The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-20
Eagle Table and Kitchen

/ sorbing topic of food are carefully pre-
pared and based on knowledge OF chem
! istry as applied to cooking and practical
! information derived from actual expert
| ence-
! Fourth volume: Conducted By Ida Ames
! Willis, Marquette Building, Chicago, to
whom all inquiries should be addressed
All rights reserved by the Banning Co..
I Chicago.
OUR GUEST, KING CHRISTMAS.
'-Cometh the season when the holy stcry
Tells how Heaven set its golden gates
wide;
How the angelic voice fell on mans
hearing,
Heralding gloriously the crucifed."
Although nowadays we do rot cele-
bTate Christmas by gathering around the
Yule-tide blaze to practice the quaint
! spells and tell stories Of those days Of
yore when this old world was youns-we
still wreathe the shining holy with its
red berries dropped like rubies upon its
dark green leaves Nor Go we forget the
time-honored custom of hanging the
piece OF mistletoe among the Christmas
greens We may no longer hear ths
sweet old carol-singing or waits but
we still sing our songs in the Christ
child's praise, because our hearts BEAT
as warmly yet as those that sat about
! the heartfs Frightened BY the Yuleleg's
glow and listened 20 the story that
earth may neer forget--that of the Holy
Infant Graded in the Iowly manger on
that Christmas long ago
There is something that stirs within
h, of he
friendly eye upon Christmas is as rare
as the old eurrnudgeon who wished with
old Scrooge that every idiot who goes
about with Merry Christmas on his
lips be boiled with his own pudding and
buried with u stake of holly through his
heart And even under the high pres
sure of the life in large modern cities,
where the inexorabie and incessant
struggle for existence must go on and
every man keep awake to his own in
divid,Ial interest the spontaneous spirit.
the real Christian sentiment survives.
and despite all holiowness and selfish
ness. much pomp of pudding and cir
cumstance, of lavish display in gifts.
which rob US of the delightful s.rpiic-
ity, chief ingredient of the genainen spirit.
we still hold to the gcoc old custom OF
keeping Christmas
We may celebrate with no higher IDEAL
than Dickens pictured-thc universal
goodwill accompanied by excessive eat
ng and drinking, the true handspring OF
The celebration-the spirit of humbleness
and reverence entirely wanting and only
the material. the outward show.
But the true peace and good will, the
10 lrt, oDf-
desire that all shall be glad on this day
OF browning cheer-that every life shall
have some part in the good gifts on
every hand that is the spirit that should
prompt Us to celebrate this great day of
the year.
There are so many lives SO hungry, ySt
SO staunch to bear their load-that would
be so grateful for only a thousandth
part of the joys that are thine; then
why not strengthen them in their hops
beyond by little of the beauty and
cheer of the passing day. Increase your
own pleasure by banishing the hard real
ism and sordid cares from the lives of
others Let the day be one Of sweet re-
membranes and love, and for the endg
membrance and love, for Him whose
name it bears ard for the endearing bond
of human love and sympathy.
Why We Hang the MistIctoe.
The inclination OF modern times tends
toward we olden days" in social amHse-s
ments and many old customs are being
revived. All Christmas customs ara look
ed upon and much ointerc sting info-ma-
ton gained the subject by those not
content TO btndly follow family tradi
tons and fashions without knowing why.
The hanging OF the mistletoe was one
of the most honored of the Christmas
customs in olden times. The Druids-
priests of ancient BTitons-kept feast
at thi sseason. and finding the mistle-
toe growing on their sacred oaks be-
lieved it to be a special gift sent from
heaven. When it was well grown and
full of berries. the high priest. clothed
in flowing white robe, climbed to where
the rnistletoe grew and severed IL from
the oak with a golden 60 knife. 1t he
ing received by the priests below, 1t was
blessed and divided into small pieces 10
be given to the people to hang in their
dwelling places. they believing 1t would
bring heavens blessing upon them. An
other writer tells US that the ancient
blecause it suggested their own state OF
dependence on "A higher power; the mis-
tietoe being wholly depente nt upon the
sturdy oak. again. appealed 10 tn s.
ancient Britons because of its clear, white
berries, giving il pure, calm appear
ance which they thought suggested their
own lives of dependence, renuEciat on
pure and holy-as they saw it. Thus
they choose as fitting shrine Tor woT-
ship the towering oak studded with this
weak uneoncerned but heaut ful little
parasite. Anoth ? legend gives a very
different significance attached TO the Eng
l.sh mistletoe The stealing OF a kiss
under the mistIetoe Is custom indicative
of the plart itself. the fact being that the
word IN its original meaning is steal
ing from some ore greater Although
for a verify it is the weaker party who
usually PAYS toll when caught under the
Tlistletoe hoash.
The Spirit CT Christmas Frolic and
JoIIity.
The festive spirit Of the Christmas eel
ehrstions seem to have originated in the
middle ages when the lesson Of Christ
mas Was taught by miracle piays to the
unlettered masses These plays being a
strange medley CT divine narrative ard
episode. ciowrizh pjFanks. jests ard
games Between szvo series OF dramatic
~ 81 ~