Evening star., 1903-12-19
HAIRBREADTH ESCAPES
A LONG JOURNEY TO CHURCH By
THE TRAIL.
How Ships Captain Entertained a
Ship Was In No Danger.

Hawaii, Porto Rico, the Philippines or
hundred other tropical countries. and ten to
one she will tell some quaint story or ex-
citing adventure which centers around
Christmas day. The same, OF course. IS
true of English women who live in similar
surroundings.
A woman who now lives in New York
looks back with pleasure to a Christmas
day which she spent, many years ago,
aboard a liner in the torrid heat of the Guif
of Mexico. 6ne was a girl Of five then. and
1t happened that she was the only child on
board.
Naturally, everybody made great pet OF
her Men and women whose own young
sters were waiting for them ashore in Mex
leo or had been left behind In England
showered upon her all their parental anec,
ton and Christmas sentiment, which woulo
otherwise have run to waste.
Mother" the child asked on Chrlstmas
eve, "how will Santa Claus come aboard?
Can he swim?'
Santa Claus can go anywhere. dearie."
was the comforting answer. BE sure you
hang up your stocking.
Those passengers who had little ones OF
their own at home in Mexico and were TAX
ing presents to them managed to spare
something to. add to the stock OF toys whcn
the father and mother had brought with
them for their little girl The steWaroess
and the stewards helped to hll the stocking
with apples, oranges. nuts, sweets ana
crackers until 1t was filled to the bursting
point.
When the child woke up early on Christ
mas morning she beheld. besides the stock
ing full of gastronomic joys, whole lot OF
TOYS and picture books and beautiful doll.
After her mother had dressed her In her
best bib and tucker and sent her on deck,
she found herself the queen Of the ship for
the day.
The gray-headed, genial captain came
down off the bridge to wish her merry
Christmas; the sailors competed eagerly
who could amuse her most with new games
and the passengers, thinking wistfully or
the Christmas frolics of their own young
sters, could not make enough of her.
In the evening, after dinner: the captain
organized a fireworks display In her honor
He set off lot Of squibs and Catherine
wheels in a barrel-the barrel being used to
prevent the sparks from flying about and
setting fire to the ship. But the little girl
had become a tyrant during her brief reign.
She wanted rockets and insisted on having
them.
But, my dear" said the captain, sorrow
fully, 'I can't do that. II send up rockets
other ships will think we are sinking, and
will come out of their way to help US"
THAT doesn't matter, captain" urged the
imperious little lady, II do so want rockets
have never seen rockets at sea-and it's
Christmas"
She got her rockets. The captain said
he would rather have lost his ticket than
spoiled her Christmas, and luckily no ship
was deferred from its course by the cele-
bration.
No Easy Matter.
Going to church for the Christmas morn
ing service is not an easy matter when the
church is ten miles away, with no way Of
going than by a narrow bride path with
10 a
on the other.
Two American girls in Jamaica started
for church one Christmas morning. There
had been heavy rains during the night, but
Christmas morning dawned bright and
clear. They started in great spirits. chat
ting gaily as they rode.
After a time. the girl in front got no
answer from her companion. and, looking
around, found she had disappeared. Glanc-
ing over the precipice she was Mortified to
see her caught in the branches of a tree
fifty feet below The horse had lost Its foot
ing on the slippery path and fallen to its
death thousand feet beneath, with hard
ly sound But the rider was caught by
the spreading branches Of a tree. and es-
capped unhurt. The other girl had to ride
five miles to get some negroes with a rope
to rescue her companion. Needless to say,
both Of them missed the Christmas service.
This Is a common kind Of accident in
tropical countries where torrential rains
wash away the narrow mountain paths,
dashing gallop along cliff tracks which ap-
parently even goat could not safely pass.
No Thought Of Danger.
They never even think of danger when
there is prospect Of fun. Many a woman
rides twenty miles or more over dangerous
roads and through swollen rivers to get to
her Christmas dance. One family Of girls
in the Walla Walla district of Australia
had to cross a deep river to get to the
house to which they had been invited to a
ball on Christmas eve. When they got to
the fording-there was no bridge-they
found that the river had increased to three
times it's usual size by the seasonal rains
and, was running like a mill stream. Most
people would have turned back. but not
these Australian girls.
Come along JIM shouted the first OF
them to her escort. as she galloped her
horse into the rushing river. In a moment
the animal was swept off its feet, but strug-
gled ganely and got to the opposite side
lower down the stream. The other girls and
their cavaliers followed, the men guiding
the girls horses. Several Of them had mar
row escapes from drowning, ana allof them
had their ball dresses drenched. But they
| thought 1t great fun. and their hostess fit-
ted them out with new clothes. OF a sort.
in which they danced merrily until far into
Christmas morning.
you mad people?' exclaimed the hostess,
when she saw them. why didn't you
turn backT'
Turn back!' said the girl who had led
the way I'VE never do that when we arc
going to a Christmas bali Wed rather
drown"
Direful Revenge.
| There are other dangers which lurk
around Christmas time in the tropics. Per-
| haps one Of the colored servants has a
| grudge against some member Of the family
! for a fancied injury. If this happens in the
| West Indies, Christmas. for some unknown
reason, is usually chosen as a time for re-
venge.
While the Christmas dinner is being pre-
| pared the servant will manage to mix UP
| with the plum pudding or the turkey
stufiing ground glass. bluestone, arsenic, or
| some other poison. Luckily she also puts
| In some old rubbish which she calls
| "obeah"-a rusty nail. cocks feather Or
| lizards skin-and the presence Of these
weird articles tells the family that the
| poison is also there. II the would-be assas-
sin did not give herself away in this child
ish fashion the Christmas dinner would
| often be fatal feast.
A large party gathers around the table
| and every one is In great spirits. There is
the usual Christmas fare--turkey. ham,
roast beef and so forth. Presently It is
time for the plum pudding to come In.
Rum is poured round It and lighted and