The Ambler Gazette 18991214

              ambler gazette vol xviii.-no 2 amhlkli pa dtfcembett 14 si 25 a ykau .-•¦' a m*wsri mm ' k'jjs i o chkjstmas greens . mistletoe and holly add to the joy of the festival i'nr llec.i 1:1 i ion lit keil iterri 1 llol 1 in more ueailliili i tliim hip i'nl tr utatletoe — better adapted tn wreathrhiilwilik ^ christ m a s :;; without greens from the spri ud ing dignilied l*w to the tiny spray of mistletoe ur bunch of bully would b a festi val devoid of its c h i e f lent me therefore the col lection and sale of those special festive i reins of the seasoli have become women tons undertakings which involve rwnsnc tioiis that in geographical area mid ox tent reach from across the seas to the maine woods mistletoe which is so prized by the romantic young people who vajue its significance far more than ils beauty is at its best iu england tmugb a grvat deiil of it comes from virginia the engkvh mistletoe has a tint very green leaf with large single berries oval in sllilt'o :'. nd peculiarly waxen in ap pearance while the american branch of the family bo&sts smaller leaves and berries in clusters of three it is pack ed when gathered in europe in eight foot long open crates aihl shipped across the ocean with as much tare given to its preservation as though it were fur more precious than it really is save in the opinion of the romantically inclined the common mistletoe has been associated with many superstitious from the most ancient times and has been highly ex tolled for its medicinal virtues it ir however excluded from the pharmaco poeias now the origin of the modern custom connected with mistletoe is imt very clear like many other customs its original significance is only guessed ut if known perhaps the innocent merri ment now associated with the plant would be exchanged for a feeling of stern disnpprovul and the mistletoe would e banished from our homes mistletoe may bo made to grow on ihe apple and other trees by cutting a botch in the baric on the under surface «( a branch and carefully inserting the seed therein two precautions are specially necessary one is to place the seed in such a position that the embryo shall he directed toward the trunk of the trve and the other is to avoid crushing un seed the apple is the tree on which the mistletoe grows most abundantly the orchards in herefordshire england are greatly infested with this parasite which however has .» value of its own for it appears that upward of a hundred t»nn of mistletoe are annually forwarded to london and other large towns from that county alone for christmas decorations the holly with its bright berries and glossy leaves is onu if the most decora tive greens used at the christmas sea son und is adapted especially wall to wreath form the color lasting longer ami the general shape boiug more natlwl'iictm-y than when made of the evergreen strange as it may seem hundreds of holly wreaths are sent out to the ceuuitei'taft their green and red brlghtmws snjuiiyli.j the loving remembrance for dear one uassed away yet somehow a little llicou gruous even from a ncntliuental stnntl poiut one is so nut to associate holly tritli crackling wood tires rollicking jolli ty good mtlag and drinking and other iniiu-iinl enjoyment that in inemorlaui it seems a trlti out of place yet in the poem of lb».t nun whifh toniiysou has made immortal we rend with trembling lingers did we weave the holly round the christmas hearth " so that the holly has before its present vogite in mmtmits been associated with the memory of those no longer with us lli.tnuically speaking the holly u a ge nus of trees and ahrub of the natural or der aqui foliaee.ir ehietly natives of temperate climates with evergrvcu leathery sinning nod generally spinous leuves the gommpo holly the only bll ropean species and a native or some puns of asia also is u well known ornament of woods parks nn<l hfubbarlea in great britain the stlffums uf its habit being so compensated by ttio abundance of ita brauchlets and uavm an to make it om of the most bwautiful evergreens it is found as a ntuiv plant in scotland al though lirituiii is nearly its northern lim it it attains greater aize and displays greater luui'lasct ifl the northern than ill tbu xoutbciu part .* of ils geographic rangv often appeal ing in the former as a of eomiderabie i*e ju to 00 (•#! high while iu wiu latur it i gttutraii u mure bush iu table dn-uiaiiwus uobt at thtt i'hiibt mas season is iikpu most orrocrivpi.y n is on the authority of a loading tloiit that we state that che correct arrange it ment of a christinas dinner table so far ] as its evvrgieen appointments are con cerneil i.-t a large wreath of holly in the center surrounding a dainty vase con taining mistletoe over this and sus pended from the gas fixtures is unothtr spt'iiy of mistletoe tied by brilliant scat lot ribbon to match the berries of the holly on tut table beneath near the end uf the table are banked masses of holly in the center of which are wired upright loops of scarlet satin ribbon their trail ing emls straying over the green leaves on to the white cloth tiny buutonnieres of holy or mistletoe are placed at ] lu men's places larger cluster more on the order of corsage bouquet being supplied for the fair members of the company ho great has become the demon for holly wreaths thnt ordr-rs are given to the flor ists weeks before christmas and it is not uliusinil to send two dozen wrciirhs to one house all the windows boiug decked in his apropos garb any left overs doing du ty suspended wherever their grven aiei rod cheerim-ss can he ami pleasing advantage it seems an ex travagant fad when one considers how soon the boant.v fades vet tin good eneetr that speaks from hie disks of green and red in the mansion of the millionaire or the hovul of the pauper more than com pensates for wind our i'uritan ancestors would deem willful extravagance — pbil ndclphia times w the yule log uaa it origin in semidlnnvlan * ' 1 1 r inmiims dinner oihstmus oyrtpr simp turkey stiiffor with olisjtnoti sweet potatoes baked ttiee croquettes cauliflower parisian style celery cranberry jelly lettuce with prentf dressing crackers cheese olives llinoe me christmas lemon tarts fruits nuts kaisins coffee a sntenam superstition a strange superstition which mny owe something of ii origin to the associa tions bound tip with the biblical narra tive of the nativity obtains credence to this day among the peasants of siberia by t)i ei ii it in believed that a gift of human speech and superhuman prophecy descends upon the beasts of the stall and byre during the mystic hour thnt herr.lds the christmas dawn and that if one is bold enough to hide fceneath the straw on such occasions he will hctir his fate lor ihe coming year foretold by his do mestic annuals a betrayal of iuis pres ence however entails certain i3e»tinic tion pall mall gazette iii the scandinavian least of mil when they burned htlgu llou tires in hoinir of tlior we discover the origin of the yule log the descendants of the old norsemen who no doubt are responsible for tho custom in england carefully preserved half of the log with which to be burned at next vuletide nnd so we have the old english proverb hut in poetical form by herrlck part must tip krpt wherewith to tend the christmas ior next yrar ami where tis safely kept the nvud ( 111 ill n m.ai 1 1 i i f hi'l'l the druidionl contribution to ihe mod ern christinas celebration originated iu tho annual least given iu honor of th i>ruid god tut anus who corresponds tu the i'hoeniciiiii sun god baal his fn vorite among all trees and plants of the forest was supposed to be the mistletoe the number three wns held in rever ence by these ancient people and be blr green und c1u1s tll lfm,s 1u uen.it,8 r t|lis par ' irsiie grew in clusters of three this in addition hi i ho glory of being tutanus favorite m.-ide the plant sacred and an nually there was a great festival given in ils honor in the choice and selection of the yule log the nsli tree plays a very important part iu scandinavian mythology it is odin's tree and was most uoble for its • le ihe spear and ihe javelin ¦ i the ri-nht in lieit inu guaj^gasb means mian and the legend runs thai when the sons of bor who wms in odin t'ori 	 1 the ttrst man and woman they were made out of a piece of ash this man was named yskn and al the present day ill devon shire as a relic oc this pagan reverence for this tree we find the christmas fagot made hi ash sticks liounil tightly to gether by green withes or bauds of pol lard oak as each withe bursts a quart of cider is passed around and healths are drunk amid greftt glee and rejoicing the gypsies too and the wild hill peo ple of bavaria and bohemia reverence the ash although their legends attached to it are christian in their origin — bos ton herald german stuffing for ronat gtne for german stuffing take one-half pound of fresh brea<j orunibs one-lialf pound each of chopped apples seeded raisins and blanched almonds the goose liver parboiled nnd chopped oue talde spoonful of powdered sage the rind f a lemon two scant teasiwonfuls of salt and a tefispnonful of chopped onion mix thor oughly and moisten with a teacupful of melted butter stuff the crop and body lightly if packed the dressing will be soggy and the result will be a gtrn tronomic delight selected roman christmas a sopkoii of joy nnil i<tryinnkln iu the sternal city alt hou.uh the picturesque scenes nnd grand l'unctiim which formerly attracted visitors to home nt thin time of the year are in a great measure thluge i the past perhaps in few other cities of the world is it possible to pass a wore delightful christmas than in koine for here in the venerable cnput mundl all the cosmopol itan usagea and customs which follow iu the motley trahl of old father christmas seem i concur in rendering it u season of joy and merrymaking while the peculiar fascination of the bteraal city sheds a kin i of glamour over the most varied cel ebrations and the beautiful religious cer emonies are nnequnled for solemnity nud impressive grandeur of all seasons this is in rome the gay est within the circle of domestic life but the vigil iustead of the clay itself may be said to be the groat occasion for fam ily reunions here ns everywhere else the most important part of the profane programme is of a purely gast ronomical nature aid the ceaone — i e bi-stipper takes the place of the chrlst-maa dinner of tin following day as held in kuglauil the appearance of the shops is brilliant and striking in the extreme at this time of the year the confectioners windows especially being full of thjngu the sweet est and prettiest sugar temples snowy xmmam*m]m raisins nun hour la reflfluullrble cm tion compared to which an honest brit ish plum pudding is a.s light as a waferl longitudinal papers tilled with torrone and all sorts of other delicacies one ol the first christmas trees ever introduced into rome was for the little prince of naples belt to the italian throne whose nursery governess was an english lady and since then the teutonic custom has gradually become a la mode in home london mail hri»tiiin fires when bright cliristmus area bfe giowin and the uelils are white with inow down beside the fair penobucot there comes back the long ago from bohemia's gilded castles do i longing tie strain to the bygone drcums of boyhaod alid tli i>ine clad hills of auia christmas day hoh ihe date dec 2.1 lamr to be ra ftrllsih-tfli there is some disagreeinent as tir tin1 origin of christmas day the legend runs that in the earliest period of ihe chris tian church sonxe communities of chris tians oelebrated the festival of christmas on jan 1 others observing it on the uh of thai month iu some of the eastern churches it was kept about i be lime of the j<*wish passover acar the end of march there is also sum evidence of its having been observed on sept j'j i i ing tht feast of tabernuejes im the year a u i\iit when the knipcror con ktnnuuc legally established t hrisl ijinilv iu the kouiau ftnpire c^hri.ttuias was ob served at the bc_'iiiiiiiig of the iiew year while iu the eastern chmvh it was oele brnted on juu i 1'ope julius eventually effected a compromise and the itli duy of december w established these his torical - i.-itoinon have been called iu question by some but johu i hrysosfnin the eloquent preacher at coiistautiiiople iu the fourth century confirms them it is a curious circumstance that some difficulty hat been found iu accepting the date of dec l'.'i as the probable day on which chritt was born been use 1 he close of december being usually ihe height of the rainy season in judaea it is said that neither bocks nor shepherds could have been at nighl iu ihe fields of llethlehem this strange objection is considered of mii>h importance trmt ii is incorporated iu i almost every eneyclope.ka and dictionary which meats of ( l.riminns ii is one of the curiosities of literature the present i writer has been in those part a at this 1 season of the year and has round no dif lii-ulty in kee|iiiivr watch by night in the open fields of palestine what is poul 1 ble for a western truveler unused to liv ing iu the opeu air in the uiuclceiiili vn tiny must have been far easier for a baud of eastern shepherd at the begiu i of the christian era sacred thorn tree iiow w children mtohed the rhiimief fill our ayes doaed fust in bleep lluu we wuited vrulrluil bis eoniqgl but hi iuv i gol i i how wre bdotttad in the nmmint merry chriatmaal aweal refrain a w tmiijiti 1 all our blocking filled b sjllt i'uua o haise oh the jojs and tii t chriatmaa in iimi hone >' oldeq uioel by the great log ftrea * glo 1 i an ii ii i he *'¦ yatber'a i 	 ¦ i brythur's oh til toili.r biae ibd pudlul i lluas u|l iu uaiile ktfw ui'lvsi hjc about ( luistnias nieru 11 nn inetratnu ktraugeuess anil mysticism it seems pos sessed of a spirit as well as u body this spirit teems redolent iu the air in the strains of christmas music oil the evergreen and inistleiue and on the very pealing of the bells which flood th world with melody soemingly garnered through all the lli months since thai cred night when heaven kissed the earil and ohriat our lord wa.s born and iho un«el choin chanted ilurj to jod in 1 ho hijjht-ht and on earth peace to uiei of good will for ueurly l,!»00 | thin hyiuu bus coutiuut-d to riag down thu chaut'iug grumes of limu and still nies o'vr the weary world at jurist ma.s ilanu i-.'liuira tw'mgraitt '' sini-.v of our that 111 	 huh only at ( hruliiinx six miles northwest of the quiet little episcopal city of wells rises a lofty peak called by the celtic natives of west brit ain a lwr it is conspicuous for wiles around with the loner of an ancient chapel on its lop and with a neat little couutry town and ihe ruins of a uoble old abbey sufficient evidence remains to show that mie abbey wa.s of vast proportions occupying in ull i!0 acres uf ground it wa.s founded by saxon kings and fur,ther endowed by the normaus and i'lan tagem-ts the grand chancel anil its tine cua|n-is were built iu the liuest style of later norman architecture but now little more than crumbling walls and pillars testify to the once great beauty of thtt abbey tile porch of st joseph's chapel how ever is in a fair state of preservation ! outside there grows the famous glaatou bury thorn that blossom but lor one day iu tlie year and ihut ( hristmas day this live bus a strange history ijiiring his loug journey from palestine st joseph of ariiiiallien vlsited4tbe dis ' trict he and his 12 companions having | been sent by st philip the apostle to : convert the then lieathen nation of brit aiu and to cast out the druid iiupersti tion st joseph and his followers found their wa.v to qloatonbury then known an yhiswytryu they wore all a-weavy und arriving 00 the summit of the hill joseph who was using a hawthurn sli-i an i walking staff stuck it into ihe ground and it burst into bloom thu pre.xiiit qlaatonbury thorn ia an offshoot by continued grafting of si joseph of a in n ulna's walking t>ill t lirl.cma jam toil are to write a capital d on a ihr.ci uf paper while standing at a table at the suine time yon must try to make your right foot swimg iu the opposite direction from that whlto thu pencil is following on the paper it souiuu may try it iu every wuy you can tliiuk of first get your foot going toward the left u an easy swing and then start your let ter and set what will happen tlitu try j beginning the latter tiist and going in presently with ihu proper drcu in thu epiiosite direction if you do not laugh at | the resiill you will prol.al,l be profane sai francisco kvenin post selecllns thu turkey in ehooslng i turkey tin age of the bird is llie pilneipal thing tn bu attend td to a young gobbler in best he umy jo diatlagulahsd from a heo turkwy by lib eoinb th u«e may be ascertained y the lower part of ih hreastbon if 1 uuuble the turkey i young if sin a is old and not good for roasdag t can wiily we usid for boiling ami brais ug turkny weigliim from tight to tun iloihiim m-h arc thought u«»t m m iii iii1 w v