davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-04-25

, ed to their home at Douglass, after
 a visit with relatives here.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-04-25

Among the visitors in the city from Altheimer yesterday were MT. anG Mrs. j.. NJ. Barrett, H. R. Barrett Rev. Clanton, Mrs. Lee QuattlebaW and 0. w. Perrin and little son.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-04-25

Mrs. s. J. Hunt ard son. Henry pnes, returned yesterday from Des |fc. where they attended the funeral
 Mrs. Julia Matthews, mother of IFS. Hunt.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-04-25

Miss Lillian Schraak is ill at hel home on Main.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-04-25

Mrs. Jack Bernfardt, president of the Pine Bluff district of the Arkan- sas Federation of Women's clubs, leaves today for Hot Springs, on busi-
 ness in connection with the biennial
 1 of the c. F. w. C.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-04-25
intis' Mission Circle
 lis Afternoon.

The Young Matron's circle of the rst Baptist church will meet this Fernoon at 230 o'clock, with Mrs.
 P. McGeorge, 1719 Cherry.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT AT HOME.


The Christmas crib is often a home.
ly structure with figures that. can
boast of but little artistic merit, yet
the air of peace and good will clings
ever about it. Its message is simple
and direct. speaking straight to the
heart with an eloquence that no Christ
mas sermon can breathe. AS one
kneels before the little infant OH its
bed of straw, its tiny hand out
stretched to an erring world in need of
love, the thoughts and prayers that
sway the heart are too grand, too holy,
to find utterance on human lips. Only
the tear which glistens in the wor-
Slippers eye speaks the fulness of the
JOY within.
Christmas is lovable, too, for the
home happiness it brings. For that
day at least the family reunion is com
plete; there is joy in the home as in
the heart. The absent ones return
again to take. their place at the festive
board and gladden. the household With
the tidings Of their welfare; gifts and
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21

Glastonbury, had stuck his staff of dry
hawthorn into the soil, commanding it
to put forth leaves and blossoms. This
the staff straightway did, and thereby
was the king converted to the Chris
tian faith, the faith which preached
life from death.
The holy thorn of Glastonbury
fourished during the centuries until
the civil wars. During those it was
unrooted; but several persons had had
trees growing from cuttings from the
original tree, and those continued to
bloom at the Christmas season. just as
their parent, which had grown from
st. Joseph's staff, had bloomed.
The Christmas Candle.
There is a beautiful legend that, on
every Christmas Eve, the little Christ
Child wanders all over the world; bear
ing on It's shoulders bundle of ever
green's. Through city streets and
country lanes, up and down hill. to
proudest castle and lowliest hut,
through cold and storm and sleet and
ice, this Holy Child travels, to be well
coined or rejected at the doors at
which He pleads for succor. Those
who would invite Him and long for
His coming set a lighted candle in the
window to guide Him on His way
hither. They also believe He comes
to them in the guise of any alms-seek-
ing, wandering person, who knocks
humbly at their doors for sustenance,
thus testing their benevolence. In
many instances the aid rendered the
beggar is looked upon as hospitality
shown to Christ This legend embod-
les the Christmas spirit of being espe-
cially kind to the poor Selfshness is
rebuked, the big-brother spirit of uni
versal Kindness is fostered, children
are taught that it is blessed to give.
Thus the big heart of the world grows
bigger in celebrating the birth of the
Christ-Child in Bethlehem.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21

tokens of affection are passed from one
to another; glad words and kind
wishes go the rounds, and home is
once more a scene of simple joy, where
brothers and sisters dwell in love and
parents smile contentment on their re-
union
Christmastime must pass, of course,
for life cannot be an endless holiday;
but why should not the family reunion
live and bind through the whole long
years? No other surroundings can
furnish inspirations so strong and last
ing as the Influences of a Christian
home No outside friendship can ever
equal in strength the ties that come
from blood. No friend can ever re-
joice at another's welfare as a father
glories in that Of his child, and no
trusted counselor can advise as does a
father in the wisdom which is born
of love. What comradeship can equal
the intimacy of brothers who have
played and lived and thought in COM
mon2 and where in all the wide world
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21


On Christmas Eve, when the time
for the Midnight Mass drew near, the
people arrived, carrying lighted torch
es as they climbed up the mountain
side. They assembled before the sta
Bile, where the figures of the Blessed
Virgin and st. Joseph, and the shep
herds and the OK and the ass, we're
grouped about the infant Jesus in the
Manager. What beautiful sight it
was, as the light from the numerous
torches fell upon the group of the Holy
Family. sis4e Els a.a
st. Francis was deacon at the Mass,
and preached a sermon on the Nativ-
ity of our Lord, which touched the
hearts of all his hearers. So. real did
felt as if they were in another Beth
lehen
Devotion to the Crib has since
spread throughout the Christian
world Yearly, from the Eve of Christ
mas to the day of the octave of the
Epiphany, a Crib. representing the
birthplace of Christ, is shown in Cath
Ollie churches, in order to remind the
faithful of the mystery of the Incarna-
ton and to recall. according to tradi-
tion and the Gospel narrative, the his
torical events connected with the
Birth of the, Redeemer
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
A CHRISTMAS HEAVEN.

A gambrel roof in sheltered lane
And a laughing group therein.
The winds may below with might and
main,
And the storms may clash and din,
But it's Christmas, Father Christmas,
Hath the keeping of his kin.
Outside, traveller in the snow,
And a glad "Hello." once more;
Within, hearth fire all aglow
And a dear face at the door,
And it's Christmas, Father Christmas
Giveth greetings DER and Ger.
The circles, wonderful circles, where
They are gathered today;
The kindness, beautiful kindness.
there,
And the welcome words they say,
For it's Christmas, Father Christmas,
Turns no prodigal away.
Frank Melcon Hurt.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
THE ORIGIN OF THE CRIB"

Among the favorite spots to which
st. Francis of Assist used to retire at
times was one at Monte Rainerio, in
the valley of Rietf, now called Fonte
Colombo, and it was here he was stay
ing shortly after his return from
Rome, in 1923. Christmas was draw
ing near, and he had great wish to
celebrate it at Greccio, which is not
far from Monte Rainerio, where. the
.Franciscans had a hermitage; so he
sent for his friend, Giovanni de Vel
lita, who lived there, and who had
been a. great friend OF. the Order and
had given the land for the hermitage
at Greccio St Francis told him of
his plans and his idea of a memorial
of the Child of Bethlehem, which
would make the Nativity of our Lord
seem more real to the. poor and, there
fore, increase devotion to the Infant
Saviour. st. Francis had been in the
Holy Land a few years before, where
he acquired a great devotion to the
Christmas Mystery.
Giovanni was to go on ahead and
have stable and Manager built in the
wood near the hermitage. ST. Francis
then sent word to the people in the
alley nearby to join him at Greccioa
to celebrate the Christmas festival.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
CHRISTMAS NIGHT.

At last Thou are come, little Saviour
And Thine angels fill midnight will
song;
Thou art come to us, gentle Creator!
Whom Thy creatures have sighed
for so long.
Thou art come to Thy beautiful Moth
er;
She hath looked on Thy marvellous
face;
Thou art come to us, Maker of Mary
And she was Thy channel of grace
Thou hast brought with Thee plentiful
pardon,
And our hearts overflow with de
light;
Our hearts are half broken, dear
Jesus!
With the joy of this wonderful
night.
We have waited so long for Thee
Saviour!
Art Thou come to US, dearest! al
last?
Oh, bless Thee, dear Joy of Thy Moth
er!
This is worth all the wearisome
past!
Thou art come, Thou art come, Child
of Mary!
Yet we hardly believe Thou art
Gomez
1t seems such a wonder to have Thee
New Brother! with us in our home
Thou wilt stay with us, Master and
Maker!
Thou wilt stay with us now ever
more:
We will play with Thee, beautiful
Brother!
On Eternity's jubilant shore.
Father FdbeF.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
IN THE LAND or THE MIDNIGHT
SUN.

A pretty tale of the North Country
tells how our custom of kissing under
the mistletoe had its origin.
. Baldur, the Apollo of the North,
though the fayorite of the gods, was
thoroughly hated by Loki, because OF
the fact that he (Baldur) was invul,
nerable; he could not be harmed by
any force of fire. earth. air or water.
So the wicked Loki conceived the
plan of ending Baldur's existence by
killing him with dart made from
mistletoe wood. As a sign of repara-
tion, the plant was thenceforth dedi-
Gated to Frigg, mother of Baldur, SO
long as it did not touch the earth,
Loki's empire In Frigg's hands the
mistletoe became an emblem of love;
and everyone who passed under it re-
ceived a kiss, to show it was no
longer an instrument of death and
erimity That is why it is suspended
in all homes during the season OF
peace. amity and good viii:
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
THE SHEPHERDS.

Some simple shepherds in the night
Saw heaven open; and the light
That issues from the Eternal Throne
Around them in the darkness shone.
And downward floating came a throng
OF angels with a wondrous song
A song that echoed thro' the spheres,
A song that echoes thro' the years,
A song that shook the listening sky
With GLORY unto God on Hight"
A choral promise from above
Of Gods eternal peace and love.
And so revealed to simple men
Was Gods own Truth. And SO again
The lowly-hearted. such as they,
Behold the Lord from day to day.
Before the kindly folk and wise
Who saw His beacon in the skies,
And sought Him in Jerusalem,
He chose the kinds of Bethlehem;
And they were first to kneel before
Their infant Saviour, and adore
The first in simple wise to trace
His Mothers likeness in His face;
The first. perhaps, to understand
The trembling of st. Joseph's hand;
To pierce the meaning of his awe
At all he was, and all he saw;
The first to hail with reverent word
The coming of the Promised Lord;
The first within that stable dim
To welcome and to worship Him.
Today Gods love is just as sure;
The simpIe-hearted folk and poor
Are His, as when a babe He lay
Long years ago, long leagues away,
In far Judea, and He chose
The shepherds (out of all of those
Who waited for His coming long,
To hear the angels wondrous song
To marvel at the Light of men
That ne'er would sink in night again;
To be, though lowly, first on earth
To hail the Saviour at His birth.
Dennis A. McCdTthp.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.

Christmas decorations in churches
and in the home should be light and
graceful. Heavy wreaths and banks
of green, too large and heavy for the
size of the room, give a gloomy and
sombre rather than bright and fes-
tive effect. Wild smilaX or eats
brier'' and ground pine make good
garlands. Holly and other evergreens
are useful; and red immortelles can
be wired on to the garlands to add
color, affording a very good imitation
of red berries. Immortelles can also
be had in yellow and white
In addition to immortelles other
everlasting flowers and grasses can be
used to advantage in the Christmas
decorations. Some of the most useful
grasses are shaking grass agrostis,
bent grass, rabbittail grass, feather
grass, pampas plumes, and Jobs tears.
Of the everlasting flowers acrolinium,
gomphrena, heliehrysum and xeranthe-
mum are good. Most of these can be
had in various colors
Provide against any possible danger
from fire, keeping the decorations
where they cannot possibly take fire
from the heat of gas flames OF. electric
lights. Some of the dried grasses, like
feather grass and pampas plumes, are
easily ignited and fame up quickly.
The best effects from holly are OBJ
tanned by using it by itself and not
mixing it with other green's.
Miniature electric light bulbs add
wonderfully in setting off the deco
fations. Be careful to use small bulbs,
as too strong and powerful lights over
shadow the other decorations.
Live plants can be used around the
altar and in corners, giving natural
appearance to the whole scheme.
Palms, rubber plants. ferns, English
iyies, aucubas, etc., are good for this
purpose. A few plants in flower light
en- up the green background, such as
roses in flower, amaryllis, tulips, hya-
cinths, etc. II
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
THE NIGHT-THE STAR!
written for The Catholic Bulletin by
Or. James Henderson,

Christ came at night whilst nature
slept
TO cheer world, of joy bereft;
The angels sang above the plain
The Stars light gilded cot and fame
And, over the hills from desert sands,
Flooded the men from distant lands,
Camel and cavalcade, gift and gem
The Wise Men seeking for Bethlehem.
Joseph and Mary sat with the Child
Day Ger day, all undefiled while
At night the Star DER the Wise Men
shone
As if 'twere leading their footsteps
home;
Out thro' the sands how it beamed
afar!
Stranger than ever had beamed a star;
Soft, with a radiance no man might
name,
Gemming with silver the desert plain.
When, thro' the gates the strangers
came
1t shone 'bove the Manager, holy
flame
And, trappings and gold in radiant
sheen,
Fell on Balthor the Algerine.
Till his dark face shone in the rifting
light
Like a craven god that glorious night.
And, before the Child were the gifts
laid down;
Each king from afar had dotted his
crown.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21

can be found confdante so ever
ready, eyeF-loyal as a favorite sister?
and when sympathy is needed or de-
sired there is in every Christian home
a sanctuary wherein God has stored it
in vast reserve; and that sanctuary is
mothers heart, heart great enough
to exult in the day of proudest tri-
umph, to comfort and encourage in
time of trial and distress, and to hope
and pray in the dark hour of failure
+ or fault. It is the abiding presence of
this sympathy, always tender yet ever
strong, that makes home the true
nursery of, heroes and of saints.
Under its mellowing influence the girl
develops the unconscious charms of
gentle womanhood, and the boy broad
ems out into chfvaIrous manhood; and
after mother has exchanged the home
of earth for the imperishable abode of
heaven, her sweet influence still lives
and rules in the household that knew
"a mothers worth.
Rep. p. j, Scott.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
GLORY TO GOD; PEACE TO MAN!

The unseen world thrilled at the
birth of Jesus. Nothing is accom-
piished here below but what is de-
creed on high; terrestrial phenomena
are the effects of heavenly and i'm
penetrable causes; all the future, all
the mystery of this cradle, were in
the two words which were to fill space
and time: Glory and peace; glory to
God, peace to man. Henceforward
the earth, which knew not God, has a
Son, Who was to teach us His name
and establish His kingdom; mankind,
given over to the brute law of destruc-
ton in her struggle for existence, was
to know the law of peace, because she
would be ruled by the law of love.
And it came to pass, as the angels
were gone away from them into
heaven, the shepherds said one to an
other, Let US now go even unto Beth
lehem, and see this thing which is
come to pass, which the Lord hath
made known unto us And they came
with haste, and found Mary and JOS
eph. and the Babe lying in Manager.
And when they had seen it, they made
known abroad the saying which was
told them concerning this child
. The shepherds returned to their
flocks and told the wondrous tale of
what they had seen, clarifying and
praising God. 1t does not seem, how
ever, that the testimony of these poor
people either stirred Bethlehem or
troubled the peaceful loWIiness of
Jesus cradle; He remained unknown.
with His Mother and Joseph, but Mary
kept all these sayings in her heart;
like all mothers, she made her mem
ories a treasure, sort of inward book.
which she read over and over tenderly
The field of the shepherds is still
there; the fiocks feed in winter under
the olives as in the days of Jesus,
in the fields where the grass still
grows green and the anemones flower
Worship has never left the place where
shone the brightness of the birthday
dawn of Christ On Christmas even
ing the people of Bethlehem flock to
the Church of ST. Helena, of which
only the ruins remain, and in its DESC
late crypt they pray to the shepherds
of Beit-Saour, their ancestors, who.
were the first apostles.
Clad in their long white wells, seated
IN groups on the broken walls, be-
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM.

The Christ Child in the manger lay
The inns were full that night;
And DER Judea's distant plains
The shepherd mid his white-feeced
flock
Gazed wistfully from afar,
And voices strange, angelic, sweet,
Smote hearth and hill and star.
The Christ Child in the manger lay
A Royal Throne of grace.
And Mary, Lily Maid of God,
Found glcry in His face;
For King was born in Bethlehem
In Bethlehem of Judea,
Whose sceptr'd power of love and
grace
Should reach from sea to sea.
= Thomas o 'HdOdn.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
ENTERTAINMENTS AND CUSTOMS
OF LONG AGO.

Early in the fifteenth century bur-
lesques of great extravaganza were
introduced into the castles of the
nobility, and even at court, where the
noble ladies and lords were no doubt
bored with the heretofore solemn
celebration of the English Christmas.
These buffooneries were taken part in
by all the retainers in the household,
and elaborate costumes were provid-
ed some of them of oriental splendor.
In the sixteenth century, however,
these plays became more refined and
were known as Mosques, from the
masks still worn by the performers,
They resemble the private theatricals
or drawing-room plays of the present
times.
Our Pilgrim fathers countenanced
no such frivolities in their Christmas
celebrations. These Mosques were no
doubt among the many worldly things
at which their honest, religious hearts
rebelled. They spent their very first
Christmas in their newly adopted
country-America-i hewing the
logs to build the first house in Ply
mouth, Mass.
To those who have never expert
enced a Southern Christmas, can
hardly be told the spirit of cheer and
unbohnded hospitality which exists,
even in these busy times, though they
had their inception in the days before
the Civil War, when every body S
| latchstring was on the outside and no.
body could do too much for his neigh
Dor.
For days before Christmas South
ern kitchens teemed with marvellous
odors of mince pies, sausage stuffing,
steaming hot punch and savory vege-
tables. Christmas Eve was made
merry on the plantations by pro-
gram, usually original entirely con-
ceived and carried out by the negroes.
| Their innate humor, and sense of
harmony created a delightful per-
| Torrance. Southern negroes had and
still have, great respect for their
masters, and as consequence, were
allowed to enter into the family's
preparations for the holidays. Christ,
mas breakfast was always a gala
event, just less than the dinner itself.
| Waffles, fried chicken, sausage, hot
biscuits, jellies, syrups, coffee, choeo-
late and milk, constituted normal
meal. After breakfast, NANNY
usually routed the youngsters as well
as the grown.ups out into the frosty
air, until she could assemble her APP
prentices and prepare feast fit for
the gods.
The spirit still exists, but alas! for
the high cost of living: it keeps us
from so indulging our appetites. Our
matter-of-fact times and modes of
thinking and living are driving away
all the old happy illusions, until we,
as nations and individuals, have rea-
SON to sigh to be kids once more.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-21
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE.

There have Deen many wonderful
pictures on this earth. The sorrows
and the joys of men have brought
about many pathetic occurrences, while
their virtues and their vices have led
to many catastrophes of the most
thrilling dramatic interest. Indeed.
the constantly intersecting fortunes of
men are daily acting tragedies in real
life, which like the too faithful sun
set of the painter, would seem in fic-
ton to be unreal and exaggerated.
There have been many mysteries, too,
on earth, in which man was compare
lively passive, and God acted by Him
self; times when the Creator Himself
has been pleased to fill the whole the
atre of His own creation; times, also,
as in the cool evenings of Eden or at
the door of Abraham's tent, when He
has mingled with marvellous conde-
scension among His creatures. But
earth has seldom witnessed such a
scene as Mary and Joseph ana the
Eternal Word in the streets of Beth
lehem at nightfall. The cold, early
evening of winter was closing in.
Mary and Joseph had striven in vain
to4get a Lodging. st. Joseph was such
saint as the world had never seen
heretofore. Mary was above all saints,
the first in the hierarchy of creatures,
the queen of heaven, whose power was
the worthiest similitude of omnipo-
4I.o or n11
destined Mother of God. Within her
Bosom was the Incarnate' God Himself,
the Eternal Word, the Maker and Sow
ereign of all in Bethlehem, the actual
Judge of every passing soul that hour.
But there was no room for them.
The village was occupied with other
things, more important according to
the worlds estimate of what is impor-
tant. The imperial officers of the cen
sus were great men there. Rich Wis
itors would naturally claim the best
which the inns could give. Most pri-
waite houses would have relations from
the country. Everyone was busy. This
obscure group from Nazareth = that
carpenter from Galilee-that youthful
Mother, that hidden Werd,-there was
no room for them. They did not even
press for it with enough of compli-
mentary importantly. 1t is not often
that modesty is persuasive. A sub
missive demeanor is not an eloquent
thing to the generality of men, If
God does not make noise in His own
o,11 10 -;ci orAr 10 To
is considered unreasonable and oppres-
| sive. Here in Bethlehem is the true
Caesar come, the Monarch of all the
Roman Caesars, and there is no room
for Him, no recognition of Him. 1t
was His own fault, the world will
say. He comes in an undignified man
ner. He makes no authentic assertion
of His claims. He begins by putting
Himself in a false position; for He
comes to be enrolled as a subject in
stead of demanding homage as a SOW
ereign. This is His way; and He ex-
poets US to understand it, and to know
where to look for Him and when to
expect Him. There was even shadow
of Calvary in the twilight which gath
cred around Bethlehem that night
Just as no one in Jerusalem would
take Him in during Holy Week. or
give Him food, so that He had each
night to retire to Bethany, in like
manner no one in Bethlehem will take
Him in or give Him shelter beneath
which he may be born.
Father Fdber