The Portland daily press., 1897-12-18
HOW XMAS TREES BEGAN.
A German Version of the Origin of the
Custom

Mime. Gertrude Set up the First Beautiful
| Fir Tree 10 Reclaim to His Own Henry
of Wartenstein. the Brave Knight Who
! lad Lost His Homelove in the Crus-
AIDES.
(From the German of Anna Reschauer.
A few weeks ago the young wife of DR..
Werner, Professor of Ancient History
at the Vienna University, was invited,
with him, to attend a dinner party at
which the other guests were the prevail
ing social lions in art and literature
Being young and difident and without
experience in the social world, she felt i'll
at ease among such a company. Hap
PLY, at the table, she was placed next to
the celebrated Prof. X, who at once in
terested himself in her, and explained
| and expounded the topics and converse
| lions which were going on around the
table. He. did this in that kind, clear
manner which only persons of learning
possess, and so, as the evening went on,
| the young woman found courage enough
| to express her views on several minor
subjects, much to the delight of the pro
lessor, who found that his neighbo1 had
not only clear intellect, but also real
German woman's heart. He did not care
that she was unacquainted with the
| literature of the ancients and had not
much knowledge of the classics, for he
perceived that she was by no means a
simple woman.
Soon the conversation turned upon the
mans, and DR.. Werner became involved
in a discussion with the wife of doctor
of philosophy as to the origin of the
Christmas tree. This worthy woman was
endeavoring to maintain that the Christ
mas celebration and the Christmas tree
early Christian priests to give the
fantasy loving Germans something to sup
plant the Yule feast of their heather
ancestors Partly asserting to this, the
doctor Jokingly responded that it seemed
to him that the Christmas tree was un-
woman, the wife of a priest, for at that
time priests were allowed to marry, who
wanted to aid her husband in his work of
gathering in souls. and who felt that tn
tree would bring many worshippers to
the church, resulting in good to her hus-
band as well as joy to the faithful.
Mrs. Werner, who, with Prof. x. over
heard the discussion, felt vexed at such a
sordid and unromantic view, and assured
Prof X that she felt as if her husband
was tearing down the Lords pictures
from the altar, or trailing masterpiece
in the dust. She could not be reconoiIed
to the idea that the christmas tree was
the invention of thrifty woman. Prof.
X smiled for it pleased him to have
found woman who was not educated to
the point where romance no lonper
cheered and pleased. However, in order
to encourage his friend Werner, he main
tained with assumed gravity that he be-
Iieved him to be right.
The party separated in good spirits ex
cepting only the young wife, who fel5
that her holy of holes had been desecrat
ed Within q few days after the dinner
Prof. x. received small package and
letter. Tearing open the envelope, he
found the letter to be from young Mrs.
Werner in the following words:
My Very Honored Professor: I was
sorely grfeved that you and my husband
should give so commonplace an origin to
the Christmas tree, and | took the mat.
ter very much to heart. ] believe you both
are wrongs and that the accompanying
manuscript will change your Views; at
| least, | hope so, SO that you and he may
hereafter be charmed, as | have always
been, by the Christmas feast and its beau
tiful tree. Your ever devoted,
MARTHA WERNER.
The manuscript read as follows:
THE BEGINNING OF THE CHRIST
MAS TREE.
"Henry of Wartenstein, or Heinz. as his
good wife, Nine. Gertrude, was fond of
calling him, had just returned with the
crusaders from the Holy Land after two
years absence. His castle in the Necker
thai was alive with the revelry and ioy
of great feast given in his honor The
Eastern sun had Drowned him, and East
ern customs had taken somewhat from
his German character. The hardships of
the crusade had hardened his sturdy fig
ure, and his blue eyes looked yet more
beautiful in his sun Drowned face. He
felt glad again to be in the home of his
ancestors and next to his beautiful wife
Almost Immediately he went about
the daily routine to which he had been
accustomed before. the crusade and the
affairs of the castle went on AS usual
The autumn and winter came and with
them change in the mood and spirits of
the knight 1t was rs II u dense fog had
spread around his soul to prevent tba
light of his sunny nature from peenino
through. The change was apparent to
and caused his good wife much sorrow
With gWoman's intuition she OWNED