Twenty-five Ceuts a Year,
JANIZARY, t/S.
Vol. VIII. No. 10.
THE CHRISTiVLAS SPIRIT
VISITS WOOD ISLAND.
By Hannah Ei.izadbth Ukkkck.
WHILE ALL the excite
ttieul, bustle, and hurry of
the outside world has been
at its height, away to the
Northland, where suns ure low and
nights a.e lony;. the little green
Wood Island set in the cold blue seu.
has been calmly oblivious of store or
street; cars or hunying masses of
humanity.
But Nature has been lavish in her
j;ifts casting upon her edges fringes of
sea-weed and pearly shells; spieading
at the feet of the fo.est trees rich car
petings of moss; forking the lakes in
cold, icy arms; lashing the ocean and
wind into a frenzy of wavesand foam
moans and sighs. Silently has she
covered tundra and crevice with a
soft white blanket.
Ill the distance '.he Three Sisters
turn towards us their graven, marble
faces. Our own stately spruces bend
back a solemn salute, and waft
towards them their sweet breath,
mingled with the salt sea-breeze.
I)o those who dwell on that lone’y
island have no zeal for the Christmas
tide?
Just come and visit us! See that
group of rollicking boys hie away
to the forest and return with
evergreens! If any one suspects a
lack of enthusiasm, look in upon 11s
while we twine the spruce and trail
ing pine into wreathes and yards and
yards of festooning.. Even the ba
bies lend a helping hand, What a
jolly time it is for all'
Evenings, there was the corn to
pop and string; the stockings to nu»ke
and fill; the simple gifts to secretly
prepare. To add to the jov of the
Good Times, Mamma Coe has 1 een
able to resume her mother's part.
From the Orphanage outwards
breathed the Christmas Spirit until
it crept into every home.
Swi.V.y the hotiis sped. The very
last rehearsal had taken place and
Christmas Eve found every child,
young man, and young woman seat
ed in tne chapel. Happy? Yes, over
flowing with joy that shone out
from bright, black eyes and sunny
faces.
Wreathes of evergreen, suspended
from many different points in the
Gothic roof and connected by fes
toons o f evergreen, intermingled
with bright crepe paper ribbons,
transformed the chapel into an en
chanting bower.
Instead of the gayly decked Christ
mas tree, on one side of the stage
stood a circle of six magnificent
spruce trees, bare and green, so close
ly interwoven as to form a solid mass
of branch and foliage. In the oppo
site corner was an old-fashioned fire
place and chimney.