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CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLÉMENT, 1929..
HARING the HEARTH FIRE
Suggestions
for the Holiday Celebration
Bỵ, MARJORIE HOWE DIXON
one is a mother and has two daughters year, by means of borrowing cars enough Izony is a mother and has two daughters year, by means of ho
proaching, there is much planning to be done. Two girls home from school are de- lightful. And two more girl chums as house guests, and something is sure to be doing every moment. If the phone isn't ringing, there is a special delivery boy at the front door, while a man selling holly appears at the back door.
She studied her calendar for a moment. "The girls will get in Saturday evening.
There will be church and dinner Sunday.
Tea will be rather quiet. Annabel will want to bring Jean, I know, and Eleanor will hring some one new, doubtless-and a little lone-
some. Well, Monday they will be busy with presents, and Tuesday they'll have their hands full trimming the tree and decorating the house. Thursday I do want to have the old ladies (hum-not so old) and then there is the big party Friday."
"Let's plan their party for Thursday evening and have the boys go after them and we'll have an 1890 ball," said Jean un- expectedly.
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"Why, Jean, that's an awfully quaint and cunning idea," said mother. "What do you girls think?"
"Perfectly great, Jean! Too daring for words! Have each of them bring her fa- vourite photograph album!" the girls chimed "We'll get checker boards and parchesi and Flinch decks, and authors and Old Maid
it will be ever so much fun!
in.
Rosa, a lovely Spanish girl, who had. come from Mexico City to college, wore a little frown.
"What is it?" asked Eleanor.
"I do not know these games. I have had much trouble to learn bridge. Are these still more difficult?'
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"To go back to Tuesday--Christmas
Parchesi and Checkers Eve. Shall we be alone or have the boys? Shouts of laughter greeted her. Eleanor There'll have to be a vote taken on that. gave her a little hug. "Why, no," she said, Two dinners to deliver for sweet charity-"they are as easy-as easy as pie. And be the boys could help. All the smaller pack ages they could take, too."
So she mused and sat down to write the girls. Annabel, the oldest, was in her Junior year. Jean Alling had come home with her last year for the holidays and had proved a perfect treasure. Trust Annabel to find one such. Eleanor, a freshman, was serious and studious. She had loosened up a bit in her last year in High, but she still had to be dragged away from a book and sent out doors for some exercise. There was no telling whom she'd bring home with her.
Her mother wrote: "Remember that some girls will not enjoy our holidays. You will all help as usual. Some one who is lonesome, if she be the sincere type, will be happy with us. I leave it to you.'
Plans With Her Girls
The girls arrived and mother gave them till Sunday tea to work off their excitement at getting home and caring for their friends. Then she asked them in the quiet twilight hour with only a candle, and the hearth fire for light, to think ahead for the week and plan what they would like to do.
"Mother dear," purred Annabel, on her mother's chair arm, "I know you have an idea or two. Christmas Eve per usual. Ditto Christmas Day-Church and a big feed-Thursday sleighing or skating Friday the grande partie-Saturday, rest a bit and Monday much the same." She kiss ed her mother's chin.
"Till you see what the weather is, the sleighing part will have to ride," said mother, quite unconscious of a pun. The girls exchanged giggles. "I did want to give some little affair for Aunt Crosby and her beloved class of 1890."
Class Reunion Yearly Eleanor explained to Rosa, her guest, that Aunt Crosby had been, able to get six of her class together for a reunion every
sides you can have one of the old dears teach you parchesi or checkers. They would be so pleased. They'd win, of course-but then it's their party." Rosa understood.
"You folks have your big dance the next night at the country club, so we must not put too many parties together," said mother, doubtfully. Annabel chuckled.
"Why honey-bunch," she said, "they'll think it's ever so exciting to stay up till ten o'clock and the boys can take them home then, and be back home themselves by cleven. So we better start early, say, about seven. We'll get the list of names from Aunt Crosby and begin telephoning in the inorning.
Annabel was the one who loved to plan, and mother knew she would have seven- teen new ideas to add by morning.
Arrange for Christmas Eve "Let's take a minute to think of Christ. mas Eve," said mother! "There'll be the tree for all of us, of course; do you girls want to have the boys then?"
Rosa listened with much interest. It was her first Christmas in a home in "the States" and over everything fell a lovely glamour. How very fortunate she was to be able to visit in such a home as this-she hardly had a moment to think of her own loved mother and brothers, or feel homesick.
have the real
"If we have the boys, of course, we can't presents," said Eleanor. "We'd have to get some funny things, and jokes and so on. Of course, Old Fritz would Le pretty lonesome if there were only Dad here. He's always here at Christmas," she explained to Rosa, “because he's so far from home."
Annabel moved and Jean seconded the idea of having the boys. "Why, two of them are staying at the hotel (that is, every mo ment they have to be away from us), and think how dull Christmas Eve would be."
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"For them or for us?" asked Jean with. a twinkle in her eye.
Recalls Entertainment of 1890
"I keep thinking of the 1890 ball," said Annabel, ignoring her. "What was the name of that mind parlour entertainment that consisted in looking at a double photograph on a do-funny that you held up to your eyes to peer through?”
"Stereoptican?" suggested mother.
"No, stereoscope," said Eleanor the pre- cise. "Oh, where can we dig up one of those? How perfectly thrilling it must have been to have lived then, and feel so shocked about ladies in bloomers on bikes! We must beg them to tell us about it, Mother!"
"Then there's New Year's Eve to plan," said mother. "You have your choice of the dance or the quiet "Watch Night" service at Grandfather's. Of course, you start back the next day. What do you want to do?"
New Year's Watch Night Rosa's velvet eyes gleamed. "That I expect you watch the New Year come in." sounds so pretty," she said. "Watch Night!
"And grandfather says a prayer for us to end. with, don't we, mother?" all, and we sing a perfectly rousing hymn, Eleanor forthwith announced her decision of going to Grandfather's for New Year's Eve. that I shall have to go as
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"Jean has such a case on Grandfather
her chaperone. Annabel "Let's all go to bed right now!
smiled sideways at her friend. And say thirteen separate prayers for snow all day Monday and Tuesday. Then we will have- a beautiful white Christmas for Rosa, and a sleighing party later and skiing and other excitements. I just bet Rosa never made a snow man, did you, dear?"
"Never have I seen snow save on the mountain tops," said Rosa. "Pictures show. ing snow over everything I have seen-but they seemed like pretty visions. I will help pray for snow, too, for it is surely my deep desire to see a snow fall.”
Snowfall Later in Season
"In the good old days there was always a heavy snow at Thanksgiving, mother says. But this year it is awfully late. But it ought to be great when it does come, Rosa," said Eleanor.
"Good night, dear, and pleasant dreams for a Merry Christmas," said mother as each girl kissed her and started for the stairs.
EARLY CELEBRATIONS
Christmas day is, officially, the anniver- sary of the birth of Jesus Christ but we
have no evidence that He was born on December 25. Some of the early Christians celebrated the festival at the beginning of January, some at the time of the Jewish passover, others chose the Feast Tabernacles. The Eastern Church then de- of cided upon January 6, while the Western Church tock December 25 as the date of the nativity. · upon December 25 and that date was official. Finally, both churches agreed y fixed for the whole of Christendom by Pore Julius I.
IN THE EMPIRE
Christmas is still the happiest day in the year throughout the British Empire. If fathers were we must blame the times and we are not so light-hearted as our fore-
modern life were unknown to our ancestors. not ourselves. The hustle and bustle of they had more time to themselves, they had be jolly and they were. less care, the pace was not so fast, they could
from home, the greatest-charm of Christ. To the jaded exile
lacking; but in his heart he will always spend mas, the family re-union, must always be
Christmas at Home.