.Tiam GfirwWu Gi|t

* ■tockln*—thM u, aii

onlr on« thing 1 t0 j, to year," aald M»rl»n of It.

p toUtataM her broth- go^* * ' w ^» t L must be getting old. To^ Bnt* eeuwl & 3rtt, -nd Jta want ^,„ B “ “^* 0 ‘, hock h ' r »>•*«.

r.~ *»

K"” :“ k ' 4 « ! ‘<T " SU!.“E,V

CAPE MaY COUKTY TDCES. FRIDAY. DECEKBEE 17. 1926.

Pag« Hiaeteen

I S.VT It funny. Daddy.’* aald Bob. ■"that all the countries celebrate Christmas at the same time. I should think that each people l would have their own holiday.’' “The different peoples have their ; Individual ways of observing the ; day. - ' explained Daddy, though I there Is a similarity In all the cele- | hrations. But that they would all ' h ‘ r * * holiday at the same time of 1 the year Is really not strange when I you know the reason behind the I srlgln of the day. As you know, Christmas is supposed to commemi orate the birthday of Jesus, but tt ; Is not al all certain that the twenI ty-fifth oi December Is the actual date of HU birth. There u no historic record of the day. but historians and astronomers have figured out that It must have fallen

Why We Celebrate Christmas

about this time of the year. At thta same reason the ancient Homans had also observed a p.'riod of great feasting. The sun which s: this time had reached the point farthest away from the earth would shortly be returning to give of Ita light and warmth and therefore the Romans rejoiced. This festival was called Saturnalia. When the Christian faith began to spread r was thought best by the church Dignitaries to celebrate Christmas

time and thus merge ' with the Chris-1

uan one. At flrat. as was but natural there was a great deal of opposition on the part of the Romans sod many and fierce were the persecutions of the men who had adopted the new faith. But later when Christianity eras adopted by no less

—r snd curled up near the firs :d wrote Pretty toon. Jimmy ! lirrty were led off half-asleep bed. and Tom recited a long re about -What shall I do on Christmas Day." and Mumty read over the story of tbs shepherds and they sang “Oh. Uttls town of heth’chsm.’' Then they all went to bed. Well. Santa Claus did not find Marian’s note, because Marian had not put It In her stocking. She was eel ting to the stage where she didn't believe there was any Banta Claus. "Besides.’' she told herself, "he couldn’t give me my wish. How could anybody find a Perfect Friend

the pagan festive

a person than the Emperor Constantine the celebration of Christmas became an established custom. It was noi only the Remans who observed a special day at this season of the year, the Northern peoples bad a festival called Tule. which they celebrated In hoocr of their god Thor. The adoption of the Christian religion and the new holy days were here atmllarly merged with the pagan customs as they were In Rome. So It Is that all countries from different origins cwn.e ia time to observe a common festival which we know as Christmas. and which means the “masof Christ-" That It has been celebrated as a festival of the birth ol Christ ever since the first century la shown by writings upon the walls of the early Christian tombs.

That was the One Thing Marian wished for. She bad Tom and Jimmy and Betty and her dear parents and they were all darlings, but they did r.ot fiHl that one particular Uttls spot In her heart which was meant for a <-hum to fill. She wanted a girl of her own age who would like what she liked and see things the same way aha saw them and laugh at the same Jokes ' l don’t expect to get my wl»n. - and I'm going to be Just as happy

> keep as can be anyway," she told her-

self as she drifted softly away Into j

d as that!” laughed . "You'd better write a note right Dreamland.

"Tel! me. deugh-' quick to Santa aal pul It in your Tom had been waiting patiently r One Wish?' sleeking. Marian." advised Dad for his alster to begin her journey ;

head f *r "Maybe he’ll find It and It won't' to that strange land, and soon nfter

i rather sshsmed be too tale yet-' she had started on it. the door of d and begged her. j "All right. Daddy, dear." said her room opened cautiously and :

Marian. her brother tipped ' . - - < f too big to, She jumped up. pot a sheet of fiaahhght. He had t

had not put her note Into her stocking and he hoped he con'd find it and discover what her One Wish was. He Sashed his light ! hers an! there, and before long he found a bit of paper on her bureau. [Just as he reached for it. she sighed, ahd moved, he flashed off the light j snd after waiting a moment he: slipped from the room. Safe In hi* own room, he read the paper. It was a list It said: Half dc*. oranges. Three Iba. butter. And a lot more. Tom scratched his head. Well, this was very Queer he thought But then girls had queer notions anyhow besides maybe all these groceries put together made a good cake or pie • something Marian was craving-.-" lia heard a sound downstairs and saw uis father ia the hall. He ran down and asked It be might go out "It’s only belt past nlns and the' store* wt! be open until ten." he urged. "I have some more shop-1

ping to da"

His father said all right and insisted on going along, and when he saw his eon buying groceriaa, he was too astonished to apes'- poor Tom meant well, you see but he | had got hold of the wrong paper. | The right one lay under his sister'* | pillow. The one he had was a list his mother had given Marian

to get at the grocer'*.

The grocer’s was a small store trimmed with holly and red paper and looking very gay. While Tom was waiting for hla package a loud thump was heard behind the coun-

ter. and a little scream.

"Don’t bv alarmed.'' said the’ kindly grocer. Mr. Uoon. "That’s my Uttls celca. You see I'm a bachelor, rnd my sister’s husband died so tbe sect me one of her young ones to keep and send to school this winter. I don't know much about caring for children, but I Hite to please ’em. Hilda, that's my nelce, begged me to let her stay In the store tonight but she's so sleepy she’s fallen out of her chair

"Poor Hilda!"

d Tom’s father.

puzzle Corner

(To be colored totffi points or crayons. Whenever you come to a word

spelled in CAPITAL, letters use that color.)

:s JoU> old Banta trim- | candy canes are tied to the tree ming our tree. He la dressed with bright BLUE and Y rTLXXJW In a bright RED suit which ! ribbons. The horns AIL i with Is trimmed with ermine. His | RED and whita randies are tLUE boots and belt are BLACK. ' and YELLOW with whits cut pa-

Thls big BLUE ball shall go) Per at the top.

here on thD GREEN tree, right; Santa is standing on a BLUE b«ween these long rows of small' leather chair, for he ia short and * halls.'' says Santa. j the top of the tree is so high. Be There are string* of RED balls, has placed the GOLDEN (use an I strings of BLUE balls and big I bright YELLOW) star ct tha very

RED balls and big YELLOW balls, i top.

And there are RED candles to j There 1* plenty of GREEN holly with thelrUBy TEL -i ,rl,h lu RE D berries In pretty

LOW flames. Big RED and white cluster* a

mistletoe with. Its while berries Palat'Bantx * Jolly old face PDTR fuse'RED lightly) anti his noet gad cheeks RED. His hand can be PINT- too. The lettes.sg at the-top can b« colored RED and you can color tha background, a light TLGS If you v,Jsh or leave It white. "Merry Christmas to all!" shouts Santa, when he finishes. And It ) sc look carefully you will see >. has hung a little parcel on tha tree. It ia white with a RED ri.

bon bow c

y.