El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-23

the stern governor Oh lne coiOhy,
William Bradford, ordered that any
one found observing Christmas day
by either abstinence from labor or
in feasting, should pay a fine Of five
shillings It was not until a fun
century later that this Christmas
sentiment was relaxed from then on
the famous old-fashioned New England
Christmas was developed and INDUCED
in.
On Christmas eve. 1914, the treaty
of peace between Great Britain and
the United States was made, conclud-
ing the war of 1912. Early in the year
1914 it was intimated that Great Brit
ain was willing to negotiate for peace.
Accordingly. both countries sent COM
missioners to Client, Belgium. For
America there were John Quincy Ad-
ans, Clay. Bayard, Gallatin and Rus
sell. The British commissioners were
so extravaganza in their demands that
virtual deadlock resulted. In the mean
time the war still went on.
Fortunately for the Americans
series of disastrous defeats at last
brought the British to termsand the
treaty was signed on Christmas eve.
Though the matter of jeopardizing
American commerce and impresSing
American sailors on the high. seas
the causes OF the war-wefe not
touched upon in the treaty. 1t was
tacitly agreed that there would be
no more cause for complaint on these
scores. The news of the signing of
the treaty did not reach the Omitted
States. however, until February II,
1915, and a battle was fought in jan
Uary of that year at New Orleans,
though the treaty itself had teen sign
ed nearly month previous.
On Christmas Eve, 1851, portion
of the old dome nf the capitol and the
library of congress. at Washington. D.
the books in the library. along with
many valuable paintings. draperies
and over a thousand bronze medals of
great age were destroyed. Several
pieces Of statuary were injured beyond
repair and the dome of the capitol It
self was demolished.
Bspfism Of King Clovis.
Christmas day peculiarly signifi-
cant in its events and strikingly i'm
preSsive through the sheer nature of
them was that of the year 496. when
Clovis, king of the Franks. along with
his army. was baptized into the Chris
ton faith at Rheims. The Franks were
a confederation of German tribes,
who had dwelt on the right bank
of the Rhine and who eventually
migrated to Gaul After many in
cursions they became masters of
the left bank of the lower Rhine. as
well as of their own territory.
In 4s6 one of their chiefs, Hlodo-
wig, or Clovis. as he is more gener-
ally known, expelled the Romans from
northern Gaul and settled there with
his tribesmen. Thus he, came into con-
tact with Christianity at once and
Pemigius. bishop of Rheims, be came
his friend and adviser.
Finally. in 1876 he vowed to accept
Christianity if the God of his wife
would give him the victory over the
invading army Of the Allemans His
army victorious. he kept his oath
and, on Christmas day. he. along with
thousands of his warriors. who fol-
lowed him as implicitly in this mat
ter as they had in battle. was baptized
irto the Christian faith.
Death of Robin Hood.
Who has not heard OF that merry
old outlaw of Sherwood fore~t-Robin
Hood? Famed in song AMI story. the
romance of his depredations upon the
wealthy and his lavish distribution Of
his spoils of the highway among the
poor bids fair TO appeal to. lovers of
adventure for all time But that he
died on Christmas eve. in the year
1247-so the story goes-seems not TO
be matter of general knowledge
After MANY wears of defiance of the I
English king. in which his courage and
his skill at archery PLAYED no small
part, Robir Hood fell sick at a certain
runnery. in Yorkshire. 4 pretty tale
of his death runs to the effect that
from his couch in the nunnery he
seized his favorite bow end DISCHARGED
an arrow through the open window
direoting one OF his outlaw band who
was present to bury him where the
arrow fell.
Apother legend has st that while III
in the nurrerv and being .let of p;
little blood aS wss tie custom Of
the day he was bet-ayed ard allowed
to bleed TO death. There is grave
stone at Kirkless in York shire, e. one
time a Beredictire nunnery. nnder
which I'll thst is mortal of Robin Hood
Is ~aid 70 lie.
There is famous hawthorn b,-Sh
in the church yard of Glastonbury Alb
bev. England which to this eav :
pointed out Py guides as having
sprung from the staff of ST. Joseph
of Aremathea. The saint. 50 the legend
runs. planted his staff in the ground
on q certain Christmas day Of the
long. 1rn~ apo. Before the wondering
gaze of his followers. the STAFF took
root and immediately put forth lesves:
on the following day it was covered
with mix white blossoms
Growing of CaarIcmrgne
Christmas dav Of the veer 500 wit
resHed the orowpine of Charlemagne.
emperor of the west. ct Rome It was
the consumme ton Of his life's work
Born in 742 he succeeded his father
as kir@ Of the Franks % years later
Immediatelv he began his great mis-
sion of corquerirg and converting, to
Saxcrs. He welded into one great
rnorarcov the various races of Co.
ms w. When he was cro-ne1 emperor
Of the Romans on that Christmas day
his power became supreme
Legends of the Church
Five DAYS before Christmas of the
year 100 Ignatius. the bishop. was
condemned to death bv wild beasts by
the emperor Traian. at Antioch From
then on his martyrdom was celebrated
in the churches of Antioch on Christ
was day He was said TO have been
one of the children whom Christ took
up in his. arms and blessed
He is also cerdited with having in
troduced aRtiphonal chants into the
churchl services. having had a vision in /
which yhe heard the angels wcrshin-'
ping God with antiohonal hymns In
passing, it is interesting to note that
Tnhn he 81;