Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-25
The Legend of the Mistletoe.

Merrily blszed the yule log in the square
open fire place, and the dark oak panels of
the little room caught and threw back
again in softer color the red light of the
flames. The room was filed with the rosy
glow, and black shadows danced in time to
the Pickering freight on the floor and
walls. At times the fierce wind outside
blew down the chimney shower of snow
which fell with sizzle upon the cracking
log, bat the flames only burned the brighter
as though determined to Guido the Christ
mas storm, and the noise of the gale was
lost in the merry splutter and crack of the
fire.
Before the log sat youth and maiden,
and for little time they sat in silence
reading their future in the red Goals and
though neither told the other of their
dream, each felt that their futures were the
same. Suddenly the young man turned
toward the girl, 81 bought bit of mistle-
toe to day" he said; do you know the
origin of its use? Shall l tell you the
story?"
She looked at him dreamiIy. YES
she answered, her lips scarcely moving.
"And will you promise not to interrupt
"Y-yes," was the low reply.
He laid the green spray with lis crimson
berries upon the brown curls, and bending
near her began
"Baldur the son of Odin, the old Morse
god, was called the Good, because of his
kind and loving nature, and whenever he
went among the gods of men he was re-
ceived with the kiss of peace" The young
man hesitated moment, then he caught
sight of the green spray that crowned the
fair face of the girl and he was embold-
ened. Like this" he whispered. He
waited few moments and then seeing The
brown eyes turned inqulringly toward him
he continued, But Baldur in his dreams
was warned that his life was in peril, SO he
called the gods together and gave them the
kiss of peace-the gods were numbered by
the score" he explained, and promised
not to interrupt. He told them of his fears
and they resolved to do all in their power
to prevent the calamity. Frigga, the wife
of Odin, made all things on earth swear
not to ipjure him, but she overlooked the
mistletoe, which she thought too puny.
She did not know its power as do. All
right, I'll continue. After this Baldur
used to supply all the fun for the gods, who
would throw all sorts of things at him and
improve their aim because they knew he
could not be harmed. And Baldur used to
return kiss for each blow, and if he got hit
six times he would give six-like this. But
Loki, the unpleasant fellow whom no one
used to kiss Qike this), learned that the
| mistletoe had taken no oath, so he got G
little spray and sharpened il and then went
TO watch the fun. There was an old blind
god called Hodur who couldn't hit
Baldur because he couldn't see him,
and Loki went up to him and whispered,
Don't you want to hit Badur and get a
kissP Cike this) and Hodur said sYep.f So
Loki gave him the mistletoe and guided
his throw, and Baldur was pierced through
and be fell dead and he couldn't kiss any
body any more (like this) aud everybody
was stricken with sorrow. So after trying
! 10 get back his life they gave up the lob
and laid him on his ship, placed spray of
mistletoe over his head, and all the Val
kyrs, a lot of pretty girls who used to
be messenger boys for the gods, came and
kissed him like this-and this), and that
is why on Christmas eve anybody can kiss
anybody else like thisl, if they only have
spray of mistleioe over their head"
what has Christmes Eve got to do with
itp'' asked the maiden, reaching up for the
spray in her hair. As she said it she
started. "Oh. Tomi' she cried, these
berries are red How could you make such
mistake? All your time wasted and"
The young man looked perplexed. How
had he failed, he wondered. The results
of mistletoe could not have been differ
ent. He was about to ask, when the girl
started to her feet, and, like frightened