The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-12-24
HOLIDAY D0lNGS.
How Christmas Came to
be Celebrated on De-
CcEi5cr 25.
A Surprise Party-M. E. Social
Wedding Events-MisceI-
laneous Notes.

laneous Notes.
ORIGIN or CHRISTMAS.
The following from uarper's Maga-
zine gives brief summary of how the
celebration Of Christmas cume tole y
great holiday:
ss.x. Tia earliest meation- of thhe-25th Uf
December rs Christmaa day Is found in
Nh ancient catalogue of church festi-
walls about 354 A. ID. Aud it is sur
prising to SEQ with what alacrity the
date was received and the nativity GEL
eOrated throughout Christendom. It
seems as If tho world lad been waiting
for this festival, and was ready to well
come it at once with songs Of joy. In
the year $50 it was already celebrated
in Keme by vast multitudes thronging
the churches. Twenty years later
Antioch had taken it up with great
popular enthusiasm. Aud in little
more than fifty years from its earliest
suggestion, the observance of Decem.
her rs as the day of the nativity had
become the universal practice of Chris.
tians. st. Chrysostom. in a Christmas
sermon preached at Antioch, called it
the fundamental feast, or the root from
which all other Christian festivals
grow.
HOW 1T WILL DE OBSERVED.
Christmas day will bs obser we'd quite
generally in Worthington. Numerous
gifts will be made in a private way,
aud Old Santa Claus is expected to be
kept pretty busy filling stockings to-
night. When you hang up your stock
ing be sure that it has only one hole in
it. and that ut the top. There will be
10 Christmas tree by any of the Sun
day schools except the Lutheran The
various churches have been nicely dec
rated, and present a pleasing appear
ance. Tile following is brief synopsis
Of what will be done by the several
churches and Sunday schools, as ascer-
tanned by oeporter yesterday. The ex-
ercises will take place this evening:
at the Presbyterian church there
will be u concert, consisting of short
addresses, recitations. music, etc. Con.
fecti0nery vii; be distributed among
the scholars.
At the Congregational church the tx
ercisrs will be similar to those ut the
Presbyterian church. Tie scholars
will also 10 treated 10 huts, candies,
fruit, etcr
At the NJ. L. church, in addition to
literary and musical exercises. tl!e sew
eral Sunday school classes will u,ake II
cont, ibuti"n to the missionary fund Of
the school iustead "f receiving presents
upon the theory that it is more blessed
4" give than to receive. They will also
be treated to something nice.
At the Lutheran church there will
H. Il Christmas tree with its load of
seas' .nable fruit There will also he
short literary aud musical exercises.
This will be to-Hight. On Friday
morning 1T 5 O'Clock there will he re.
)iRlOus services appropriate to Christ.
mas day.
OLD SOLDIERS SURPRISED.
Last Saturday evening the Wonlan's
Relief Corps planned and executed II
grand surprise on the members of
St0ddard Post G. A. II. The plot had
been brewing for over a week, but so
carefully had the secret been kept that
but few OF the members of the post had
got an inkling Of the affair. by care
full management on the part of those
planning the surprise. the post was
kept in session until the ladies had
gathered in force with a big supply Of
rations, and had captured the guard
posted to watch against the approach
Of All enemy, when they were sur
rounded and compelled to surrender to
the superior force brought against
them, which they did without firing u
single shot-indeed, such was their
fancied security that their artillery was
not even loaded. Then the fun was
fast and. furious during the interval
while the fair captors made prepara-
tions for a grand feast, consisting of
coffee, sandwiches, several kinds of
cake, pickles, etc. Each participant
was furnished with tin cup and tin
plate, which served to remind the old
soldiers of their life on the tented field.
After all had partaken Of the bountiful
supper, music was brought in and sucf,
AZ preferred withdrew. and such as de
sired enjoyed nice little dance until
the waning hours proclaimed the ap
proach of the Sabbath, when the party
dispersed. The music was furnished
by Prof. Merritt. first violin; will
Hewitt, second violin; Thos. Hussel
ton, bass viol. Prof. E. K. Smith
called the figures. It was reported
that G. w. Brant, who was the senti-
mel on guard and allowed the camp to
be surprised without particle of warn
ing, was to be court martialed; but
after the old soldiers had partaken ol
the repast furnished by the ladies they
were somewhat mollified and concluded
to overlook it this time. It is reported
however, that another gentleman is te
he court-martialed by the Relief Corps
IT 1t were not that he is of the wrong
sex they might do as was sometimes
done in the army-swear him In ant
let him co..
THE NJ. e. SOCIAL.
One OF the most enjoyable socials O
the season WAS that held by the ladie'
OF the NJ. E. society at the commodiou'
residence Of Rev. j. W. Lewis on Thirt
avenue last Friday evening. During
tho evening the following program o.
literary and musical exercises was rem
dered: First came q song entitled
''where is Homer by Miss May Ander
son. Mrs. Belle Buchan and -Messrs
WIN Buchan and II. W. Lewis. Thil