The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-09
BY IA MARauIsE DE FoNrENoY.
, T.IN.'fVlN = VIUUUSdI 10 IdA tIIt
7 Christmas tree, with the object
of placing some check upon the

= ERMONT'S proposal to tax the
NJ Christmas tree, with the object
" of placing some check upon the
excessive cutting OF young
trees and saplings which takes
place every year in order to satisfy
the demand for Christmas trees a,
Yulet!de, serves to recall that the
Christmas tree. in SO far as its rela-
ton to Christianity Is concerned. is
distinctly of Irish origin.
1t was the Hibernian Saint Columbia
nus Che must not be confounded with
Saint Colpmba) who when engaged In
converting the raj of Germany and
Switzerland TO Christianity, found them
50 firmly lmoued with the sacred
trees, that despairing of being able
to eradicate the cult from their minds,
he and his fellow missionaries con-
ceived the idea of endowing 1T with q
Christian meaning.
Already in the seventh century the
fir tree began to figure in Christian
writings, pictures and carvings. AS a
symbol of eternal life, with It's peren-
NAL verdure and It's brilliant lights:
while popular legends dating from that
epoch, represent the old man who at
Christmas visits each abode, be it pail
ace or hut, to grant the prayers and
wishes of the inmates. as bearing d
fir tree ablaz with candles AS the
II Cti y = ~ a. a
natural that the tree of good Father
christmas should be hung with gifts,
and thus we have the Christmas tree
of to-day.
Throughout the middle ages, and
until comparatively modern times. the
Christmas tree remained restricted to
Germany, switzerland and Scandinavia
Thus, IN Austria-Hungary, II only made
its first appearance in 1916. when
Grand Duchess Henrietta, the German
consort of Archduke Charles, set up
a monster fir tree, all ablaze with
lights. and loaded with costly pres
ents for her II children, who had
never seen anything Of the kind be-
her palace at vienna throughout the
Dual Empire, and to-day there is no
house, and not even any peasant
dwelling in the lonely Alpine district,
where the Christmas tree Is no. TO
be found on Christmas Day. In Eng,
land, the Christmas tree was introduced
Teuton' consort Of Queen Victoria,
i was Queen powaSer mac Christina Ist a
Madrid for her children; while in
France the Christmas tree may be said
to have been introduced by the ,expa-
triated inhabitants OF Alsace and lAor-
raine, after the seizure of those prov.
the war of 1870. 1t was determined in
Paris to give the children Of the eSiles
a Christmas as much as possible Ike
that to which they had been accus-
toned in their homes on tho other sloe
sociations organized for the relief OF
the tugitives, took up the matter, and
erected enormous Christmas trees, oad
ed with gifts. for the youngsters. at
the Hippodrome. me parlsiahs came
with the idea, n now the Christmas
tree is almost as universal in FRANCE as
it is In Germany, in Austria, in Eng
land and in this, country, into which
tiers at the close of the eighteenth
century and in the first half Of the
nineteenth.
Baron Max O%ppenheim, who was at
one time a frequent visitor. to this
country; and who has been Tor many
years now connected with the German
legation at Cairo. has Just been pro-
noted 10 the rank of Minister Resident,
which does not, however, mean that
he is TO take the place Of Count Her-
mann Hatzfeldt, who is in charge OF
the mission. and who enjoys the ranl
of Minister Plenipotentiary. Baron
Oppenheim's connection with the mis-
sion is Of a rather unusual character;
| for he does not serve as a regular. OF
Count H~atzfeldt's staff, but is=attached
to the mission for the purpose or m
vesting him with an official and diplo-
matte status, so as TO enable. him to
pursue with greater facility the WORK
tn which lie has devoted the last ten
or fifteen years.
This work is Of a special charac-
acter, 1t consists partly in the en-
.lscavation of the, ruined cities or Msso-
potamia,s and of the liuphrates valley;
secondly, OF the exploration of Arabia
and Sof6thes regions lying to the west
Of ilgypt; while the third. and accord
ing to many the most Important 81
his activities, is his German propa-
ganda among the various Moslem tribes
| OF northern nj central Africa, IN
| Arabia. and in all that region which
extends down from Asia Minor to
1.-THE Persian Gull, IN
Possessed or great wealth. which he