, • > - T • ■ 1 ' ' I ■ -A S I ' fPM ?? i 1 1 * Batta : .1 Page 2 mmkmm lion Edit j l WEDNESI or, >AY, DE iah CEMBER ' M 21, 1919 S^WWm Once Upon A Midnight Clear 4 v “One more day till vacation, we’re leaving College Station”—these are t h e strains we hear almost every night, as the carolers return to their respective dormi- . -tpiies, • i j! . \ ; Yes, we’re leaving College Station, go ing home for Christmas. “Going home for Christmas”—those few words mean much | to everyone. (Regardless of individual plans for much merriment and celebration, the old Christmas spirit will still be most preva- | ^ lent in the minds of A&M students for the ; next week and a half. [ ' ^ Among the many contributions to that Christmas atmosphere are the many and beautiful Christmas carols, These songs have become so standard that we sing on ly the words, our minds not comprehend ing their meaning. ' ' ~ -this aboyc Christmas, of the work “Peace on e^rth, good will towards men” all: is what we pifay for this “Jcly to the worl£” — most will be joyous. r A prominent churchman said last week, “Ther» is no Santa Claui,” or words to that effort. . Brad Holmes, BiU Hites, Hardy Rosa, Joe Trevino . ... « . ■ ^ . . • . «. Photo Kenneth Marak, Emmett Trant, Jack Brandt, Jack Stansbaqr ^ 4 .. .. Cartoonists J Ira Reed *. ... Morgue Manager Dare Cosldtt Chuck CahanUs. Bill Potto .Sports Co-aditon tiobliJ..,. , Berman 0)11 ton. Dsan Raad, W. K. Co trille, R< Selph I.......... .Bdltorlai Board John tfapty, J Jr. Dan Davis. Curtis Edwards. J. C. FaiU, Uoh Allen, Haiflpld Fitts, Henry Lncgui\ B. F. Roland, Frank! Simmer her J , vSj! . . News Writeds Ran Brltti in.. ,i.. Engravers Frank! Sfantoea Ran Brittihn..,:.. A. W. Fn drick, Don —^ ry ted nationally by National Ad- ng Service Inc., at New York City. Lea Angeles, and San Franciaoo. Co-Editors • ••••*«w« f * a•h « » Featum Editor Coelett, Bob Price, Whitmore . L . . , . Feature Writers Gann. Frank Manitzas. . • 1 l . • ai . Sports Writers .Advertising Manages stives ver. Bob Laswell, BiU Matosh. johh StunU . . Circulation 'Assistants r • r: - j ■, ;\ V - : k? Jfll , . ' ' f I (Edttor’a Nat*: The foliowtaf story Is reprinted from TYie New York Sun, Sept. 2L ■■il;:: ; I ■ix ■; V There A Sank * Claus? 9 II • u** v at once and t * tome of my Claus. Papa .’ Please tell us?—Virginia The Ileal gleaning Of Christmas (Editor’s Note—It is with pleasure that we publish the fol lowing article by P. “Pinkie” Downs Jr. One of the most re spected men ever connected with A&M, “Pinkie." will, in a few years, complete a half century of service to the college.) r I ■' 4 I By P. L. “PINKIE" DOWNS JR. Christmas really means, “Christ, the gift to men, women, and children.” To the English people we owe the word Christmas—Christ Mass—a religious ceremony celebrating the birth of Christ. December 25 is' the accepted date of the birth of Christ as He was born at midnight on Christmas Eve. Do you know why Santa Claus comes down the chimney at Christmas time instead of coming through the window? It is attributed to an old English custom of sweeping down the chimney at New Year so good luck could enter. It is to the Hollanders that we owe the custom of hang ing up our stockings. They placed thoir wooden shoes before the large fireplace, but we Americans substituted stockings because wooden shoes wouldn’t stretch. I j The holly wreath that we hang in our homes was copied from the English who believed the holly leaves represented the thorns Christ Wore upon the cross, while the little red berries were the drops of His blood. The giving of Christmas presents brings out the thought —“Peace on Earth, good will toward men.” - It was General W. B. Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, Who was once asked the question if he were solicited to leave a message to the world, what would it be. He wrote only one word and signed his name. That word was “others”. Happiness is not seeking pleasure for o'urselves, but do ing the necessary things for others. God grant me the power to accept things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. I think we should pause long enough to thank God for the privilege of living m a Christian country. You know, I believe in prayer. My definition of prayer would be—com municating with God for that which we desire—not deserve. Did you know that Mohammedan people pray five times daily, but only pray for themselves—never others? Christ mas is a good time to pause long enough to take stock of ourselves and really see of what value we have been through the year to our neighbors, city, county, state and nation. Let us all enter into the Christmas spirit, love one an other, give to those less fortunate than ourselves, and try to carry out Christ’s teachings. , 1 . .! j We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communicate * below, ex pressing at the same time our great gratification, that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of the Sun: “Dear ^Editor—I am 8 years old. little friends say there is no Santa says ’If you see it in the Sun it's sc me the truth,, is there a Santa Cla O’Hanlon, 115 W. »5th St." Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skepti cal age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not com prehensible by their little minds. AH minds, Vir ginia, whether they be men’s or children's, arc little. In this great universe of ours, man ia a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, with the boundless world about him by the intelligence capable of gras of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clsus. He ex ists as certainly as love and generosity and devo tion exist, and you know.that they Abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How .dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith Not | well not no romance to make tolerable should have no enjoyment, except nd sight. The external light with wnlch filhlthe i as comimred }j as measured Ij ng the whole Wo sense and 1 childhood filis Die world would be extinguished, lie in Santa Claus! You might (liefve in fairies! You j: Papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys ion Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but e\ they did not sec Santa Claus coming down, would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus, most real; things in the world are those that neith er children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of cqurse not, but that’s no proof that they arc not there. Nobody can concslve qf imagine^all the wondcis there are. unseen and Unseeable irT the world. You tear apart the baby's rattls and see what makes the noise Inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the uqit«d : strength of all the strongest men 4p*rt. could tear Only faith, fancy, poetry, iove, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and sue f- * picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it ail real? Ah. Virginia, in all this world there is nothing ^Ise real and abiding. Santa Claus? Thank God! He lives, hir lives: forever. A thousand years from VI and iow, Virginia, nay, 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue: to make glad the heart of diild- hood. i [nn Boyle’s Coh f!® Approach ing Ch ristmastim e W ■■Tto '' j 111 * j 14 : M * . . j ' X Leaves Boyle Reminiscent BY HAL BOYLE New York—•A’l—The heart turns back at Christmasticic. The Christmas that most grown ups remember best is some Christ mas as a child at home, when our faith was at bright as Santa’s beard and a bright new sled under- a popcorn-decked tree filled life with joy almost too tremendous to bear. For Christmls wasn^t just fun when you were young and got what you asked for^-it was ecstacy. Remember? But many a land-locked heart this season isn’t merely voyaging back to childhood Christmases at home. It’s ranging in memory overseas to wartime Christmases abroad. There are three I like to tc- memher—in Algiers, in Belgium,* in Manila. It was in Algiers in 1942 that I learned how the war had divid ed the loyalties of countrymen as Official Notice If you or.lerMl S. ii Green,;Thi> Theory and Tee of the < oni|»le* Variable, caU Mrs, Sugareff at the Library. Mrs. G. L. Sugareff Order Librarian An oj>en house f<>r members of the College station corompnity will be held In the City Hall, Thursday, beginning at 10 a. m. and ending at 5 a. m. Wives of city officials will be hostesses. Animal Husbandry Majors are, requested to come by Room 327, Animal Industries Building before Christmas Holidays to work out degree plans. B. R. Dana Animal Husbandry Department well as countries. A fellow cor respondent and I were invited to have Christmas dinner with a young Frenchman. Paul Mil lion, his wife and their two ehiMrten. , : • j j ! j Looking dowh at us from the wall was a portrait of Marshal Petain. This scorned odd as the old hero of Verdun was even (.hen widely regarded as a German pup pet. But Paul wouldn’t take ] tpo picture down. “We simply cannot believe all they say about the old Marshal,” he said. And you couldn’t help' but admire him. for his faith, how ever misplaced. The spookiest Christmas I ever spent was in Spa, Belgium, in ^ 1944. The Httlfe town had biecii evacuated by the Apierican First Army Headquarters hv the first days of the Battle of the Bulge): It looked like a drab Christmas for a few correspondents who had elected to remain in the Hptetj Portugal. > r '•Milt' Then a strange Santa Claui in deed—a begrimed-, stubble-bearded supply sergeant for an anti-tank company dug up three turkeys, cranberries, potatoes—and thje ho tel provided wine, cognac anil the other trimmings. 'I j , While German guns boomed across the hills wc iat down to : a merry banquet presided over by Madame Beaucoup, the hotel pro prietor. We called her “Mgdame Beaucoup" because her bill for cognac were always •Wg.” |! -! i I remember a 1|943 Christhu Eve dinner in Manila beOaus it was the first Christmas sea son of peace. Wc were guests olf ( Mrs. Siaron. a Fjlipino woman, ( j and her family. Outside firecrackers popped and ; the Gecko lizards sung a serenade.: A famous lithograph of Jesus : hung in the . living room, and a ; flickering light beneath it lit these ; words: “I will bless the homes in which ; the image of my sacred heail shall \ ' be honored and I exposed.” \, Somehow it seemed like a mes sage of a peace thbt would pc last- ing. [ y ' .'l. j / L . • j / Dear Mrs. Siaron,, Dear Madame, Beaucoup, good Paul Million—to; you and the millions liki/ (you in! many lands who took American: strangers into you'T b”-™’!' made them happy—merry, mer ry Christmas, in remcmbvhNn 1 of thing, p.*! C*ampu You can relax in one of our cabs, knowing you’ll : get the kind Of service you want. PHONE 2-1400 [ ' ' ' I'm , ': . stfET way TAXI • i;H till QIiAiitmaA Shop the Easy Way... Let The BATTALION advertising columns direct your search for gifts. We pay the highest prices for Used Books We maintain wholesale and retail lists the year 'round. 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