1925-01-10 — Page 7

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1925.

THE CHINA MAIL.

FIRST CHRISTMAS FORETOLD by an ANGEL

Who Was Gabriel, "the Angel of the Annuncia- tion? One of the Seven Whose Names Are Recorded As Indivi- duals No Scriptural

Authority for Female' Angels.

[By RENE BACHE.)

The coming of the fist Christmas was foretold by an angel. We, ny read of that in the Gospel of St. Marko which;

Buy thi

The angel Gabriel was sent from God untu a city of Galilee named Nazareth...

1

To a Virgin espoused to a man whore name was Joseph, and the Virgin's name was Mary,

And the angel gume in unto her und mnisail, then that art highly favour ed. Bicases art thou among woman Behold, thou shält eonceive and bring forth a son, and shalt vall his name

Hence it is that Gabriel is commonly called the Angel of the Annunciation. But is anything else known about him? Not much, but something.

The Bible tells us that he is the guardian of the "celestial treasury. He in archangel, and one of the even whose names are given in the Scrip-

The Bible refers to anga twa hundred and forty-eight times, but it names only the seven archangels-

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THE ANNUNCI FIACH DAISYTHING

"GABFFIEL IPO

Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel." Jophiel, Chamuel and Zadkiel.'

Michael is the captain-general and lender of the celestial arms. It was he who conquered Satan and drove him, together with his rebellious legions, out of Heaven. He is understood to have been chief of the band of angels who, at command of the Almighty, created the Univern In paintings he in repre- sented with a pair of scales, which he will use at Judgment Day to weigh the souls of the dead.

The Archangels..

Raphael is chief of the guardian anggis, who have special charge of the welfare of mankind. Uriel is the regent, of the sun. Jophiel is guardian of the Tree of Knowledge, and it was he who drove Adam and Eve out of Eden. Chamuel in the angel who wrestled with Jacob, and it was Zadkiel who stayed the hand of Abraham when he was about to snerifice his son Isaac.

There is no mention of female angels in the Bible. The literature that com poses the Scriptures is of Oriental origin, and in Eastern countries women,

are regarded as. inferior creatures. That may be the reason why.

In a word, female angels have to authenticity; and, speaking in that con- nection, mention may appropriately be made of a curious happening incidental to the building of New York's great cathedral of Saint John the Divine Along its front are a number of angels in stone which, as originally sculptured, were of the gentler sex. But objection Wy made by high ecclesiastical authorities and they were converted to the masculine persuasion.

Nobody acems ever to have thought of female angels until the great painter Fra Angelico, who devoted his life to adorning

mediseval churches with Scriptura: scenes, introduced them into severely criticised by ecclesiastics of his his pictures; and for doing it he was

day, who declared that the idea was a most improper innovation.

The nation was taken up, however, by later painters, and modern angels in art. nre nearly all women-exception being necessarily made of archangels, whose sex is unquestionably males. Though lacking proper authenticity, the female angela have come to stay exquisite idealizations of feminine beauty,

ANGEL WITH

CYMBALS -

FRONT

BAGAZZANG BY GURNE- JONES

feminine beauty. That which was accepted by the ancient Greeks is made familiar to us by their statues and busta of Venus, Minerva and other goddesses. The chin was round and.. full, the lips rather sensual, the brow narrow and with no depression where the bridge of the nose merged into the forehead. In the last respect certainly, faces are not made that way, and never ware, but it represented an ideal in old Angels. Greek art. Nearly all pictured angels have blue eyes and golden hair. Artists, who are supposed to be expert Judges of beauty, usually select the blonde type when they wish to represent the highest feminine idea. Fra Angelico started the fashion; his angels were all blondes,

We hardly realize how much, fashion has to do with setting the standards of

beauty discarded the Greek ideal, which The early Christian conception of the Romans had accepted, and sought to replace is a type represented in most pictures with an Oriental type. It of the Virgin-the face an elongated perfect oval, the eyebrows high-arched, the mouth small and demure.

With the progress of the centuries

APCH-

ANGEL

OVER- COMME ANO CHAMY- ING RIVE DEVIL

fashion has altered the "standard of beauty again and again. Painters who gained celebrity had much to do with changing it. Raphael introduced a new type, of tender, rounded sweetness. The for heart-shaped faces, with wide early Flemish colourists set the style

check-bones and faint oyabrows.

Whatever the fashion in this regard, the, women of the day, quite naturally, would try their best to live up to it by suitable dressing of their hair, the

examining the painted portraits of any wearing of ruffs, or other expedients. And most curious is it to observe, in period, that the individuals represented been set, the painters of the time felt look' much alike. A standard having obliged to make all their female patrons correspond to it as nearly as they could. From the women's point of view that was wholly desirable; for, as any

fashionable photographer of to-day will tentify, no woman cares much whether her pieturo is a good likeness or not, so long as it is pretty.

Those remarks are appropriate hero only because fashions in feminine pul chritude have been reflected in pictures. of angels. The latter are much more often brunettes nowadays, perhaps for the reason that the blonde type la becoming scarce,

Characteristic Of Angels.

Angels are always tall. Their gar menta (as represented in art) are very full and flowing. Usually their cloth-

ng a white, but it may be blue, red... or even green. They are invariably bare-footed. No plctured angel ever. woare shoes, or even sarilala save in rare instances. Michael, being a soldier, is sometimes represented as an armour- ed warrior and carries a sword.

It was stated above that only seven angels are known individually by name. An eighth, however, should be added. He is enlled Satan, and it will be re- membered that he organized a danger ous revolt in the celestial realm, enlist- ing under his banner meny legions of angels. Of the detalls of the war that followed we know nothing, but only

that Satan was finally defeated by the heavenly armies under the leadership of Michaet, and was driven out of Paradise, to devote his subsequent existence to making mischief for the world. In this connection, attention may be called to the fact that the Heaven of ancient and primitive conception was a walled and fortified city.

In early Christian art Satan is’wually représented as wearing a halo. He appears thus adorned in many of the, most famous paintings of the later middle ages. This may seem strange to us, accustomed as we are to regard the aureole as a symbol of glory or holiness. But eriginally it had no such signiñcance; it was meant to express the idea of power:

The Halo An Ancient Symbol. The halo as symbol is much more ancient than Christianity. Roman emperors and even consula were repre- sunted with halos. In the Christian art of the middle ages the members of the Trinity were usually depicted with triangular halos. Portraits of living high coclesiastics were distinguished by square halos, Halos nowadays aro golden, or at least, rings of brightness; but in former times they were occa- sionally red or green.

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Inasmuch as nobody has even secr an angel, at least since Scriptural times. pictures of them are necessarily based upon imagination. They are nearly always represented with wings, The latter do not correspond exactly in type to those of any species of bird, but it may be said that they most ourly resemble those of the albatross, For artistic purposes they do very well, but mechanically they could not possibly be operated for flying.

For the reason above mentioned, there ia no irreverence in discussing this point. Angels, of course, are spirits,... and mechanical laws. cannot be held to apply to their mode of locomotion. But, merely in criticism of the artists'

Langley's first airplane was designed- conception, it may be said that a buzzard the original model after which weighs about Avé pounds and has a wingspread of Ave and three tenths square feet. On that basis, a fairly robust male angel weighing 150 pounds would require about 160 square feet of wing surface, and each wing should be not far from eighteen feet long."

NUTS FOR CHRISTMAS

SEPT

REMOVAL

Many Parts of the World Called Upon for These Toothsome Additions To the Xmas Table.

[By DUNCAN CAMERON.]"

P

RECANS

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English Walnuts Are Persian.

have become widely scattered and have found firnt foothold in many parts of the world. Until recent years the principal supplies for the American the South of France. Evert now there market were imported from Italy and is liberal call on those regions, but Increasing respect is commanded by the product of California. Great orchards now thrive in the irrigated districts of that state.

basins. Tel territory extended from Dakota, on the north, to central Texas western Vermont, Minnesota and South and southern Georgia on the south. In the heart of this ares the tree is of commercial importance because of com: parative abordance and the value of its decorations. During the European War timber for forniture and interior

making gun-stocks, and airplane pre- the material was in strong demand fór pellern."""

What sort of Christmas would we America.

hickory-nuts are natives of North have if we were deprived of the tooth some nuts that play such important part in the burden of the well-filled stocking of the English walnut. Some of them Authorities differ as to the naming and groaning dinner table? The human insist that the name should be "Per mind rebels at the suggestion, and sian." In support of this contention refuses to give the picture the con- they bring forward the circumstance sidération of a moment Christmas that the specias thrived in Persis for nuts are an established institution, as counticas, centuries before its introdție. much a part of the holiday season astion into the British Isles. Botanical turkey, cranberries, mince-ple and experts give the product the Porsian plum-pudding,

label and declare that the other designs- tion is altogether wrong In the mean-worth the effort. The species willwalunts are now found to an increasing

The Persian walnut is easily grown at home and the planting of a tree, is while the world at large calls it the thrive in climates that are not too English walnut and buys it by thou-severe, and will produce good dividends sands of tons.

in harvest and satisfaction. The wood. the furniture trade."" of the tree is the Circassian walnut of

The nuts of the Christmas season come from many portions of the world. The English walnut has grown in Perala for thousands of years. Fülberts are native to many parts of Europe and the British Isles. Almonds established days of antiquity. Evidence of long This nut was highly regarded in, the themselves in the, American market inpage is found in the scientific name when the chief supply was produced in by which it is known to horticulturista. the countries surrounding the Mediter. In the lore of the botanlat the product is Tanpan. Pecans are the product of the juglans regis, "the Royal nut of Jove." Gulf States and Mississippi Valley..What greater tribute of nemanclature--eastern portion of the United States. Nager-toes are brought from Brazil, the country-fpm--which--they derive their common name of Brazil Nuts. favourite black walnuta and

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could be wished?

Widespread Production Persis is no Jonger the source of supply for this favourite. The treas

The Black Walnut. American, found originally in an area The black walnut is a full fledged coverig almost the whole of the In a native growth it was found to best advantage in the protected Appals chlan coves and, the fertile botions of the Ohio and central Mississippi River

Since the War there has been a widespread movement for ornamental plantings of this species, and black extent in residential areas and along the roadside. The as of the tree for memorial purposes, in honour of the men who gave their lives during the great conflict, has been stimulated by senso of its high economic value and rendered by the native walnut in the a recognition of the Important service

household in the United Stat.can yaljonk prosecution of the war. Almost any its own" saires "K" "there, in av inble ground. The treas will grow from nut plantings with little care ar trouble The species is highly adaptable and is

second

JA OP WALNUTS

the puckering taste of the inner shell. and produces a kernel of attractive The pecan i really a appearance. hickory nut, growing throughout the Mississippi valley as far north as Iowa' and into Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, Great archards have been planted in Georgia Florida and

"NiggertceL."

Si

The

now growing in every state in the bitter, In the bitter almond the rela. Vaion.

tionship is strongly emphasized. China The Filbert,

produces an apricot with sweet kernel The Albertis beginning to find an which there is close resemblance to place in the run as an item of American the almond of our Christmas feast. horticulture. For generations this country has obtained its Christmas in the use of peach trees for starting Alabama.

Further evidence of kinship is found

of various parts of Europe. The name purposes the twigs of the nut tree are etock of this species from the orcharits an almond orchard. For propagating itself is German. Early attempts to grafted to those of the fruit producer,

The Brazil nut is in a class by itsel establish the bushes in the United resulting in a growth which confines It All other species here considered aza States resulted in disappointment, be- activities to the production of nuts. The prodhood in individual form. cause of a serious hlight by which the budding process acts: awiftly and shaped shell, with many hats carefully.

triangular niggertos grows in a ball To-day, however, science has made it summer. experimental trees were attacked. duces Almonds during the

packed within the outer walls. The and the Albert le coming into commer. possible for the attacks to be nullified,

The Pecan,

packing process is the factor which produces the curious three cornered The pecanis cial importance as a product of the supremacy. It is my firm belief that a Christmas stocking. For harvesting nut of rising shape of the nut as we find it in the. Pacific Northwest.

general election would accord this shipment the outer shells are removed American nut.Tais popularity in a The zowth of Brazil nutaia a Yung species undisputed position as the great and the single nota separated.""

tions ago the pecan was little known. the wild places of the forest the harvest raatter of recent growth. Two camera tlab of the South American jungle. In: Thone that reached the market were gathered by natives and prepared small and uninviting. The bitterness of the inner shell was a serious handicap-Brazil. From these ports the nuts are for river shipment to the nesports of

The pecan of to-day is a product of ties, for the express purpose of supply. and created considerable prejudice.

the Influence of this cars the nut now The Brazil-mat-has-the treacherous careful grafting and cultivation. Under ing the Christmas stocking.

Korwarded to America in great quanti

peach and apricot. In literal terms. it thinly shelled. With a bit of experi- bayar. should be wary of niggertos: {* Wan almond is a pour relative-of-the-of-deligital favour, stout, plusfp and within the shall, and for this reason the: Market Ata creation, changcteristis, ói trứning to powder may be described as a peach stone which ance any child may crack a pocan in a when offered at "bargain" price. The grows without surrounding flesh, and way that permits the kernel to be dia merchandise may furnish a Christma with favour that is sweet fustead of lodged in two parts. This eliminates disappointment.

•

America: Grows Almonds." of American enterprise.

The atory of our almonds is a recital years ago, those nuts came to us from Until a few the bores of the Mediterranean. An American almond crop was unknown To-day, the situation is altogether changed. almond groves on extensive scale and.

California has established

orchard in full bloom is one of the finest with distinguished success. An almond sights in the world