Wheatland Weekly Watchword (Wheatland, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 29, 1910 Page: 3 of 8
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« m Hr & B ? r-.:r r-S5 =»i s B * ^ «t .^6 a v • jr — ? jus-T
■ad th« dlvlalon of the Kingdom. B. C.
FLACE-ltehoboam'* capital «u at
Jerusalem. The Disruption occurred at
Sbeohem. which waa the first capital of
iho northern kingdom, and the metropolis
of Ephraim, tt eras *0 mils# directly north
of Jerusalem, between Mounts Ebal and
Oeristm. IZ.......- _ " _ *r *~
m. it was n miles directly north
_______ Here were Tocated Incidents In
the lives of Abraham. Jacob, Joseph, and
Joshua. Close by, doubtless as a part of
the larger town, were Jacob's well and
■yehar where Jesus talked with the ha-
marl tan woman. And there is now the
seat of the Samaritans, the smallest re-
ligious sect la the world.
This lesson covers the story of Bo
hoboaxn, and how ho lost n kingdom.
It Is the story of a reckless, entrain-
ed, conceited young man, and bis com-
ing Into the real business of his Ilfs.
He was the heir to n throne, and his
name means “Enlarger of the people,"
expressing the hope of hts father for
his son. The son disappointed theae
hopes, and becams the “Dimlnlsber of
his people.” Alas tor such boys to
day!
Hts father waa Solomon. His moth-
er Naamah. a young heathen princess
of tbs kingdom of Ammon on the bor-
der of the desert east of tbs Jordan.
She was ons of many wives of Solo-
mon.
**»hoboam seems to have been the
natural heir to the throne. Judah so
cepted him. But as la the case of
than taught.
The Stout Student—I reckon yoo’m
right. Ton tench me, hut I feed say*
self. _
What Imp rasa ad Him.
H. W. Child, president of the Tel-,
lowstone Park association, want to
Europe two or three years ago aa£
had for a companion a man Interested
In the hotel business. They traveled
over Europe, Investigating hotal and
commissary problems to soma extant,
and finally arrived In Roma. They
went Into St. Peter’s end stood be-
neath the dome. "Welir’ said Child,
"here It is: Hare's the dome". The
hotel man took one look forward.
Than he turned to Child end naked!
“Hew much did that man In London
any ba wanted tor them hamsr*
_ EW TSAR’S day among ,
, j M/J& the Japanese Is not-'- *
only the duy that be- ^
iE"SS gins a year, but it la, ^
I( I In the highest sente of
the words, le Jour de /
‘ 'S&£! l’an—their “day of the * ,
(M U I year.” Preparation tor
fl*/ It begins early In De-
yjl cember. The Amerl- f<
l mi can Christmas shopper, ^
j \Kr if landed In Tokyo In ^
X mid-December, would j
find crowds of her I
brothers and sisters in spirit throng- <
,ng In shops decorated with the .most -
attractive symbolic ornamentations
and displaying with great skill the
things most requisite for the coming
holiday time. At night', along tha ,
easts the other end over n
screen. Hidden, players attach
some gift to the free end of the
rope, whereby often the beet of
fun comes, because of the
prises drawn.
But this great day of begin-
nings for Japan, with lie idling and rnanv plana-
urea, at last cornea to a dose. On tha second day
of the year the duty of work le oelebrated. In the
home the children strive to show to their parents
the best they can do In penmanship or In memory
of things to be learned. Girls try their first orna-
mental needlework or piece of music; merchants
open their shops with a
first goods tor the year.
nwe^ted specimens of the trade, of their muter.,
Heavily loaded wagons, V V’ ***!
that Is, ot
I “month” and
Dr. Pierce’s Pellets, small, sugarcosted,
•sty to take as candy, regulate and invig-
orate etomach, liver aad bowels. Ds eot
gripe- _
When the virtues are only on the
surface they easily find vociferous
evaporation.
show of receiving their
______________On the street many pro-
cessions of eoolles are seen bearing beautifully or-
namented specimens of the trades ot their masters.
Heavily loaded wagons, brilliantly decorated with
lanterns, flags end advertisements, drawn by oxen
covered with many colored cloths, pass from dis-
trict to district, accompanied by singing aad dan©-
ing workmen.
Toward the evening of the second day street
peddlers, crying “Treasure ships for sale!" go
about among the crowds. They sell rough draw-
ings of the “Seven Gods of Happiness,” afloat In
a boat Multitudes buy these caricatures of an
ancient sacred group, much as we might buy a
pictured Santa Claua. That night the “treasure
ship” must lie under one’s pillow. The dreams
that come then mean much for the rest of tha
opening year.
On the third day of the New Tear the firemen
of the towns have their annual parade and giva
public exhibitions ot acrobatic skiU In many places.
These exhibitions are no mean shows. Some of
the performers display an agile ability In climbing,
balancing and leaping that is of an extraordinarily
high order.
Indeed, all the days of the first fortnight of the
new year are red letter days, until the flfteenUi
day comes, when seemingly a moat comical end-
ing of the whole festal season takes place. The
people after that settle down to the commonplace
order of regular dally labor. The Japanese people
at the present time do not take this dosing event
more seriously to heart than we of this land now
regard tha ride of Tam O’Shanter; hut, theoreti-
cally. the Inhabitants of the infernal regions dur-
ing the first fortnight of the new year have as
merry a good time as the people of this world. On
the fifteenth day, however, the instruments of tor-
ture In hell begin to work again. On this day It
la that the temples consecrated to Emma O, tha
king of Hades, are crammed with devotees and
gather large sums of offerings from fearful tin-
ners. It Is a wonderful eight, a temple of Emma O
in mid-January, In one of the great cities. A Ro-
man carnival could not he more Jostling, Jolly or
absurdly funny. Japanese fun making la at Its
When the house-
hold awakens on J&nu-
' ary 1 every member of
the family seeks the
others to say “Omede-
gij^. P! wl to" (Congratulation).
j \ I And then an exchange
1 \ of presents like our
Christmas giving be-
gins. The New Year
breakfast fa a feast of
symbolism and of good wishes. The New Y<eart
wine, too, la passed around, with the wish that
everyone may drink along with the cup a long,
long life. A eoup containing a peculiar rice paste,
mocht, la eaten by all, each one wishing the
others ten thousand years of pleasure and pros-
perity. Then the household prepare for a day
of festivity. The busy broom and bamboo duster
are left idle all the day, for fear that they might
sweep out of the house the divine freshness that
has come Into It All the chops remain closed
from dawn until the next day. It la the day of
the home and of social happiness. There Is no
“Christmas tree” as the center of the Japanese
New Year celebration inside the house, but there
Is the Kagaml mochi or “mirror rice cakes” that
are made as conspicuous as the “trec.*^ Thme
cakes represent t_------1 —~
TBIUW CLOTHES AM OTIIOintT.
Keep them white with Red Crpee Bril Blue.
All grocer* tell large 2 os. package, 0 seats,
You do not lift tha world by rolling
up your eyes.
PlrrsSvi
her cave in the olden time. For eleven days these
cakes remain decorated with fruits and flowers,
elevated on whitewood trays. Then they form
part of a family feasting..
Throughout Japan the New Year’s day la the
one complete holiday of the year. Soon After
breakfast all the members of the families, dressed
in their newest clothes, take to the gardens, parks
and streets tor characteristic pleasurings. Uni-
versal visiting Is a social law—calling on friends
and relatives In person or by card. Universal
gift making Is Indulged In, messengers being
sent hearing presents all around the household
and friendly circles. Distinctive and exclusive
games also belong to the New Year time. Battle-
dore and shuttlecock la probably chief amonr
them. In certain parts of Tokyo, for example,
streets are almost Impassable because of the
hosts of the players of this game. As far as one
can see, the scene Is one of bewildering color
from the stir of the dresseB of the girls, who are
as active in their sport as so many of our tennis
players. Gayly ornamented battledores flash ev-
erywhere, and the*air Is full of the bright, flutter-
ing toys that are struck from one to another
player. Penalty for defeat usually means gro-
tesque markings of the face with strokes of char-
coal Ink. One may see thousands of children
merry under the comical markings imposed upon
their foreheads and cheeks.
Kite flying Is another peculiar New Year pas-
time. And kite flying In Japan Is a sight well
worth going far to see. The variety of shape, the
gorgeousness of coloring, the extraordinary size
of many of these toys. Is something peculiar to
the Japanese. Then the skill shown In maneu-
vering the kites Is marvelous. They hum as they
sway In the January breeze with a sort of organ-
pipe volume of sound, and, at times, they swoop
down upon antagonist fliers, like hawks, and,
with their glass-dust-covered cords cut their ene-
mies free, thus making them the property of
their own masters. There Is hardly a more fas-
cinating spectacle than one of these friendly bat-
tles in the air of Japanese kites, under the guid-
ance of the skilled men who manage them.
Another distinctive enterUlnment,for the New
Year celebration is furnished by groups of masked
performers who go about the streets led by a
curious anlmal-llke creature, whose grotesque
lion-head excites much mock terror among chil-
dren. The antics ot these motley crowds are
supposed to exorcise evil spirits from the Japan-
ese homes, as well as to add gayety to the do
Inga of the day. Many other unique ceremonies
take place on the first day; too many for an at
tempt to describe them here.
But we may not pass by the old card parties
of the New Year evenings; the matchings of the
beginnings and ends of the "hundred songs of a
hundred singers.” From one January to another
this game is not Indulged in; but at the opening
of the year It la the chief sport kept tor the even-
ings, whole families becoming absorbed In It It
Is a contest of memory and of quickness at die-
covering In cards laid out before a group of play-
ers the end of a poem whose opening lines have
been read by a leader. It la astonishing to see
the mental skill that many of the players have
acquired.
One more exciting New Year game deserves
nentlon, tha fortune lotteries. la these home
lotteries oae takes MM of the sad of a rope aad
your tents, O Israel. Back to your
homes and prepare for war.
Every young man has a kingdom la
his own soul. He may throw It away
—half of it or all of It, In tha asms
way Rehoboam did, fooUahly follow-
ing his headstrong will. Or, he may
take the advice of wise men and the
Bible, and become monarch of all
the royal possibilities God has placed
In his lUe.
already
formed.
One’a character.
Is a powerful factor In all emergen-
cies of choice and decision. There is
no time to prepare a new character.
Rehoboam had formed the habit ot
taking bad adyice when It fitted hie
inclination, and so he took It at his
Ufa’s crisis.
On his return to Jerusalem Reho-
boam assembled an army of 180,000
men to compel the seceding tribes to
But a prophet forbade the
out of her hiding place. But In vain did they
appear, until. In a dance they had arranged, she
waa induced by a taunt that touched her vanity
to open the door of her self-chosen dungeon. One
of the gods then drew her forth, and, to-prevent
her running back into the cave, stretched a straw
rope across the entrance The perpetual shining
of the sun, secured thereby, remains memorial-
ized in the garlanded barrier hanging above each
Jnnanese portal at New Year’s time.
Among the most noticeable and significant ob-
jects ornamenting these doorway arches Is a scar-
let lobster, embedded among some branches of a
bush whose old leaves remain unshed until after
the young leaves have budded. The lobster's
crooked body tells of old age bent with years,
while the bush branches around it show how
parents remain even while children and chil-
dren’s children may come Into being. In the
same decoration fronds of fern aro placed, whose
pairs of leaves lymbollze wedded life. The or-
ange, whose color brightens the clustered sym-
bols, bears a name which, as a pi\n, means “gen-
erations,” and tells of family perpetuity. Sear
weed is there, too. as a memorial of good fortune,
commemorating also the prehistoric conquest of
Korea by the Empress Jingo. Her troops were In
danger of defeat because their horses on the Ko-
rean seashore were starving from lack of food.
But, by Inspiration, she ofdered seaweed to be
plucked from the waters of the beach and given
to the horses, who then were so Invigorated that
they carried their riders to glorious victory.
Gohel white bands of paper wave over the gar-
lands of the doorway arches symbolic of the an-
cient offerings that have won the favor of “the
myriad gods."
After busy weeks of preparation at last the
closing day of the year comes. On New Year’s
eve the whole country .Is astir and every place
that needs a light for use or beauty Is brightened.
All through that night the people stay out of bed
to see the old year pass and to welcome the new.
Merchants do not go to bed until the dawn of
New Year’s day. A11 the business accounts of
the closing year must be settled that night, and
In ©very sense of the word the year be begun
afresh among those Japanese who are guided by
the old social order. All things are made new.
Bad luck, bad feelings, unsettled debts, are all
to he done away with and a new chapter of life
opened, filled with happy prospects The com-
plete renewal of old fashioned Japanese life at
the New Tear Is well shown In one of the names
the day hears. Ban Gan. "The Three Begin-
return. _ _
movement in the name of the Lord.
Rehoboam’s goodness* was but the
early cloud and the morning dew. As
soon as he was firmly established, he
returned to his old ways, and “forsook
the law of the Lord." The deteriora-
tion of his character and his king-
dom was symbolized by the change
from the shields of gold which Sola
mon bad made for his palace armory,
but which Shishak took away, and
which Rehoboam replaced by ahlelds
of brass.
This deterioration continued two
years, when God used another Instru-
mentality for making Rehoboam
good. In his fifth year Sblshak, the
Pharaoh of Egypt, came up with
1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and
an uncounted number of common sol-
diers. They captured the city of
Judah, devastated the country, and
carried away the treasures Solomon
had stored In the temple and In hla
palace, and the golden shields In hla
armory. 8hlshak left an inscrlpti
on the walls of Karnak In Egypt giv-
ing an account of this invasion. Tha
prophet Shemaiah Interpreted the
meaning of this calamity; and king
and princes humbled themselves, con-
fessed their sins, and promised to do
better.
The Lord therefore delivered them.
Rehoboam continued to reign; and
though his kingdom was not destroy-
ed, yet it was far from what It might
have been, for "he did evil, because
he prepared not his heart to seek the
Lord."
God’s principles are everlasting, but
the forms of their application vary
with every variation of circum-
stance.
As patriots, what Is there in our
country, that we wi. h to have go down
the agerf as a blest-it g? and wbst M
•here that we rfcould give our nhot*
<> -1 to rhuiigtng ot b.o; lt:g o .t?
No sirce,—I never saw
anything stop a cough
like Simmon*’ Cough Syr*
up. I use it every time
1 catch cold and it has
never failed to do the
work. It prevents pneu-
monia and consumption.
Price 25c and 50c. All
Drug Stores. Manufac-
tured by A. B. Richards
Medicine Co^ Sherman, Tex.
To the New Year
Oh child New Year, on whom the mantle falls
Of the departing year, who leaves to thee.
The labors, tasks, the duties and the calls
Which are the heirlooms of the past, to be
A precious trust the heritage of time,
How will thou face the future all alone?
How front the foes of sin, and vice, and crime,
Which muster round with force and might un-
known?
Take courage, child of time, be not dismayed,
Equip thyself with faith and hope and love,
and seek for strength and wisdom from above;
With these to help thee, never be afraid.
Go forth with gladness on thine untrod way.
And strength will come to thee from day to day.
E. D. NALDER.
SINGLE
snwiuggeiiu
Yea Fay
ter Cigna*
To the New Year
and the Old Friends
The moon wanes pale In the sky.
And the stars all blink tor morn;
The old year is to die.
And the new year to he born.
We have passed through the vale of team.
We have trod the Journey long.
We have shared our hopes and team.
We have shared our grief and song;
And we’ve shared them all with our old Mead*
Our true friends, our few friends.
And we’ll drain aaew to oar old friends.
The friends that am always true.
—Henry Christopher Christie, la Smart Bet
wishes. They ohm the t
aourlsh the bedy, give at
DEVELOP FLESH.
Dr. Tirtt Mmahcthfh
■mm
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Browne, T. Wheatland Weekly Watchword (Wheatland, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 29, 1910, newspaper, December 29, 1910; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc937707/m1/3/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.