The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-12-24

nj u some very odd ways
% r-..--Way places in our own
Il r stance there is in the
t- v.-.."gton q monastery of a
% ...r -0 m~ediaeval as to make it
.rDulSm. The monks who
e ba~refooted franciscan
=rr down in the sub-base-
building they have CON-
.s g sort Of catacOmbs, decidedly
in -- Hay with a representation
.sr in miniature, showing
r.r.#. figures trying to crawl
and cape the lambert flames
III them. But the most in
-.trg .oature of the subterranean
r~eproduction of the stable
-r--. he infant Christ was born,
-r. mayer and other details.
r.. -tmaS Eve the good monks
s.s. al service in expectation of
him . the Saviour a little after
.,.ar. They chant solemn ~litanies.
or IT,. proper time, when the holy
opposed to have been born,
rLae in the sacred manger a
a-.re clad in costly garments, to
I~see.r the infant, adoring it, and
+ Ping afferings of frankincense and
-~b. a did the wise men who came
Of the East, guided by the
IN thar stood above the stable in
M shift the picture, let us take a
M, upon Ellis Island. in the harbor
..ysW York, where, on Christmas
gr s.veTaI hundred children, with
hi parents, will await debarkation
u the -aores of America. There are
F., multitude of German kinder" of
Italian bambinos," and Of youngsters
n every nationality-as much inter-
s-45. all of them, in Christmas doing
Is any Yankee young folks could pos
sbIv be. 1t is, indeed, an occasion of
great eNcito~~ for then, inasmuch
Is the visionary societies have pro-
rfled f.r these humble aliens a
wealth Of good cheer, and. with the
1era Of donations made for the pur-
nose. the day is rendered joyful for
all both young and Did, toys being
pIeuufUlly distributed among the lit
lie ones. At midday all of these poor
people viii eat their first Christmas
dinner on American soil. after which
there viii be singing-while far aloft,
over them all, floats in the wintry
breeze the flag with the Stars and
Stripes, giving promise of freedom
and Of many a happy Christmas TO
come.
Shift the scene once more, and we
find ourselves in a city of the South.
1t might be Richmond, or almost any
other town in hat part of the country
the point of interest being that
Christmas is celebrated much as if it
We're the Fourth of July. All along
the streets grown peOple, as we'll as
children, are setting off firecrackers,
and al night there are fireworks, with
tar barrels blazing on the public
th0rOughfares to lend gayety to the
spectacle. On Christmas Eve in
southern cities, furthermore, it is Gus
tomarN for young men to go about in
companies from house to house, drink
ing the eggnOgg which, as an appro-
pirate beverage, the young women of
their acquaintance provide for the oc-
casiOn.
A, Ilarl 80 T-naJ1 Co~0s, NOV
sel>-Which, of course, are United
States territory wherever they may
happen to be-Christmas is a glorious
day. The jackies have h freedom of
the ship, and are allowed to do pretty
much as they please. Usually a
Of the nainmast, above the fighting
tops and fastened there, hill
Wreaths are hung around the guns.
and the rail is decorated with green
cry When the cruiser or battleship
happens to be at q tropical station, all
sorts of tropical plants, which the ma
tves bring in boats to sell, are used
for decorating. A Christmas dinner
under palms, at q temperature OF so
degrees Fahrenheit, seems rather odd,
on that account.
The lonellest places in the world are
some of the lighthouses which our
maintains along the coast
IHI the DrOIecI1On OIL uldIlllclS. Lei
Santa Claus finds his way to them,
and in his honor a feast. even though
1t be a humble one. is held. 1t MAY
ho that the barren rock which the
lighthouse marks affords DOR enough
for the keeping of a dozen chickens,
the latest of which are suitably sac
rifced. But even this is not practical
bic in such a spot as Boon Island. of
the coast of Maine-a dangerous bit
OF terra frma which is continuaily
a. ~ +lA NV nn1Z fnN
wears ago $50 the story goes), a ittlS
giri fOur years of age, daughter OF
The keeper of Boon Light, was SO dis
tressed because her father had been
prevented by continual storms from
going to the mainland for the Gus
tomary Christmas goose that she stolt
out Of the lighthouse at night ane
kneIt in a sheltered spot to pray
Dear Cod she said, please send u:
2 goose for our Christmas dlnner!!
Hardly had she spoken the word:
when 4 great wild goose flew Ca:
s4metimes happens in such places
aGainst the big lantern above, ana Tel
dead at her feet-to be promptly car
re1 in and presented to the family
as 2 bird literally sent from heaven.
CncIe Sam maintains about fifty
aahtships along h ~seacoasts and OF
IL. lakes. to mark dangerous shoais
Lonely, indeed, are the shippers ant
treNs If these vessels, which, like tn
a'.-I EnantOn snip, pursue FoSoSS'
t.L have no end, continually buTfetef
0E storms. Yet Christmas is not for
soften. A brace of wild ducks, per
chance, may be secured for the feast
aud the cook will surely provide /;
liberal dish of the much-appreclatet
plum duff'-a preparation or pastr.
shaped like half a watermelon, Whlch
Ea "rder that all the raisins 1t contain
I.aT not fall into n slice, requires
under the rules. to be cut Tore an
afr"
Winter is the busy season Tor IN
i.n saying stations, many OF when az
-tNated in lonely places, Where conl
'.a.iCatlOn is entirely cut OH 10
-lhs together. This is true partlcu
..-T II the stations on Cape zoo
as the south shores of Long Islam
@.. On that strip of sand which eA
'ads like a barrier reef for 200 mile
along the North Carolina coast, sep
ted from the mainland by a Wl4
zach the waters. The ship is lterall
hinged with stations, which are some
ta.ts actually swept away by storms
t1-. inasmuch as the sand is contihu
ally shifting, what is today terra nrli
may tpmorrow be ocean,, n the me
must be ready at all times to take !
...T- boats In winter the 90 ft