The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-12-22

queen IL was d ldVOf1te
day for executing "Popish
priests, :, and in 1868 Oliver Crom-
well actually dispersed several
congregations met to celebrate the
birth of Our Lord. On December
%, IT'S, James Stuart, the cold
Pretender.' landed at Peterhead
to make the desperate attempt to
regain his kingdom, which so
nearly cost him his life. The
Jacobites rose to man. In Scot
land the Earl of Mar led the re-
volt, in England the Royalist
forces were under Lord Derwent-
water. Catholics rallied about the
standard, but though the venture
had been begun on such an
suspicious day, it came to naught.
English might prevailed and
James fed to France, and thence
to Rome, where he quietly spent
the remainder of his life.
Sir Isaac Newton, the great
scientist, was born ON Christmas
and John Newton, chaplain to
Charles III, died on the same feast.
In 1896 Kosciusko. the great
Polish patriot, was liberated from
prison and with a party of friends
and adherents started for Ameri-
ca on Christmas day.
In the United States there are
historic Christmases quite as in
teresting as in any other land.
De Soto discovered the Father of
Waters and had Mass said lon
Christmas day, and December %,
1776, is noted as the historic day
when Washington crossed the
Delaware at the head Of three
thousand men, SO weary and worn
that they could with difficulty en-
dure the cold Of that terrible win
ter weather.
Vermont became a State on
Christmas day in 1777, after hav-
ing been for fifty years a portion
Of New Hampshire. On the same
day and year Captain Cook dis
covered the islands Of the Pacific
called the Christmas Islands, and
on Christmas day, 1856, began
Shay's rebellion in Massachusetts,
an ill-fated affair quickly crushed
by the authorities.
One Of the most interesting cpl
sodes of Christmas day was in
connection with the life of Wolf
gang Mozart. At five years of age
he played minuets Of his own com
position very prettily upon the
piano, and at six he and his sister
were taken by their father Ga
famous music mastery to play in
the capital. The king and queen
heard of the talented little pair
and sent for them to play at court
on Christmas day.
A tragic happening for the holy
feast occurred in the voyage of
Columbus. After having set foot
upon the island of San Salvador
and discovered Cuba, convinced
that this was a portion of that
Cathay which he had sailed west
ward to discover, the great Gen
oese started upon his return voy-
age to Spain. On Christmas,
however, as he was in the act of
crossing to the island of Espanio-
la Haiti the ship Santa Maria
was wrecked. close to the harbor,
named by the Admiral, in COM
memoration La Nayidad." Here
he disembarked, and built fort,
leaving it garrisoned and provi-
stoned ere he departed for Spain.
One of the daintiest tales told
of the anniversaries of Our Lord S
Nativity clusters about the bud
ding of the Glastonbury Thorn,
which to this very day occurs at
the time of the Christmas feast.
The ruins of Glastonbury Abbey
are among the most picturesque
in the British Isles, and to those
who love the Arthurian legends,
rep1ete with human interest, for
it is at Glastonbury that Arthur
held his court with the knights of.
the Round Table, a spot hallowed
by the legend that there rested
the San Grael, the Holy Cup from
which Our Lord drank at the Last
Supper.
The story Of the Sacred Thorn
is related by a quaint old chroni-.
Gle in the seventeenth century.
The legend runs that Joseph of
Arimathea journeyed from Pales-
tine with the Holy Cup until he
reached this beautiful spot, and
there he rested on Christmas day,
the first Christmas after Our.
Lord s Ascension. He stuck IN
the ground his staff, a seasoned
hawthorne stick, and 10! it put.
forth leaves and blossoms. Then
he knew that he was to tarry
there, for so it had come to him