The Sonora Sun. (Sonora, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 44, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 24, 1904 Page: 3 of 8
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A CHRISTMAS DOLL STORY
| [ —" By EUGENE O. MAYFIELD, K« «« .
For many cycles after old Kris
Kringle began to carry gifts, at yule-
tide, to little boys and girls, he pon-
dered and pondered, on Christmas
morn, as to why the little girls
sighed; then, laughed and said: "Per-
‘ haps It will be different next year.”
And when he told Dame Kringle
that the little girls sighed, she smiled,
In that dear motherly way of hers,
and told old Kris the reason—that he
had failed to gladden their wee
mother-hearts.
"But, dame, how can I do it? Tell
me, please.”
"So like a man," said Dame Kringle,
and when I saw the little dears, I
would hurry back to the old work-
shop and model from my choicest
wares, one like they—a model for
other dollies, to be carried, next year,
to the little girls who sighed.”
"Well said, good dame.” replied old
Kris, "and ere 1 sleep again the storks
and I shall meet.”
Then out among the firs, garbed in
their green and snow, old Kris Kringle
waited.
"Hark! What noise is that?” ex-
claimed the good old man. “It's like
the flutter of wings.” And down
through the frost-laden boughs came
a stork, carrying a tiny bundle. Just
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In nothing have men more revealed
their ideals of what religion should
make humanity become than in the
paintings of the scenes of the Nativ-
ity. What they felt should have been
men have tried to express upon can-
vas, or chisel in stone. What lias ap-
pealed to the multitude has become
known to fame, and the record of
man's ideals of Christianity is painted
and carved In the Christian art of the
centuries.
The artists of long ago saw nothing
strange in the legends which gathered
around the birth of Christ, but they
were intent on producing a record of
the principal scenes chronicled in tho
New Testament, and to this end they
worked only to produce representa-
tions of tho more Important events,
and often with as little of the artistic
sense as somo sign painters exhibit
now.
Some of the early representations
of the Virgin Mary were more like
Greek divinities, seated upon thrones
ed in the present day hare strong,
sweet human faces, while the infant
Jesus Is more commonly pictured with
a face full of the strength and kindli-
ness that is in some measure to be
found In childhood at its best every-
where.
There Is a well-known Virgin of
Murillo about which there is a curi-
ous story. As he was about to leave
a monastery where he had been exe-
cuting an altar piece, the cook, a fer-
vent brother, begged the artist to
paint him a little Madonna.
Tho prayer was such an earnest one
that Murillo could not refuse. There
was no canvas on hand, so seizing a
napkin ho painted on it a rough
sketch of the Virgin. The features
were of such beauty that It was care-
fully preserved and is to this day
known as the "Madonna of the Nap-
kin.”
The painting of the Madonna was
the life work of the painters of tho
olden time. In the fourteenth century
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Came a stork carrying a tiny bundle.
‘for a man never seems to know, and
( will tell you the secret. The little
girls sigh for a dolly—not tho kind I
used to play with, away up here at
the north pole; but the kind the girlies
resembled when the stork took them
to the land of sunshine. And that re-
calls,” continued the dame, “that only
yesterday I saw an old stork out in
the firs, where he had paused to rest,
and with him one of the dearest little
babies imaginable, such as little girls
love. He told me that other storks,
with other babies, would soon pass
this way. Now, Kris, were I you, and
sought to please the little maids who
sigh, I would watch, there in the firs,
once there was a whimper, but the
old stork cooed, as he loosened the
cords, and the sprite went back to
dreams.
All that night in the workshop old
Kris Kringle moulded the clay, spun
the flax, hammered and laughed, and
when dawn came, the model was done.
Then summer days came, but old
Kris Kringle sought no rest, and
when yule-tide arrived, ho carried
with him dollies, the most wonderful
in the world, and the little girls
sighed no more.
And this is how the first dollies
came to be made, as told by old Kris
Kringle, and the stork.
NEW YEAR’S DAY IN GREECE. 1 THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREES.
Time for Gifts, Frolics and General
Rejoicing.
With members of the Greek church
Christmas is a holy day but not a holi-
day, and therefore New Year's day
takes its place as a time of gifts, frol-
ics, family gatherings and general re-
joicing. The women generally give
presents of beautiful embroidery,
often their own work, but tho father
of the family, however poor, must give
his wife and each child a present of
money. The children's money is
placed in a little earthen jar and kept
so when the child grows up there is
a snug little sum for his start in life.
The gentlemen of the wealthier classes
call on their fair friends and must al-
ways take a present. Tho caller is
offered sweetmeats, a glr*:s of water, a
cup of Turkish coffee, but no wine or
liquor. When he leaves he finds tho
servants drawn up in a row, and he
presents them each with a piece of
money. This is repeated in every
house he visits, and he must visit all
his friends on New Year's day or be
forever deprived of their friendship.
He must also give his own servants
presents of money. The children have
a few cheap toys, candles and dried
fruit. "Watch service is held, and on
returning from church the head of the
family breaks a pomegranate on the
floor to insure good fortuno and
health. They then have a feast of all
kinds of nuts, candied fruits, raisins,
figs and dates. Some nutshells are
thrown Into the four corners of the
room to blind the evil one. At night
they have an Immense cake in which
aro two coins. It is set upon the table
and each person receives a piece. The
ones having the coins are elected king
and queen of the feast and are crown-
ed with mufh ceremony. Tho young
girls bite off a piece of their cake,
wrap it in blue paper, and place it
under their pillow to dream on; the
man they dream of is their future hus-
band.
Xmas Fare 500 Years Ago.
In the old days the standard Christ-
mas dishes were the peacock and tho
boar’s head. Each of these dishes was
served up with every circumstance of
pompous ceremony, preceded by trum-
pets and followed by a numerous
train of ladies, knights and squires.
The boar's head was brought into the
hall by a server, sometimes mounted
on a horse, who sang a carol as he
placed the dish upon the table.
The peacock, "the food of lovers”
and “the meat of lords,” was usually
served in all its natural splendor of
plumage, and this was doubtless the
masterstroke of the chef do cuisine.
The royal bird was "eten roysh zyn-
gere," and no expense was spared
over him. According to Massinger in
his “City Madame,” they used tho car-
casses of three wethers, bruised for
gravy, to make sauce for a single pea-
cock. The boar’s head was served by
a man. but the ceremony of distrib-
uting the peacock was usually reserv-
ed for the noblest lady present at the
(east
The Mexican Christmas Jar.
Novel Is the method of distributing
the Christmas presents at the Mexi-
can embassy. Following the custom
which prevails in tho land to the
south of us, there Is suspended from
the celling a huge open-mouth Jar in
which have been placed all the pres-
ents, each neatly tied and addressed
to the Intended recipient. The chil-
dren and grown people of the party
are armed with long, slender canes,
and with these first one and then an-
other makes a dash for the swinging
jar, striking it or at it as they pass.
Of course it Is only a matter of time
until the frail treasure house is de-
molished, and then ensues a grand
scramble for the gifts.—Washltgton
Times.
The Flight Into Egypt.
<ffoottwiu to UN* m
Sing a song of Christmas,
Sing a song of Christmas,
Of holly, pine, and fir,
Of angels bringing mirth,
Of gold and gems for tribute,
And Heaven sending blessings
Of fragrant spice and myrrh.
To this old weary earth,
Sing a song of Christmas
iSS*
Sing a song of Christmas,
Of love this happy morn,
Of Mother Mary sweet,
For lo! in old Judea
And shepherds bowing lowly
Our blessed Lord is born.
Ml
At the Christ-Child’s little feet.
1
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CHRISTMAS
* JINKS ,
) on the
HIOH-SEAS
Long a Central Figure of Festivals the
World Over.
Most 6f us know that the Christ-
mas tree comes to us direct from
Germany; and we know of the tree
worship of the Druids which obtained
in England and France, and which
probably had some influence on the
later use of the tree in tho Christmas
festival.
But we <lo not nil know that a simi-
lar festival, with the tree as a crown-
ing feature, is observed among many
heathen nations. Our tree, with its
small candles, Its gilded nlcknacks
and toys for the children, is a direct
descendant of this old festival which
was held in honor of the sun.
Traces of it exist in Iceland, where
the "service tree” Is found adorned
with burning lights during Christmas
night. The English yule log is a
faint survival of this festival.
But it goes further back than alt
this—to China. It has been shown
that a tree with 100 lamps and flow-
ers was placed in the steps of the au-
dience hall.
This appears in the records of Prin-
cess Yang, who lived 713-715 B. C.,
and who caused a 100-lamp tree 80
feet high to be erected on a mountain.
—Stray Stories.
A Russian Christmas.
In Russia the boys are the chief
celebrators of Christmas eve, and
they disguise themselves In the forms
of animals—wolves, bears, ostriches,
tigers and cameleopards, and roam
the streets until the small hours.
To enter a dwelling at their pleas-
ure and sit at the family table is no
breach of decorum at such a time,
and often the children of a home are
startled to see a wolf or a bear enter,
take a seat at the supper table, and
eat as a wolf or bear only can eat.
Sometimes long processions of
these animals parade tho streets with
bands and a chorus of singers; but
the most, interesting of these Christ-
mas performances Is the religious
play, in which boys take part. Upon
this scene the Russian peasant looks
with profound Interest and venera-
tion, and the population generally
throw money to these performers with
generous heart and lavish hand.
with a multitude acknowledging their
sway. The influence of Aristotle and
the Greek philosophy upon the dis-
cussions of theology undoubtedly
helped to emphasize this tendency.
Gradually the allegorical method of
treatment grew, and by the end of the
fifteenth century it exercised undis-
puted sway in the world of art.
Where earlier artists had pictured a
rude hut as the scene of the birth of
Jesus, these painters used the ruins
ot a pagan temple to symbolize the
rise of the new faith from the ruins
>f the old. Where the star and a few
-hepherds had once been were placed
v multitude of angels and the kings
of the earth pouring out rich gifts.
Instead of a new-born infant the
Christ child was a wise little being
sitting up to intelligently receive the
homage which was his due.
The adoration of the new-born child
by its mother was a favorite theme at
this time, though until the rise of the
allegorical school the theme had not
a painter chose his vocation, not be-
cause of his talent or special aptitude
for the work, but because ot his
religious tendencies. A studious boy,
one who loved to go to church, one
whose mind turned toward serious
matters, was the predestined painter
of the family.
Only wealthy families could afford
to have a painter nmong their mem-
bers; and so it happened that the
painters of the early days were re-
fined, wealthy, quiet, study-loving gen-
tlemen.
Not a trace of later day Bohemian-
Ism afflicted the artists of that time;
and ns late as the seventeenth cen-
tury to be an artist of any descrip-
tion was to boast a badge of respect-
ability not afforded by any other pro-
fession.
And in front of the pictures of the
Madonna the young artists sat and
painted. To get to Rome was the as-
piration of them all, and from every
hamlet and village there came a
pigl
Murillo’s Holy Family.
been thought of by artists. At this
period, too, the making of life-sized
'mages of Jesus and the Virgin Mary
bogan to receive more attention,
hough they were Intended to repre-
sent only human characteristics and
not the primitive Ideals of those who
thought of the persons in the Trinity
as men and made Images of them as
rack.
The effort to make all the charac-
ters carry an air of rapture and devo-
tion overshadowed the thought of
them as examples of beautiful and
Ood-lnspired humanity In almost
every form In which religious art
sought expression.
The allegorical school became less
dominant with the revival of learn-
ing, and most of the Madonnas paint-
youth to Rome eager to paint hit
canvas—his Madonna!
No competitive examination of to
day, no great stake, could bring to
gether all the artists of the earth at
the simple tapestries that hung in the
Jack Tar is notoriously a “merry
soul," whether afloat or on shore; but
once a year he lays himself out to
eclipse even himself, and that Is on
| Christmas day. It matters nothing
where he may find himself—dodging
Icebergs in the northern seas, cruis-
ing among palm-fringed Pacific isl-
ands, or in port 3,000 leagues from
the lass he loves—It's all the same to
Jack; he means to have what he ex-
pressively calls a "high old time
and he has it.
And he sots about It thoroughly
and systematically, as becomes a
sailor. I-ong before he flings himself
into his hammock on Christmas eve
to dream, it may be, of the “old folk
at homo,” everything is practically
ready for the morrow’s feasting and
revelry. All day long busy hands have
been engaged In converting the mess
deck into a veritable fairy scene of
color and gaiety. Roses there are In
thousands, of all colors of the rain-
bow, and all fashioned by clever fin-
gers; furlongs of gay paper festoons;
devices and mottoes of all kinds glit-
ter from the walls, and all so skil-
fully arranged and blended that one
i3 tempted to think that, after all,
Jack has missed his vocation and
should have been an artist.
Now all is ready for Father Christ-
mas. First comes an impressive cere-
mony, when the men, in immaculate
duck, are paraded for service; the
flag is hauled down, and In Its place
the red cross pennon of the church
unfolds in the breeze, and four or five
hundred lusty voices Join with the
band in sending one good old Christ-
mas hymn after another rolling up in
majestic volume of sound to the blue
of heaven. There is no sermon, Just
a few hymns and nrayers; but yon
won’t find a more impressive Christ-
mas service tho big world through.
Then come the finishing touches
to the mess deck fairyland, each mess
trying Its hardest to eclipse all the
others in wealth and skill of decora-
tion. As the hour of noon draws near
the petty officers of the watch give
place to the smallest lads aboard, who
strut about In their mimic dignity
and send officers and crew into con-
vulsions of laughter. And then, at the
first stroke of eight bells tho captain
and his officers pay their state visit
of inspection to the mess deck.
Tho plum puddings are sampled
amid deafening cheers, tho decora-
tions are duly admired and praised,
and after a few seasonable remarks
and good wishes the skipper with-
draws himself and his suite, and the
! "feeding and fun" begin. Such feed-
ing and such fun it is, too; but, in
delicacy, let us leave Jack to it and
join him again when the last mouth-
ful of plum pudding has vanished and,
seated and happy, he produces hfs
pipe—the crown of the feast.
For hours now the Innocent revelry
lasts. Songs with rousing choruses,
recitations, hornpipes, music on half
a score of Instruments, follow one an-
other In endless succession; Jollity
rubs shoulders with sentiment, and
maybe a roar of laughter gives place
to a moist eye, a tribute to the loved
ones far away, brought to mind by a
tender song. For Jack has a very
tender heart and a loyal memory.
A diversion may take the form of
a raid on a popular officer and a chair-
ing and ovation, to which he submits
like a well pleased, if embarrassed.
And thus the hours fly In a
churches of Rome brought together all
»..TiZ i is—
easels the young men sat, ever gazing
ory many a long day to come. But
tho longest and gladdest day !iaa its
ending. "Out pipes" Is sounded, and
when Jack at last tumbles into his
hammock, weary and happy, we may
be sure he needs no rocking.
upward and—painting.
It is little wonder that, with so
much talent spent upon the tranquil!
face of the Lady of Heaven, she grad j
ually should have been painted In |
more and more beauty. I.lttle by lit- More than half a million Christmas
tie the poor artists dropped out, dls-1 trees are required *n supply the de-
couraged at their lack of progress, j mBnd for Christmas trees in New
and tho better ones remained. | yorjj glone
G“1S
WITH
Romantic \
Histories.
It Is safe to affirm that no Christ-
mas card played so important a part
In a man's life as one which hangs in
a frame over the writing desk of a
certain well known Journalist. The
remarkable story connected with this
card was related to the writer a short
time ago.
About twelve years since, tho Jour-
nalist to whom the card belongs went
to a large city with great literary as-
pirations. Against the advice of his
parents, he threw up a situation which
would havq brought him in a steady
if not large Income, so long as be
cared to do the work. But he con-
sidered literary work was his forte,
and he came to the great metropolis
to earn fame and fortune with his pen
as a free lance. To be brief, the re-
sult appeared to be dismal failure;
for after nearly two years' incessant
struggling the journalist found him-
self one Christmas eve without suffi-
cient money in his pocket to pay his
railway fare to visit "the old folk at
home.”
Too proud to admit his failure after
going against the advice of bis parents,
he began to think seriously of de-
stroying all traces of his Identity and
committing suicide. While sitting in
his lodgings with this Idea running
through his mind, however, the post-
man brought a letter which contained
a small Christmas card sent by a five-
year-old nieco to whom he was great-
ly attached. The words on the front
of the card were simple: "Wishing
you a merry Christmas and prosper-
ity”; but on the back was written,
in tho child’s scrawling handwriting,
"From your llttlo Bweethoart, Nell.”
The thought that the little girl was
looking forward to seeing him quick-
ly dispelled all thoughts of suicide
from tho Journalist’s mind, and, put-
ting his pride In his pocket, he bor-
rowed sufficient money to take him
home. It was the turning point in his
career; for he determined to try again
after the holiday, with the result that
he was able to go homo the following
Christmas and tell those who were
dear to him that his work had won
for him a lucrative post.
Maybe there are some readers who
still remember the pathetic story at-
tached to a Christmas card received
by the German emperor two years
ago from a little girl whose father
had been Imprisoned for lese majeste.
The girl, who was about ten years of
age, had no mother, and, probably
feeling very miserable at tho thoughts
of spending Christmas without her
father, conceived the Idea of sending
a petition to the emperor for her par-
ent’s releaso in tho form of a Christ-
mas card.
Tho card was but a cheap one,
bearing tho very appropriate words,
"Good will toward men"; while on the
back the child had written In Ger-
man, "Please, Your Majesty, let my
father come out of prison for Christ-
mas day.” The appeal Interested the
kalsor to such an extent that he
caused Inquiries to be made, and, find-
ing that the man had not committed
a very serious offense, ordered his Im-
mediate release.
A gentleman living In Wales still
preserves a Christmas card which
cost him one penny and brought him
a fortuno of £40,000. He was once
a doctor at Sheffield, and one Christ-
mas bought a shilling box of a dozen
Christmas cards to send to his friends:
After dispatching eleven he found that
his lint of friends was exhausted, and
at first thought of keeping the twelfth
card. He suddenly remembered an
old aunt, however, living in Wales,
whom he had never seen, and to her
he posted the remaining card.
A little later the old lady died, and
the doctor found that she had left
him her entire fortune. Her lawyer
declared that the date of the altera-
tion of her will was the day after that
on which she received the card.
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Woodruff, D. B. The Sonora Sun. (Sonora, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 44, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 24, 1904, newspaper, December 24, 1904; Sonora, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1017550/m1/3/: accessed July 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .