The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1884-12-20
OtIGt> OF CHRI>TM,S.


strange medley of Christian and Pagan
rites. After the conversion Of Britain to
Christianity, the teachers could not EN-
tirely free the converts from their cher.
ished superstitions and observances, and
so engrafted the rites of the Christian
religion upon the old heather ceremonies.
| No festival of the year shows more
plainly such an interminglng than
| Christmas These festivities were orig
inally derived from the II ,man Saturna-
| LA, an occasion that was marked with re-
| juicing, and where even the slaves. al
lowed to be free for the time, were
waited on by their masters. Afterwards
came the ceremonies observed by the
British Druids, and, still later, incorpo-
rated with the grim mythology OF the
ancient Saxous.
SO came the mi tletoe, regarded with
the utmost veneraton in the religion oil
| the Druids, who went forth with putnp
aud rejoicing to gather the mystic bough
So came the Yule log from our Scaudiua
Wan ancestors, who drew it IN triumph
from its resting place IN the wo'd-. sure
that its fame would burn out old wrongs
and from its ashes would arise better
promises for the future. So, too. the
, brimming wassail bowl, in whose liquid
I depths old feuds and enmities were said
| to be buried forever. An ancient belief
, | is still held in some parts OF England.
/ that at midnight on Christmas Eve the
cattle in the stalls fall down on their
E knees in Alteration of the infant Savior
: who wa, laid in a manager, that bees sing
in ,hsir hives, aud bread then baked
| never becomes mnuldy-that all nature
y unites IN celebrating the birth OF Christ
il In the Roman Church masses were
O held at midnight, at aybreak. aud at a
later hour. A superstition prevailed
! that at this time the powers OF darkness
= cnnld exert no evil influence. The crow
! ing Of the cock through the darkness
, put them all to fight. This idea is ex'
! pre- SEED by Shakespeare:
Il faded on the cr,wlng of the cock;
-, ,me say that ever 'sai at that asou Comes
y. Wherein our sayior's birth Is eel br .tei.
II The BIRD Of awning -iugeth all night long
\ d then. they say. no spi it can walk abroad
Che nj 1ht. are wholesome; then no pishet
T. strike.
r. No fairy takes nor witch hath power to char u
n. 80 hallowed and 81 gracious il the tine
S. An ancient custom is the singing G
4, carols. In the early ages Of the Churc
or they were sung by the bishops on Christ
J. !; mas Day, but later by the children e
my about ON Christmas mornng. Jerem
l 20 of a
i, gels, thus gives the authority for tn
." custom: ''As soon as these blesse
Ike choristers had sung their Christma
Oh carols, and taught the Church hymn
ey put in her offices forever, they returne
re- into heaven" And surely if the angel
to song got lost somew here, why shonl
cir not children find the echoes and ST
on sing the refrain!
on When Ch,ist wa born OF Mary free.
In Bethlehem, in that fair citie.
nd Angels sing there with mir h and glee.
In excelsis gloria.
Our own Chri ,tmas tree and San
ne Claus have been handed down from Il
nv middle ayes. They come to US fro
~ Germany, where Christmas has alwa
MS been especially joyful season for 4
oA children. Here the tree was respiende
with light, and gifts were brought by
IRE parsonage bearing the name kri h HI
G. kle-a corruption Of Christ kindlein,
., the infant child. Later on, stern
lhe spirit brought only rods Of correction
Vi the naughty ones, but, finally, the t.
on' were united in the generous heart bea
oe ing face and kindly soul Of our own
Nicholas.
mas We are the heirs of both pagan a
nv Christian past, and as-distant lit
ny are hushed, and there rise on the eve
!. ing air only the melody Of the bells,
''s' over the busy scenes Of the present, a
the fading traditions OF the past, tio
che sweet and clear the angels song-shii
;st. with steady radiance the star that IT
nd in the east, star whose light shall KIN
bic no setting H. R. in Boston Transcri
~" Maxim of electric. light fame, has
vented an automatic single barrel g
Clo. Protected from overheating by wat
be. jacket, the cartridges are supplied b,
, On continuous canvas belt. The recoil
on the gun at each discharge is utilized
bringing forward the next cartridge, +,
ing it into position. cooking the hamn
EARS and pulling the trigger. 20 that the
the when once set going, is automatic. II
own attendant were killed in action
rted weapon would, in fact, 60 on firing u
the last one was expended. The rat
discharge can be regulated from one
pie minute to the astonishing maximum
eek. 600 per minute. The same syster
- helt.feeding has been applied by
nails Maxim to ordinary rifles fired FROM
shoulder.
WHAT THE PARROT SAID. - 8
talking parrots are the fa>orite pet
of young ladies this season, and the
who dealers are teaching them to say :"
in a me, darling, in commercial way, "
little insures rapid sale for them. a az
hing made mistake the other day
the trotted out an old green parrot that
| u,..,l a,l ,,,,,l. 1.,nL,o,y h, ,t-nh