Evening star., 1936-12-20

will perhaps have to be deferred until
after an early dinner. Tiny Tim Is
an old friend Of the children of the
family and as grandfather gets deeper
and deeper into the story and wakes
more and more dramatic, shivers
must run down the spines Of the little
ones and they can see the slithery
ghost from behind doorways and old
Scrooge chattering in the dim light.
Tradesmen and shopkeepers say
this is to be the merriest Christmas
since 1929, as the banks are paying
out enormous Christmas savings. 1t
Is estimated that $22,000,000 worth
Of American dolls have been sold,
besides large number imported from
Japan and Italy. The famous Lenci
dolls at a downtown department store
are simply dreams with a fascination
even for the grown-ups, for the sales
women say more are sold to older
people than to children. Many Of the
Lenci dolls are a lesson in ethnology,
as they represent the features Of the
different races and are dressed in
their native costumes. very pretty
legendary story is told about them:
1t seems that Signora Lenci of
Taranto, Italy, first made lovely little
nude statuettes, but the Pope did not
look with favor upon them, so after
the great sorrow of losing her baby
IA tn ,sanle1 dn1Ic Thnyy
so artistic and lifelike that their
reputation spread until now they are
sold in many of the countries of the
world. She also makes the beautiful
ceramic madonnas whose flesh tints
are most exquisite and the color and
texture of the painted draperies are
many of them wonderful examples of
ancient fabrics. The Lenci Pierrots
and Pierrettes are bewitching and in
triguing in their fascinating poses.
The Lenci art, like all beautiful things,
comes very high.
Suzanne Silvercruys
Sculptures Famous Statue.
The memorial to the late Queen
Astrid of the Belgians, showing the
Queen with her three children, which
is to be erected in Brussels. is the
work of Suzanne Silvercruys-F -Farnam.
whose father, Baron Franz Silver
cruys, was president Of the Supreme
Court of Belgium. and whose brother,
many years counselor of the Belgian
Embassy in Washington. Suzanne
is very popular here; noted for her
witty and original remarks. 1t was
she who originated the expression
the American look" which she said
she hoped to make immortal in clay
The Duke of Windsor Recipient Of
Flower From Glastonbury Thorn.
So much has to be done that there
has not been time to wander out to
the Cathedral on Mount st. Alban,
to see whether or not the Glastonbury
thorn is in bloom. The thorn tree
blooms very irregularly, but it has
been known to bloom on Christmas
day. 1t will be remembered that It
grew from a cutting from the original
LIlOTll GIGS dI SldSIOIlDu1y apDCy AL
England, which tradition says was a
growth from the staff of Joseph Of
Arimathea.
The tradition connected with the
thorn tree is very beautiful. As re-
lated it is; that Joseph of Arimathea,
after the ascension of our Lord, went
to Britain. On arriving at what is
now Glastonbury, 1t Is said that he
planted his staff in the ground as 4
token that there he would remain and
begin his mission Of evangeliza ton.
The staff thus planted took root and
grew into q tree which was regarded
for centuries with such reverence that
it was cut down by Puritan fanatic
in the seventeenth century as an OBJ
ject Of superstition. Soon new
growth sprang up from the original
roots, and 1t is from that shoot that
the tree at the Cathedral is . cut
ting"
Sometimes the thorn tree blooms
ahead Of time, and this was the case