Farmers' Champion, 1912-12-19

style calendar, which had thea came lato force but would persist la blee blee-semlag - semlag blee-semlag as of old oa old Chriatmaa ayl la those days the anniversary ef the' advent ef the Babe had. certalaly meant more to the eemaiea people than merely a time for feasting aad revelry, for giving and receiving; It had been also a season for holy ob observances, - servances, observances, for they refused to go te church on New Christmas day, the hely thorn not being than la blossom. ' Be esrloua became the trouble that the clergy found It prudent to announce that Old Christmas day should also be kept sacred as before. Only an other story of men's weak, supersti superstitious - tious superstitious minds? True, perhaps; but they are better who evidence some spiritual weakness than those who wallow la the wholly material, aad whea we oassa to be careful of the cup aad the platter, we become aet ever careful ef their contents.

tolls hew good things. It for giving, spring up ready te tie aaad which earnestly desires to give te the Child. It la aald that a eertala maiden ol Bethlehem waa se pear that she had nethmg to give to the Babe te whom kings brought wealth from afar, aad. as she stood, longtag and mourning aad angel appeared to her, Saying: "Leek at thy feet, beaeath the eaew, eaew,-siid - siid eaew,-siid le! ea obeying the maieea feaad that a aew flower had mlraeuleeety sprung up and blospomod at her needs. Every since then, runs this story, this etaulette flower, with Its saowy petal just touched by sug geeUeaa ef plaMsa

tlaa faith, the faltlWwhlWi Breached Ufa from death. The holy thorn ef Olastoabwry dear dear-tshed - tshed dear-tshed during the .caaturtes uaUl the civil wars. During those It was an rooted; bnt several persona had had trace growing from cuttings from the original tree, and those eoaUaaed to bloom at the Christ-season, Juet as their parent, which had grown from Bt. Joseph's staff, had bloomed. Aad about the middle of the -18th century It waa recorded In the OenUtmaa'a Magazine how the famous holy tbei ' would aot deign to recognize the aew

a belief that a evil eaa touch any child who la bora aa Chrlitnaa eve. Tha tagead which telle how the very hay which lined tha Banger In which the Holy Babe waa laid put forth liv living - ing living red bloatoma ht atldwtater at the touch of the Babe's body coald only have arleea frost belief la the raaawat ef life through the Lord ef Ufa.