Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-12-24

Ahp, sincerely hOpe-SO merry, |
trust. that in the generous warmth
ot their jocund hearts they will be
lmpcIled to stretch ont the hand of
help to those whose Christmas will
be quite otherwise. There will be
many to whom the coming Christmas
VIII mean, not JOY and mirth, but Il
bitter increase OF want and misery
Ana Tor those struggling ones may
crave a little extra pity? There is
no need to preach on such text.
especially, | feel sure, to readers of
the WASHINGTON STANDARD, and |
don propose to preach. Only. il
YOU DO happen to have an odd half
dollar that you have no immediate
use FOR, well, you know what to do
with 1t. don t you? And so the
same to you, and a-many of them
Here $ To you, Santa Claus, NAV
you bring happiness to every child
I tomorrow.
At Atlanta. Ga, it is the custom
to liberate all prisoners on Christ
mas whose only otfense has been
against city ordinances.
y y
Tomorrow is Christmas. 1t seems
as if the older we get the faster the
years fly. | find it hard to realize
that it is twelve months since
wished the readers Of the WASHING
TON STANDARD Merry Christmas,
and now it is time to repeat my
wishes. | do SO with the heartiest
good will, and trust that all will
| have right merry time.
While Strolling along the Canad-
ian Pacific Pacific dock at Vancouver,
| Is. G.. one Christmas afternoon. |
engaged in conversation with an of
| ticer of the steamer Empress of
China, who told me of one of the
most unreal Christmas dinners on
record, which was served on board a
British gunbOat in Chinese waters
while he was Il in the service" in the
Orient. Owing to the action of
pirates, the vessel had, Il few days
previously, been ordered to ascend Il
certain river. There had been no
time to take any Christmas supplies
on board. yet, on the important
25th, " there duly appeared a large
turkey, a plum pudding bristling
with almonds, mince pies and or
anges Made by handy man. alasl
the ingredient" were simply pa
per, wood and paint The crew
toasted their eyes only on the dunn
mics. while timed meat, fish and
biscuits We're the actual fare
4 4 +
| suppose Christmas without holly
and mistletoe would lose not a little
of rs interest and pleasant remi-
niscence. This custom of decking
the home and the church with foli-
age and flowers on festive occasions
is extremely ancient. and it is popu-
lar the world Ger. 1t forms 4 anatur-
al expression of rejoicing. and re-
sort to it is had not merely in the
mansion of the wealthy, but in the
cottages of the middle-class. and the
shacks of the poor. | do not know
whether or not you have observed.
that while the mistletoe is extremely
popular in the home at Christmas
| time, it is not allowed to enter into
| the decorations of some churches.
This at first sight is strange when it
is remembered that mistletoe played
an important part in the rites of the
Druidic religion. but when one recol-
lectS its association with home life
at this season, it will be seen that its
use us q church decoration would,
perhaps, from some preachers view
point encourage feelings quite in
appropriate in a place of worship.
Dear old Christmas. How we all
love it with its merry times. Par
ties and rich. delicious pudding,
We really couldn't do without them.
Christmas without parties and pud-
ding would be like-lke kiss with
out 4 squeeze.
But the pudding my! l like
those monster puddings you See in
the comic supplements, especially
when they are decorated with paper
flags, holly and few strips of mistle-
toe. Good old mistletoe! We could
not do without you either, even if
you are responsible for few thous-
and germs of the kissibus type. My
opinion of pudding is that it looks
best in papers. There is no after
affect in connection with that sort of
pudding, and I'm sure it doesn't feel
as heavy as cannon-bails afterwards,
like some puddings do. you know.
and you never see it thirsting for
your blood in the middle of the
night like real puddings, and all real
puddings do that.
Good old Christmas, | love YOU,
tough old turkey and all. Person
ally. | like snowy Christmases best,
but the oldest inhabitant" says we
never have the real thing nowadays
that since 1863 anyway. Ofcourse,
when we grow old. and have silver
grey hair We will say the same.
Jack Frost, in the Puget Sound
country, is usually Il proper frost"
about Christmas time. Gee! ! am
so glad | don't live in England.
Christmas time they have carol
singers. and most all EnSlishmen
like such. At least they say they
do-but between you. NE and the
gate post. don't believe they do.
III confess | like carols immensely,
but carol-SingerS are genuine nuis-
ancc. Down South in the cotton
States they have carol singers. -
| have listened to them. don /
like them one bit. | suppose some
Southerncr will haul me over the
Goals for being so rude in critiGisir@
carol singers, bat | cant help it.
It's not pleasant. to me at any rate,
TO be disturbed in the middle of the
night when you are dreaming Of
CInna np1 Mo. ,,nll tili.I