The dinner over, all gathered about the blazing logs, whereupon each in turn made a contribution of song or story for the general entertainment, as previously requested to do in the invitation.

One quoted Lady Morgan's authority for saying that in Italy the peasants go about on Christmas Eve and serenade the carpenters' shops, in honour of Joseph, together with many odd Christmas customs in other lands. Another told the story of Beowulf-the subject of the earliest Saxon epic, a favourite Christmas tale at medieval firesides. A young girl sang the ballad of "The Mistletoe Bough" in a sweet, vibrant voice, and some one else told a ghost story that held all spellbound.

Before the merry party separated they all joined in singing a carol. The candles had burned low, and in the mellow light of the fire the solemnity of the season and its gracious meaning began to steal into their hearts. The feeling gave expression to their voices as they sang of Him who thought to touch the heart of humanity by sending His message of reconciliation by the hand of a little human child.

A CHRISTMAS GHOST PARTY

FOR CHRISTMAS EVE

The veil that separates the realm of spirits from that of mortals has always been held by reverent tradition -not to say superstition-to be thinner on Christmas Eve than at any other time of the year. Ghosts are said to revisit their old haunts and homes; hence the Christmas custom of relating stories of spectral visitants.

A phantom reunion is therefore appropriate to the day.

It is requested that each fair phantom wear
a winding-sheet

The walls of the room in which the spectres assemble should be hung with white cheese-cloth, and all lights screened with white paper shades lined with blue, tc give a more ghastly effect, to which burning alcohol containing a pinch of salt will contribute.

The ghosts arrive, draped in sheets, with pillow-cases about their heads, wearing white masks and gloves. At the appearance of each female phantom the hostess says "Sh-h-h!" which all the guests repeat, but upon the arrival of a man spirit a dolorous groan is his welcome, and is taken up by the rest of the company. They move noiselessly about the room, never speaking above a sepulchral whisper. If a "graveyard" cough can be managed at intervals, the effect will be appreciated.

Each apparition must wear a distinctive mark on his or her forehead-a splash of blood-red paint, a bone attached to the top of the mask, the picture of a spade, a skull-anything gruesome. With these they are

solemnly invested as they pass from the dressing-room, and a card, with pencil attached, is given to each.

They are expected to guess one another's identity, in spite of all efforts to foil detection, and the names are to be noted on the card, accompanied by his or her special mark by way of signature.

At the sound of a bell slowly and solemnly tolled the guests add their signatures to their cards, which they then drop into a box draped with black.

If, in placing the cards within it, a slight electric shock could be delivered from a small hidden battery, the uncanny effect would be emphasised.

The one whose card bears the greatest number of correct guesses may have a prize, and another be presented. to the one who has best concealed his identity.

An occasional waltz is danced to the slowest possible accompaniment of muffled music, but square dances are most appropriate if walked through with the solemn stateliness befitting the ideal ghost.

A bell is slowly tolled to announce supper, served at eleven o'clock or before, on plain white dishes, the table decorated with white flowers. The menu may keep to ghostly white consisting of clam bouillon or creamed. oysters, chicken salad, sandwiches, angel cake, kisses, vanilla ice-cream, peppermints, and other white bonbons.

The guests unmask at supper, return to human, fleshly habitations, and are as merry as they please.

To be so absorbed in frolic as to ignore entirely the great event commemorated on the "holy night" would be to carry fun too far.

Upon returning to the drawing-room (from which all suggestions of gruesomeness are removed) after supper, the lights may be turned down, and after the solemn

tolling of midnight a voice from an unseen singer may thrill the auditors with the stirring notes of Adam's Cantique de Noël," which seem to be the very utterance of the herald-angel. Or Gounod's "Messe Solennelle" on piano or organ would be most impressive, and with its triumphant proclamation would make an effective climax.

A CHRISTMAS DINNER

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS

The accounts that have come down to us of the feasts and revels of the olden days-"giving time a tongue"are full of suggestions for our own merrymakings.

Good cheer is inseparable from the thought of Christmas, so the fittest form of hospitality is perhaps a dinner, followed by a gathering about a "roaring" wood firethe nearest approach to a Yule-log available-where songs, stories, anecdotes, legends, and ghostly tales are exchanged and enjoyed in the sympathetic glow. A country house is the ideal setting for such festivities.

The Christmas spirit, however, may find entrance anywhere, and a modern city dining-room may be transformed into a bower with boughs of hemlock, pine, laurel, box, and holly, and with a few small Christmas trees in the windows and corners will give one quite a sense of remoteness from our prosaic century.

"The world is very young for its age," and, like the children, we like to "make believe."

The table should be lighted with candles only-white or scarlet-but without shades. These, with the fire, will give just the soft radiance that pleases both the eye and the imagination.

In the centre of the table, with a generous mass of holly forming a mound at its base, a tiny Christmas tree

may stand, lighted up with many small tapers and hung with little gifts, to be distributed as souvenirs at the close of the feast. Various small articles in silver may be had at trifling cost, and if marked with the initials of the guests, will show a personal thought for each that never fails to please. With crystals the tips of the little boughs may be made to glitter like icicles. The effect is produced by dipping the tips in a saturated solution of alum and allowing them to remain for some hours, when the alum will have crystallised about the branches in a charming manner. Strings of cranberries, or holly berries, gilded nuts, and tiny Japanese lanterns may further adorn the little tree.

Artificial trees, too, cleverly made, may be had, but if preferred a large, round basket filled with holly and tied about with wide scarlet ribbon may be substituted, or a star-shaped centrepiece may be used.

A tiny Yule-log makes a unique and appropriate decoration for the centre of the table. It should be sixteen inches long, the bark lichen-stained if possible, and hollowed out so as to be filled to overflowing with holly. Graceful ropes of foliage may be suspended from the chandelier in festoon effect and held near the edge of the table by a sprig of holly tied with a scarlet bow.

In the "colour scheme" scarlet should be introduced, as much as possible, as presenting the gayest contrast with the foliage. Sugar-almonds are made with the brightest of red covering, and for the sake of their colour may form the top layer on a dish of more toothsome confections. Scarlet icing on cake, though coloured with harmless cochineal, is apt to be regarded with suspicion, but candied or crystallised cherries on the white sugar will give a bright touch of colour.

No fruit more choice than highly polished red apples