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WLW ow THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23. 1937 x Russell Leader The 7 RUSSELL, ONTARIO. Th ._. Established 1899 2 A The Only Newspaper In Russell County 2 Published Every Thursday Ecol! » 4 GARLAND HALL, Manager. ns Telephone 38. SubSecription Rates--$1.00 to any address in Canada, ff paid in advance; $1.50 if not so paid. $1.50 to any address in the United States payable in advance; $2.00 §f not so paid. Advertising Rates on application to this pffice. m---- THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS. Once more unnumbered millions turn their hearts to the manger where a puny infant lay upon the Virgin Mother's breast. Long centuries have passed since then. The kings of a hundred thrones have gone by. The great ones and the mighty ones of the ages have sunk into the sea of obli- vion. But Time, the great Destroyer, has failed to quench the ever-growing bright- ness of that marvelous birth. Still once a year the big, busy Western world turns With awe to face the Mystic East and greet the Day-spring from on high who came to visit us. The bells of a nation peal when a Prince Royal is born or the birthday of a nation's independence is celebrated. But at Christmas time the bells of a hundred na- tions and the songs of a hundred races sing out the world over. The ghastly cleavage in the Christian world for the nonce disap- pears, Protestants and Catholics, East and West, the summery Southland, the wintery North, monarchies and republics, even Hebrews and Heathens conjoin in one great harmony of friendly joy to celebrate the glorious day with gifts, and greetings, and generous deeds. And the wonder of it is, it never wanes. More stockings than ever are hung. More festive lights are lit, and candles. More Christmas trees and presents are given year by year. There are more loving gifts and laughter. More generous charity. Its echoes roll from soul to soul, and its glory will, and can never fade. Ever and ever as the birthday of birth- days comes again there are new loyalties of youth, new cadences of maiden songs, new carol voices of old and young. Again our kingly offerings of gold and frankincense and myrrh from the open treasure boxes of loving hearts laid down before Him. The gladness of friendships old and for- givenesses new are known by myriad hearts. Once more mysterious impulses open purses and unloose sympathies for the sorrowing, the needy, the aged, the orphan, the widowed and the poor. Once more the happiness of the few becomes the happiness of many. The host that followed Alexander, and Caesar, and Alaric and Napoleon have long since passed away, but today an army that no man can number, clothed in the gar- ment of love and joy and peace, of faith and hope, of meekness and sacrificial joy are following Him. 2 CHRISTMAS IS SEASON OF REGENERATED FEELING. It is a beautiful arrangement, derived from days of yore, that this festival which commemorates the announcement of the reign of peace and love, has been made the season for gathering together of family connections, and drawing closer again those bands of kindred hearts, which the cares and pleasures and sorrows of the world are continually operating to cast loose; of calling back the children of the family, « who have launched forth in life, and wandered widely asunder once more to assemble about the parental hearth, that rallying place of the affections, there to grow young and loving again among the endearing mementoes of childhood. There is something in the very season of the year that gives a charm to the festivity of Christmas. At other times we derive a great portion of our pleasures from the same beauties of nature. Our feelings sally forth and dissipate themselves over the sunny landscape, and we "live abroad and everywhere." The song of the bird, the murmur of the stream, the breathing frag- rance of the spring, the soft voluptuous- ness of the summer, the golden pomp of autumn earth with its mantle of refresh- ing green and heaven with its deep, de- licious blue and its cloudy megnificance, all fill us with mute but exquisite delight, and we revel in the luxury of mere sensation. But in the depth of winter when nature lies despoiled of every charm, and wrapped in her shroud of sheeted snow, we turn for our gratification to moral sources. The dreariness and desolation of the landscape, the shart gloomy days and darksome nights while:they circumscribe our wander- ings, shut in our feelings also from ramb- ling abroad, and make us more keenly dis- posed for the pleasure of the Social cirele. Our thoughts are more concentrated; our friendly sympathies more aroused. We feel more sensibly the charm of each other's society, and are. brought more closely together by dependance on each other for enjoyment. Heart calleth unto heart; and we draw our pleasure from the deep wells of loving kindness which lie in the quiet recess of our bosoms; and which, when resorted to, furnish forth the pure elements of domestic felicity. Christmas is a period of delightful ex- citement. It is gratifying to see that home feeling completely aroused which holds so powerful a place in every bosom. The preparation making on every side for the social board that is again to unite friends and kindred; passing and repassing, those tokens of re gard, and quickeners of kind: feelings; the evergreens distributed about houses - and churches, emblems of peace and gladness; all these have the most pleasing effect in producing fond associations, and kindly benevolent sympathies. Amidst the general call to happiness, the bustle of the spirits and stir of the af- fections, which prevail at this period, what bosom can remain insensible? It is, in- deed, the season of regenerated feeling-- the season for kindling not merely the fire of hospitality in the hall but the geniol flame of charity in the heart. WISE KINGS BOW BEFORE KING OF KINGS. It is related in an old tale that out of the East came three men to pay splendid homage to the Savior. Some say these were three of the Magi, but another legend says these were three mighty kings. : The first of the three kings was Melchior, King of Nubia, whose gift was gold; the second, Balthazar, King of Chaldea, who offered incense; and the third was Jasper, King of Tarshish, a man of giant stature and "a black Ethiope" whose gift was myrrh. For the gift of gold was in testimony of His royalty as King of the Jews; the in- cense was a token of his divinity; but the offering of myrrh alluded to the sorrows which in the humiliating condition of a man the Redeemer vouchsafed to take upon Him, The legend says these three kings rode before a gaily-caparisoned train of mules, camels and horses loaded with rich trea- sure, and guarded by -a mighty retinue of warders, glittering with gold and gems, and armed with bright weapons of Damascus steel. For they had heard that He was born who was to be Savior of the World and the King of Kings. And each of these three Kings left his throne that he might hasten to the tiny town of Bethlehem in Judea, there to lay gifts at His feet and worship. To them was given a bright star to guide them, and when they came to Bethlehem they sought out the place where He lay and knelt before Him. And while the time-colored manuscripts are strangely silent on the point, theirs must have been an exaltation of spirit-aid a curious feeling of reverence as these grim rulers of many bowed their stiff necks in homage before the humble Child. Then when their mission was ended back to Tarshish and Chaldea and Nubia went the three, and each again ascended his throne there to meditate on what he had witnessed. For they had been privileged to see a wonder that was to encircle the world, bringing to troubled mankind a new hope, and a spirit of charity and humility and fair dealing. And perhaps they glimpsed dimly that' we today would still follow the custom they established and that we would bear each other gifts in commemoration of their pil= grimage long ago, and each in keeping with his own outlook on life. = And that in so doing we would reawaken and re- kindle within ourselves the loyalty they paid the Child at Bethlehem. Now the origins of this story are lost in the mists of time, and we shall never know whether the three who came out of the East were the "Magi or the three Kings. But today in Cologne Cathedral occasion- ally the heavy doors of a chapel are open- ed, the lamps are lighted illuminating a dazzling wealth of gilded and jeweled sculpture and 'a magnificent reliquary en- riched with gems and enamels where sleep the three Kings, whom many believe once looked upon the Savior. CHRISTMAS LONG AGO Christmas is not. far away, a And we remember long ago We hitched the horses to the sleigh ¥ And gaily drove them o'er the snow, With jingling bells and silver swells Which held a Christmas glow. And mother with her happy smile Had long prepared for Christmas; To make the day worth while. "Neath the old fireplace, The stockings they hung there, And father aged, but happy, In the old arm chair; And mother sweetly singing a grand old Christmas carol-- "Peace on earth, goodwill toward men," Till all joined a melodious choir; And the ones who rose with hope to view Our humble gifts, we were entwined With loving kindness in a way That made us feel that God was kind. We still remember meagre gifts And were satisfied with simple things: Wax candles on a Christmas tree And home-popped corn in crimson strings; The fragrance of spiced cookies that were made to have on hand, And a very large turkey was roasting in the pan And best of all a welcome was hanging o'er the door Made of pines and holly shines which formed an Eastern star. Was there ever such a friendly place? -: - It held us all bound fast; Close to the love of that welcoming face, A home that belongs to the past. --Contributed by C.A., Iroquois. the presents of good cheer The Ottawa Spotlight OTTAWA, Dec. 21st--The volume of our foreign trade continues to be cramped by the short wheat crop of the past season. Our wheat sales there's less to sell. However, the records of our sales of all products in foreign markets make satisfactory reading. For twelve months ending October exports amounted to 1150 million dol- lars compared with 980 million in the previous 12 months, while imports were 794 million compared with 610 million. Exports rose 16 per cent. and imports 30 per cent. Exports showed an increase of 170° million and imports 184 million. Although Canada, being a debtor country, needs a favorable balance of trade, this so-called favorable balance ap- pears to be still too high. Imports from the United States hold a rea- sonable ratio to our exports from that country, but imports from some other countries and particularly from countries of the British Common- wealth are still too low. Exports to British Empire coun- tries in the past twelve months amounted to 512 million dollars and imports from these countries 231 mil- lion, that is less than half. Exports to the United Kingdom were 410 mil- lion and imports 145 million. If we analyze our exports to the United Kingdom it is found that agrieultural and vegetable products (grain being the main item) account for 163 mil- lion dollars; animal and animal pro- ducts (bacon being the largest single commodity) 80 million; wood, and wood products (sawn lumber, the principal item under this head) 43 million, and non-ferrous minerals (copper, nickel, etc.) 94 million dol- lars. The main classes of imports from the United Kingdom were tex- tiles 52 million dollars and iron and its products, covering a wide field of machinery ete., 29 million. In the case of other Empire coun- tries, exports do not always exceed imports. Some tropical and sub- tropical countries which supply us with such commodities as rubber, tea, coffee, sugar and tropical fruits sell us much more than we buy from them. For example the Straits Set- tlements sold us last year 15 million dollars worth and bought from us 2 and a half million. Our sales to British Guiana were one million and a half and our purchases from this South American British country were between 5 and 6 million. Our exports to Jamaica were 4 million and our imports 6-million. From British India our imports were 9 million while our exports were a little over 4 and a half million. With our sister balance of trade favors Canada pretty strongly. In the case of Australia exports were 31 million, imports 12 million; South Africa ex- ports 17 million, imports 7 million; New Zealand exports 15 million and imports 8 million, all figures being taken to the nearest million dollars. In proportion, however, imports from these dominions rose more sharply than exports to them during the past year. In the case, for ex- ample, of New Zealand imports rose $3,380,000 nearly 80 per cent. while exports increased $3,117,000, a gain of about 35 per cent. With South Africa also not only was the per- centage increase in imports much larger than in'exports but in actual dollars and cents the gain in imports was greater. Our trade figures with the United States show exports of 486 million compared with 892 million in the previous year, while imports from that country were 477 million com- pared with 351 million. This rapid increase gives ground for satisfac- tion. It attests the advantage of our trade pact with the United States. The new pact now projected with the United States will probably further stimulate trade. It is good for our consuming public to get goods cheap- er; it helps farmers and other pro- ducers by giving them wider markets for their products. But the situa- tion also gives rise to thoughts of the future. What about the dislo- cation in business in case another government coming into power at Washington should cancel or serious- ly amend the agreement? Does this growing trade increase our economic dependence on the United States? What about our other markets? Is there a danger that we are putting too many eggs in one basket? Are we in danger of losing our important markets in other countries = unless our imports from those countries in- crease? The situation gives food for earnest thought. It would seem as if we must not let down on our ef- forts to increase our trade through- out the world, both on the export and import line. dominions the KEEPING TREE FRESH of the (Christmas decoration, it will remain fresh and green for at least a week longer. Water should be replaced as it evaporates. If the base of a (Christmas tree is 'trimmed stem to the living «cells hich ard still trying to provide the tree with food and moisture. Spruce and fir retain their needles "longer than most other (Christmas trees. THE REAL SANTA CLAUS This 'Christmas spirit is the real Santa Claus--a spirit ~ that is uni- versal--that grows stronger with the vears--that brings out the. best in us--a spirit that is made up of kindly thought and deeds, of hallow- ed memories and of "Good Will" to all. are smaller than last year because]: with a sharp knife just before it is mounted, 'the pores will be left open, allowing water to rise in the' WOMEN ADVENTURERS By Claris Edwin Silcox Last Flight:___By Amelia Earhart: (Toranto: George J. McLeod). Price, $2.75. And Then the Storm: By Sister Monica: (Toronto: Longmans). Price, $3.00. Here are two very different books by American women. One is by the late distinguished aviatrix; the other by an Ursuline nun.: Both narrate adventure well worth reading. "LAST FLIGHT". Amelia Earhart was a vivacious tomboy with an inherent joie de vivre and a strangely unfeminine love of machinery "even though it involved grimy hands. Her unkempt hair in- vited Wm. Allen White's editorial advice: "You certainly need to comb your hair; now is the time to get the tangles out and give it a good straightening. So in the long, lone watches over the gray and melan- choly ocean, comb your head, kid, comb your head." She had intended her book to be called "World Flight," but that was made impossible by the silence of the South Pacific. As she completed various laps in her journey, she des- patched the log of her airship, the "Electra," together with other inter- esting bits of description to her hus- band, George Putnam. This continued up to her departure from Lae in New Guinea for Howland Island--never reached! Her husband edited these reports with remarkable skill, and while certain sections reveal the somewhat piecemeal method of com- position, the book does reveal in the ensemble a very extraordinary and debonair personality. In the introductory chapter she tells how she became interested in flying. Canadians will learn that an important episode in her flying career took place in 1918 at the Ca- national National Exhibition. With a friend, she was watching some stunt flying when the aviator tried deliberately to frighten them by swooping down upon them. She says: "that little red airplane said some- thing to me as it swished by." One suspects if she may not also have said something to that little red airplane! The book contains some outstand- ing details of her major flights, in- cluding shrewd observations on countries and peoples visited enroute. Thus she watches the innate dignity of African natives and asks: "What have we in the U.S. done to these proud people, so handsome and intel- ligent in the setting of their own country?" In another compact sen- tence she gives us the significance of Singapore. In at least one passage she reveals an unusual sensitivity to beauty. She is flying over Northern Brazil and has climbed above ' the clouds and the rain into fair weather. The aviator can find the weather he wants, she says, at one level or an- other. She can see the slanting rain beneath him. "AND THEN THE STORM" Sister Monica went to Spain from the U.S. to examine the source ma- terial for a life of Francisco de To- ledo, the great Viceroy of Spain in the New World. Her researches carried her to Madrid, Seville (where the Archives of the Indies are stored) Avila famed for Santa Teresa, To- ledo (where she witnessed the Mo- zarabic rite), Valla-adolid and Palos, whence Columbus sailed. Only those who have themselves known the charm of Spain may appreciate the delicate descriptions of the author who is always simpatica. There are many Spanish phrases in the book and the reader unfamiliar with Spanish may often wish for a gloss- ary, but Sister Monica has caught and imparted the beauty and mys- tery of Spain while, on the whole, she has not been uncritical of the culture which fascinates her. In dealing with the revolution, her sympathies are obviously with the rebels, and many of her readers will find themselves unable to follow her in her expositions of the role played by the Catholic Church in Spain. Nevertheless, they do well to read her interpretation. Spain is to most Anglo-Saxons and to almost all Protestants an enigma. To understand it, one must know the history of its cultural de- velopment. As Sister Monica says: "infuse into this Celt-Iberian stock, Greek blood, then some Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman; on this base lay a superstructure of Gothic Christian and of Saracen Mohammed- If a Christmas tree is set in water |anism, and how shall you name the when it first comes into the house |result? Poverty, squalor, discase, and is kept in water while it is part|vice, filth, decay may abound, as in BOOKS THAT MATTER A Weekly Feature Furnished by the Assoc'n. of Canadian Bookmen and the Weekly Newspapers' Assoc'n. all quasi-oriental districts, but ro- mance will spring out of the sky's radiance, the air's languor, the gor- geousness of soil' and vegetation, clothing it like a vine with beauty." We North Americans need to read such interpretations of Spain as this, for we must not forget that it was Spain and Portugal who laid the foundations of European civilization in the New World. = Theirs was a great culture, but somewhere there was a fatal flaw. Was it the indi- vidualism of Spanish character? Was it religious intolerance and fanati- : cism? Was it the climate? Was it the sheer greed of the landed gentry? Was it the gold and silver of Peru- vian mines which corrupted the original Spanish virtues? Who knows? We doubt if Sister Monica can give us the real answer to this ques- tion, but she does give us s0 much else for which we are thankful that we overlook what may be her own inevitable partialities. Her book con- firms our longfelt suspicion that Catholic education in the U.S. is destined to produce some outstand- ing writers in the immediate future, They have a sense of form, and a delicate sensitivity to certain realities of the spirit which too many of the realists do not understand. But we are not hopeful about the future in Spain. Sister Monica concludes: "it is not forgotten how Spain's un- readiness for new conditions lost to her her colonies; her present un- readiness may strike deep at the root of her national faith." We think it will, no matter who wins, but whose is the responsibility? NIGHT BEST TIME TO VISIT DENTIST "Go to the dentist around 6 p.m. It hurts less than during any other hour of the day!" This is the quintessence of years of scientific research on what is called the "rhyttm of the day" by Dr. K. Jores, of (Berlin University. Dr. Jores investigated meticulous ly and with a large number of people the fluctuations the human organism is subjected to in the course of one day and discovered that they proceed in certain periods and intervals or with a certain rhythm, Thus, the young scholar, for in- stance, established for first time that blood pressure, respiration and the functioning of quite a number of organs proceed in circles of de- finitely fixed rhythms, which were recorded day by day and for every two hours. fia Based on these experiments, Dr. Jores in co-operation with Dr. Frees a dentist, investigated the sensi- bility of the 'tooth merves over the period of 24 hours, and with eclock- like regularity, carge to the resuld that the nerves react best and cause, less 'pain in the late afternoon hours around 6 p.m. while remaining mosb indifferent during the middle morn- ing hours beginning around 9 a.m. The sense of smell in birds is not very acute. It is doubtful if this sense is of much use to them. ogy v LISTEN... on Friday ht | CANADA-193/ IMPERIAL TOBACCO'S INSPIRING PROGRAM FRIDAY 10 P.M. E.S.T. stations CBO-CBM REDUCED RAIL FARES NEW YEAR'S iy nm ro 8 FOR THE ROUND TRIP I Good going Thursday, Dec. 80th until 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 2nd. Returnin 30 leave destination not later than Monday, Jan. 3rd, 1938. I FARE AND A THIRD GS FOR THE ROUND TRIP > "4 Good going Tuesday, Dec. 21st until Sunday, Jan. 2nd, inclusive. Return limit to leave destination not later than t Friday, Jan. 7th, 1938, Full information from any agent. CANADIAN NATIONAL THE RUSSELL LEADER Makes An Ideal Christmas Gift FOR FRIEND OR RELATIVE AT A DISTANCE BRINGING AS IT DOES--WEEK BY WEEK--THE LATEST AND MOST COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF NEWS EVENTS OF RUSSELL VILLAGE AND VICINITY. those 'away from home with this regular weekly letter. Just say the: word and we will make certain that "that certain someone' re- ceives their home paper--accompanied by a suitable gift card with your name attached--on Christmas Day---and for 52 weeks after. Gladden the hearts of bot