Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-02-15

me champagne for Christmas dinner,
nuts, olives, and grapes from Spain,
etc. After the feast there was. a little
dancing just to ''show of their steps,"
and music from q guitar and two
bandurrias, instruments resembling
the violin. All the boarders except
Mr.. L. and I, are Spaniards and a
Spanish sea-captain whose ship was
in the barbor was the only outsider.
Next day was Christmas but it did
not seem so to me in spite Of the
Christmas mail from the states that
lay by my plate when went out to
coffee. No presents are given here at
Christmas think, although my post
master pupil did give me box Of
candied fruits, but he has been in the
states nine months and has learned
American ways. The, day OF days
down here is "The Kings Day. or
the Epiphany, as It Is called in the
church calendar. It. comes the 9Th
of January, and all the rest Is a sort
Of preparations for. it in children's
minds at least. The night before the
9Th the children put out their shoes,
usually with note in one Of them,
asking the Three Kings (the Wise
Men from the East) to bring them
gifts. It seems to me very pretty
custom, as pretty as our Christmas
observances. Christmas, New Years
and Three Kings Day are all days for
church attendance. The crowd is
greatest on New Years. Many peo-
pie go on that day and on Good Fri
day who do not go any other. time in
the year. A very pretty custom here,
too, is the constructing of the
'Nacimient" in many private homes.
think that the Christmas crib" is
found in all Catholic churches the
! world over at Christmas time. but
here, in the homes Of those who have
the means and the room for it, there
is, at Christmas and until after the
Epiphany, q real panorama Of the
nativity. / visited two. of them and
for people who are said to be "ignor-
ant Of the Bible" it was an amazingly
complete expression of the details Of
the story of the Christ-child. A whole
room was given up to the building Of
the panorama. The background Of
mountains. sand, trees. rivers, the
shepherds with their flocks, trees, cat.
tie, ETC., ETC., were all brought out in
miniature by means of bisque figures
sand, artificial palms. etc, in a very
realistic fashion; The child in the
manager, the mother and JOSEPH
everything in fact that loving study
Of the likely features of that far away
country could produce were there
The crescent moon was made by {
cut in the cardboard that was the
foundation Of it all and lamp placed
SO its light would shine through. The
star in the east and the Wise Me1
coming over the mountains and thu
sandy deserts were shown and .
peculiarly pretty feature of it all wal
some fine gilt cords or wires that ex
tended from the star to the mango
where the Christ-child lay. At tn
door and above It an angel was place,
and when it was lighted up will
candles at night the whole scene wa:
hsingularly impressive and realistic
Avery pretty form OF decoration, toe
!. is the custom Of reciting prayers be
& fore this home altar. And yet the,
say the Porto Ricans are not religi
GUS people. Well, I do not know
j they are different from America
Ii Catholics, but / am not sure yet, whe,
\ I reflect on all that this memoria
j scene Of the Bethlehem story mus
! mean to them, whether we are RICH
j III condemning as irreligious peopl
whose ways are 30 indicative of th
3 possessions Of simple faith and tru
. alteration.
Dakota for q violation Of the prohibi
tion law. Nine other piggers wer
B3giyen milder sentences.
] Charles Currie. Mimic. charged wit
b burglary Ia the third degree. was ser