re s tin g lite ra tu re on a pplication to any A g e n t, o r JOHN M SCOTT, Portland, Oreg |i ||f