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T H E MERCIAD Published at M ercyhurst College. Erie. Pe nnsylvania

VOL. XII JANUARY, 1942 NUMBER THREEj W e r r p C l r t e t m a g = H a p p p J H e t o g e aGlory t o th e N e wB o r n K i n g

Bells from majestic c h u r c hspires proclaim the glorious event.Pure white snowflakes drift earthwards enveloping us in a blanketof serenity as the strains of SilentNight, Holy Night linger in thecrisp midnight air. How piercingmust have been the cold of tha tfirst Christmas Eve. This Christmas Eve of 1941 finds us, Mercyhurst students, each in her hometown, which tonight might wellfbeanother Bethlehem, at peace withGod|and His world, approa chingthe church to rejoice in the jbirthof the Saviour at Midnight Mass.True, tonight the world is at warbut we ourselves are at peacein the Christ Child's Love. Weturn to Him at Midnight Mass notas a refuge, an escape from misery, but as a source of Courageand Hope.Humbly, -yes, almost tremulously, we approach^ the Crib andkneel with others much youngerand still others much older thanj ourselves, all united in silent adorat ion. We realize that with th ishumble Infant lies the wholeworld's only hope for peaceandto Him we offer our earnest prayersprayers of intermingled ado-r a t i on, contrition, thanksgiv ingand supplication. And in our awkward j way we aspire to Mary 's

love,"She held Him close again sther breast ,And in the midnight, adorationfusedWith human love."Rejoicing then, we particip ate inthe beautiful pageant of this Midnight Mass. The choir boys raisetheir childlike voices in beautifulhymns of praise, the regal incensewafts towards the church's vaulteddome, and even the myriads ofbright candles seem to try to excel each other's brilliance in an attempt to honor Him.

Devoutly the white-robed priestbegins, "I will go to the altar ofGod" and devoutly we follow himthanking the Almighty for theprivilege . . . "Glory to God in thehighest. And on earth peace tomen of good will. We praiseThee. We bless Thee. We adoreThee. We glorify T hee." . . .Through the Gospel we hear the(Continued on Page 2)

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Co 3U tfje peopleA SHORT STORY

At last the house had been setin order. It had been a distasteful task and Rebecca felt thepains of effort in her back andlimbs. All the day she had cleaned,garnished and carried huge wooden casks of water from the well tothe inn. This task of being servant in a country inn was littlebetter than s lavery. The girlstood strong and erect. In her, onesensed stren gth and also grace.Long black hair hung to her wais t ;a paleness of complexion made theintense blackness of her eyesstart l ing. Something about them o u t h showed dissatisfaction;shapely and red it was, but notgiven often to smiling.Standing in the middle of thekitchen she saw tha t t he caskswere again empty. Her brow wasbeaded with sweat and her limbsfelt lifeless. Jus t at this jjmomentReva, the mistress of the inn, appeared at the door."Rebecca, why has t thou nottended the water barrels ? Thouar t a lazy, shiftless girl. Go, beoff to th e we ll!" Her puffed,swarthy face was dis torted withmalicious anger . "T h o u didstcome to me sniveling'We haveno food, Imy old fathe r lies at

death 's door.l Give me labor thatI may help him.' This is the thanksi lget." Her voice died from Rebecca's ears as she closed theheavy door behind.The night air was good. It cooledthe fevered brow and carried withit a peace. Often the girl hadcome out into the dark to be swallowed up and to hide from hermistress ' lashing tongue. T h ecasks were heavy and the stoneshur t her swollen, bruised feet.Long ago she had learned to turna deaf ear to the scoldings of theinn-keeper's wife. After f i v eye a r s , one learns to put up withanything, especially if one has no-(Continued on Page 8)

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You've Held LoveMadonna of!moonbeams,Lady of light,Joyous, but grave,On a cold winter's night. $Joseph, attentive,Burdened with care,Gives thanks for the stableThough it's cold and so bare.The Little One's sleeping,But tight is each fistClosed over the spotThat His Mother just kissed."Stable of Beth'lem,"Said the Star from above,"You'll no longer be scornedFor this night you've held LOVE."

REULLrich

f)e Mxti t Xmag&ton>And it came to pass that in thosedays there went out a decree fromCaesar Augustus , that the \wholeworld should be enrolled.This enrolling was first madeby Cyrinus, the governor of Syria.And all went to be enrolled,every one into his own city. 'fr-filAnd Joseph! a l so ! went up fromGallilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; be

cause he was of the house andfamily of David, I d^GflRjTo be enrolled with Mary hisespoused wife, who was with child.And it came to pass, that whenthey were there her days were accomplished that she should be delivered. */fiflHwAnd she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up inswaddling clothes,'and laid him ina manger; because there wa s I noroom for them in the inn. 9 S H RAnd there i were in | th e I samecountry shepherds wat ching ,! andkeeping, the night-watch es overtheir flock. 1 > i ^ ^ ^ ^HAnd behold an angel of the Lordstood by them, and the brightnessof God!shone round about them,and they feared with a great fear.And|the angel said to * th em :Fear not; for, behold,H bring yougood tidings of gr eat joy, th atshall be to all the people. pA **-.For: This day is , born to you J aSAVIOUR, who is Christ theLord, in the city of David.!,And a this shall be a sign untoyou: You shall!findfthe infantwrapped in swaddling clothes, andla id fin a manger.And suddenly there was withthe angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God andsay in g :Glory to God in the highest;and on earth peace to men of goodwill. |And it came to pass after the(Continued on Page 4)

Cjrtetma* iUug&tA SHORT STORY

Deftly her gloved fingers slippedthe dime -into the slot as shewatched the flame in the altar cupleap heavenward. :j&stS& W, '5|j"Good St. Anne, please send mea man," she breathed. p | ^ ^ R Pvj Coming out of the cathedral fin-to the five o'clock rush of shoppersandf recently I liberated I workers ,Faith stood still j a', j minute, hercheeks pink I with embarrassmentovei what she had just done. Fiveyears agothree 1 y e a r s ! agoshewould have laughed at the idea ofpraying for Launcelot and friendhorse. I What would the gang thinkof her, the confirmed bachelor-to-be-by-choice of I her crowd ? j Incollege she had always laughed ormade one of her characteristicallycaustic remarks whenever one ofthe girls, dewey-eyed, would beginto talk about THEMAN. It wasshe, and a group of like souls, whoused to chant] above the heads ofthose | W h o ^ . had ^found TRUELOVE 5 * "?H^^H Good St. Anne jffpBBBBIJHBBHB Send me a man H B P B S S H SBBffM 'Mn-t any!kind l|fiiS&f8JKpB H B H So long as he's mine. K&lpKn Well, it 1 was done, r Maybe thegood Saint wasn't listening at thet ime, or, I bette r still, maybe sheundersood thatfyou could changeyour mind, change your whole setof values, and still not loose face.Losing face was very important toFaithit was probably the reasonwhy she still had her job in a firmwhere each year a group of younger girls came to replace the rathertired-looking "old guard." s A representative male in all? respects ,her employer wanted a combinat ion! of iyouth andf beauty plusability Jin his office. |F |ve yearsago Faith was the logical answerto his requirements, and! so [shewas installed fat the first desk inthe office.! T h i s ! was the] ONEPLACE to be because it was well-known that only the Jmost beautiful! girls in the firm were placedthere; said employer feeling that K B (Continued on Page 3 ) H H I

T h e C h r i s t - C h i l d H

Baby hands that hold for me H BGifts of faith and charity W lBaby feet that trod for me gfrBJThe anguished way to CalvaryBaby head fencrowned for me 'jjWith the thorn of agonyBaby eyes that light for meLife's dread, dark uncertaintyBaby lips that teach to meThe way of immortalityBaby Jesus, born for meTo open all eternity. D. Wadlinger

The Ever-PresenProb lemTh e Yuletide has once mmade its usual'grand entranan d with lit, as usual, has coth e ^problem of iwhat to get!whom for Christmas.In t an y generaly discussion this subject, | there are sevephases to be considered, j Sinceis my opinion that a concrete l u s t r a t i o n ! cane cover the tomost thoroughly, I am, therefogranting to you, dear Reader, tprivilege of perusing with me ctain pertinent sections of the ary of my dear friend, EsmeralEsmeralda, I have discovered, hhad many very interesting expeencesexperiences which are avery significant in our discussioH But now, dear Reader, let us bg i n ! without further I adieu. ! A

here we are fif S & ^ ^ ^ H ^ ^ ^H Nov. 26With the following count our story begins: K ^ ^ H" I ' heard the bells on | ChristmI !Dayt Hi 1 i I Their old familiar carols play."*l chanced upon thescKnes fro"Christmas | Bells," b y * HenWadsworthJ Longfellow I this evning while idly leafing throughbook of f poetry. And J with I tsound of the bells echoing in me a r s , | familiar I thoughts {echothrough imy Imindthoughts I "putting off until tomorrow whI could have done today," thoughmainly of hectic last-minute shoping.] Dear Diary, I've learned mlesson. You just wait and see.l | | That 's I the j spirit, j Esmeraldthat ' s the spibut what have where ? i W ell, w ell! B H i j ( H I& Dec. 21 "Only three more daleft I before 5 Chris tmas,! and haven't bought one gift yet! |Ater I left the office this eveninI meant to shop J around J a bit my way home, but it [w as simpglorious just J walking around lanlooking.! I Iwent into practicalev ery s to re ! inf town, franticalstrugglin g through several I moin an effort to get through to somof the counters only to find vetired-looking salesgirls who, r fsome reason or other, lost inteest in me when I isaid, "I 'm julooking." I I - decided it I would bmuch easier to stay on jj the ouskirts of I the | crowds. I did sesome cute I things, though, but ^ ^ H (Continued on Page 3)$5%SSfli 5tt 23 5tt SS3J&3 SS5&

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Pa ge T wo T H E MERCIAD January. 1Published monthly by the students of Mercyhurst CollegeAddress all communications to MoreT H E MERCIAD

Mercyhurst Col lege Erie , PennsylvaniaSubscript ion Rates

O N E D O L L A R T H E Y E A RME RCIAD ST AFF E DIT OR- IN-CHIE F i. 1 Dorothy WadlingerBUSIN ESS MANAGER Mary C. SherwoodART EDITOR L & I S M Priscilla Jenkins(Printed by the E. Agrest i Print ing Co.1710 Cherry St . )

Happy New Year!After the old greeting MERRY CHRISTMAS always followsthe equally ancient one HAPPY NEW YEAR. The two holidays are linked not only throu gh the ir proximity but alsothroug h their symbolism. Hence in this Christm as issue ofthe Merciad, we must consider New Year's day and all that itportends.How often in the New Years past, particularly the most recent ones, have friends wildly shrieked the greeting into ourtortured!ears as whistles shrilled, horns blew, all manner ofnoises sounded. All this afanfare to herald 365 days ofjoyous living? No> for NewYear's Eve celebrators wildlywelcome it to their party, butdo not look beyond it to the

rest of the year it introduces.This^year the New Yearfrenzy will be greater as terrorized people pretend thereis no war (there's that subject again. Yes, why not?Are you one of those whoI think that by ignoring a situation it will cease to beorthat you can run away fromyour thoug hts?) And as Iim e n t i o n war , unhappy^ thoughts |do surge into your^ mind, pound against yourhea rt. Well, since I startedmus t tell you the two courseshis quaking inside of you, Ioffering relief.!

1. Plunge madly into the activity of the Christmas!season.Try never to be alone and!never, of course, allow silence todescend. Celebrate with the crowd on New Yea r's Eve Forget about the "world!situation." "Happy New Yea r, 'ever ybody ! *

2. Let God do your worrying for youBete tha n you have. Continue doing the Vasks""you" must' asHe has b roader shoul-* v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ i - i - i - --- ~" *o v**w i/cuaxYo J\J\A m u s t a operfectly as you know how. Let the trustin g serenity that wasMary s enter your hear t and radiate from you to thosetroubled mortals you pass . JThese are two processes of approaching the New Year thatsimply everybody will be employing this season. And if youare as wise as I think you are, you will see that one of these

SSLf5E y "S i y t J N e W Y e ? r ' s B&y b u t to t h e enre yearfollowing That my dear, is the sane road to take. Think oftw WwmiWe sl * a t Wl11 * l i n e y u r forehead, of the moansfollowTa i n t S 0 8 8 ^ h P 8 l f t h e r i g h t P a t h i s c h o s e n andHappy New Yearone an d all! E. Rehler: -o- :

Peace On EarthaPeace on earth to men of good-will!"

+vP * F l l C m e ? 5 a g ^ . a * f,al len u P n a million deaf ears inthis speeding world What does it mean to us as college students ? Is it a pretty sentiment on a Christmas card? or thesublime essence of our holiday joy? We cannot experiencethe peace of Christmas within us unless we are at peace withone another. We cannot enjoy the divine happiness of Chris?mas if we have robbed anothe r of it. We cannot welcome ourInfant Saviour on His birthday if He is turn ing to comfortone whom we have wronged. There is no injury that cannotbe amended, no injustice tha t cannot be forgiven Let us sohome for vacation with the peace of God in^ThJ^SfftC surpasseth all und ers tand ing/' Then, and onlythen, will our souls be unburdened, our laugh ter ringing true ,and our festive joy unfeigned. * * 'Jane Walsh

Great white sno w-flakes fluttered lazily throug h the air andcame to res t indiscrimina tely onthe throngs of shoppers whohustled throu gh t h e crowdedstreets. The vari-colored lights ofthe Chris tmas displays blinkedthrough the dusk. The heartylaugh of the Santa in the depart ment store window echoed throughthe streets and added to the air ofcheerful ant ic ipat ion. I t w a sChristmas Eve.Outside the window of a tinyshop stood a small boy. He wasshabbily dressed, and clutched inhis hand three quarters as thoughthey were the ent i re weal th of theworldas indeed they were to him.His eyes were riveted on a beautiful red truck whose tag announcedthat it would be his for the sum of$.50. Well, why not? E v e r yChristmas i t was \he who wasslighted because he was the old-est. He deserved somethin g, didn'tiphe, and he had been wanting thisfo r fso long. Of course if hebought it, he couldn't buy his littlesister the dol l she wanted. But hehad worked for this moneyfand itwas his. I She would be satisfiedwith something elsehe could buyher a nice gift for the quarter hewould have left, and that lovely redtruc k would be his. Yes, he'd doit; he'd b uy it an d make thisChristmas complete . $M$

As his hand rested on the doorknob, his eyes felljon a tiny cribin i the corner of the window. JAgreat sense of s h a m e overwhelmed himhe wouldn' t be making the Christ -Chi ld very happyon His jb i r th d ay . I He hadn' t hadan y toysjeither when He was adlittle Jboy, but He "hadn't c o m - *plained. * Hadn ' t he said athat i twas bet ter to give than to receive ? IAnd here he ^was, spending his j |Christmas money onlhimself. &BHis eyes traveled longingly from Ithe crib to the truck and then back lto the crib. After a few momen ts Ihe opened the door and entered the 9shop. Bu t his gaze sought, instead Iof the truck, the doll his little sis-1ter wanted. Quickly he relin-1quished his money and made his $purchase. % As he left the shop his eyes -j.sought the crib again. The In-1fant looked so pleased with him; Ia nd , a s he ma de h i s wa y ho m e !with his p ackage, a feeling of 1great contentment filled his soul. ^Surely it was more blessed to give fi.than to receive. IB -^B

Dorothy Wadlinger IGlory to the New 19(Continued from Page 1) *j9story of the Child in swaddlingclothes . . . "I believe in one God.". .^. We are overwhelmed as weapproach the Consecration to commemorate the glory 3af Christ ' sbir th with the glory that was Calvary . . . Slowly the priest raisesthe gl istening |chaliceits r a d i ance like tha t of the Star . . ."This is My Body; and This is MyBlood" . . . and all the splendor ofthe earthly scene fades into oblivion in the glory and brilliance ofHis Divine Presence . .; . A greater peace there could not be . . .Tha t peace is ours beyond the"Ite Missa Est".

And on this Christmas Evethere is an even grea ter significance to the understanding thathas always existed between Godand us who share His Love.-Pauline |Lynch

"CITY* OF LIGHT S

;Me,!WithIt won't take long, oldSanta dear!To fill our list, so don'tyou fearNo Tiffany diamond, or realmink coats, iOr millions of orchid siorhundred foot boats;Just something l ikewell , anA in Engl ishOr l ights we won' t ever haveH to extinguish, m 1

^ T o MARY HE L E N justi a le t terIS a week, ^ ^ ^ H E BI To put sparkle in her eyes, a blushBo n each cheek. * 5 % To FODIE CONL ON, a i b i g ,; big box WB^^^Bfc'g To store up her many awfullyBhard knocks. j^^B-raftS To MARTY HALEY some finen re cogn it ion ^ ^ T 4 | F o r he r |wbrk , | i n i t i a t i ve , a ndhigh ambition, ifa -4* -

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January, 1942 TH E ME RCIAD Page ThrTo All ThePeople

(Cont inued from Page 1)where to go. Her fa ther wa s nowdead, but Rebecca still had herselfto keep. On reaching the wel l, sheplaced the jars on i ts stone r imand gazed downward. I t was soblack and deep; and often Rebeccahad stood here t rying to penetratei ts depths. Tonight i t seemedpeaceful and seemed to offer something of which she had never before t hough t .Since her childhood she hadheard that her people were to bedel ivered by Messiah, but the Messiah was so long in coming. Asshe stood at the wal l ' s edge, aforce seemed to pul l her toward i t .Why not , why not go into the wideopen mouth of the wel l , never moreto see an empty cask; never moreto feel the stabs of a saber tongue."Tel l me daughter , ar t thou themistress of the inn?" a voice , t i redand gent le , sa id behind her.For a minute she paid no heed,fancying the voice to be only thewind's murmur in the palms overhead; and then she pul led her eyesfrom the black well and looked J.in-to the soft eyes of a man."Did| I he a r the e spe a k? " shesaid." A y e , my child," he said, "I seethou art chi ld and not mist ress .Tel l^me, who owns yonder inn?""My mistress , Reva, and mymaster , Laben," she said."Dost thou know if my wife an dI mi gh t f i nd she l t e r t he re i n? ""I think not, friend," said Rebecca, "for the rooms are a l l taken;but come ye with me and togetherwe shal l go to the master ."As they turned to .go , Rebeccasaw a young gir l si t t ing on an ass.The gir l was beaut i ful and young,an d at /once Rebecca knew her tobe good. Rebecca'"was moved outof herself as had she never beenbefore , and she stepped to the animal's side and looked up into the

flower face."Thou art but a chi ld," she whispered, "and ar t more beaut i fulthan the blue star of morning.At this the gir l on the back ofthe ass smiled and, extending herhand, st roked the ebony hair andsaid, "Thou are most kind." Thethree went to the inn door, and Rebecca left to seek her master . Shefound him in a back room counting the ta lents collectedjfrom th etraveler s. He looked up at thegir l , his smal l boorish eyes rest ingon her."I have come to inquire concerning a room for a t raveler andhis wife .""Thou knowst , thou stupid J gir l ,that I have no room," said the innkeeper."But they need room most sor-rowly for he is not young and iswearied and she is but a child andin need of rest," Rebecca went ondoggedly. @"Am I to turn my inn open to(Continued on Page 4)

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A ThoughtTi s Christmas Eve, the candlesg glow,Th e organ* swel ls, then hushes low,While angel choirs from aboveFi l l the a i r wi th their songs oflove.The golden chal ice , gl i t ters there ,And incense odors fill the airAs one cold nig ht, borne fromafar,Its perfume followed the onebr i gh t s t a r .So on this night , when candlesglow,A s th at ifbright star did long ago,Let incense burn and choirs sing"Peace on earth, O Christ,j Ou rt King."' |Gloria Lutz

: - o - :The Ever-PresentProblem(Cont inued from Page 1)couldn't be bothered buying themtoday." I WDec. 22"After {lecturing tomyself very sternly this morning,I went without lunch today so thatI could do my Christmas shopping. Firs t of a l l , I found! myselfin the toy department , wheremany smal l chi ldren were groupedaround Santa Claus. I stood forrather a long t ime watching them.A ll Ii bought today was a set oft ra ins for my l i t t le cousin, Sandy.I have the t ra in running around inmy l iving room now. They' re somuch fun. Of course, I'm jus ttest ing them, you understand. Atany rate, I arrived back at the off ice this afternoon, very {hun gry,very disheveled, and very la te ."Dec. 23"Today I had intendedto buy Aun t Mandy an electr icmixer I saw in one of the depart-ment stores yesterday, but i twasn ' t there anymore. I 'm so angry! Now I don' t have any ideawha t to get . I wanted | to getsomething unusual for Uncle Andy. I finally boug ht him a necktieand a shir t . " jgj Dec. 24"Well, tomorrow is the25th and Christmas. I real ly havenot had much time this week to domuch shopping, so I wrote out afew checks. I think people like toget money so they can choose whatthey want , anyhow, don' t you?Well , anyhow, what e lse was there

for me to do?* * *If you were in Esmeralda ' sroom now, you would see a veryt i red young lady curled up in achair before a f i replace fastasleep. In a corner of the room is

a Set of t ra ins that cont inual ly go

^ ^ B - nHit Me Santa(Continued from Page 2)

But a dress and a veil ofIrish lace.Teach HELEN that some of themen are now takenBut there's still quite a lotwho can "bring home the bacon."Give us all a chance at anfXmas danceAnd perhaps a start wi th anew romance.Give CHICKIE a nd PIGE ON anew music boxOr their love for music willbe on the rocks.Give MARILY N COOPER someuse for those eyesThey're deep as the ocean, as blueas the skies. \- ;Give NORMIE a chauffer whenshe gets marriedJust as a payment for thepeople she ' s carr ied.To PETIE McKELVEY a happylife iNo days that are blue ordays of st r i fe .Give CHICKIE a Buick thatSpike will like |So he can ride when thearmies hike.Give some new Dentons toPATTY -MORAN IAnd make them blue this t imeif you can.To PEGGY McCOURT send a bookon greet ingThe Sophs didn't like hermethod of meeting.To MARY KIRBY a night |atThe Owls, iOodles of jokes and plentyof howls.To ANNE KANE that smile socompletely endearingTo keep forever, to nevercease cheering.To all here at Mercyhurst-Merry ChristmasWith blessings from theInfant ' s armsFor peace and love andsafety from harms.

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LAUDIAaround and around with no knowndestination, while outside, thesnow is gently falling and fromthe distance can be heard carolers.Valma Blakey

Little Star BeamLit t le star beam,I 've caught you!I t ie you with a st r ing.I put you on the candlestickAnd watch you dance and sing!Li t t le star beam,You' re gone again!You flickered all away.You hid in the silver bellAnd made i t t inkle gay!Betty Dailey

: - o - :Christmas Knight| ( Continued from Paget 1)meet ing beauty would put prospective clients in a better and morerecept ive frame of mind.For f ive years Fai th had helddoggedly to this desk, but now shewas t i red. I t was a l l r ight to bedetermined not to be replaced*byyounger beauty; i t was a l l r ightto get in there andffight to keepyour place amid the youth of theorganizat ion; but only i f the f ightwas get t ing you somewhere. *Andshe was get t ing nowhere. Fiveyea rs of living in tsolitude, fiveyears of visi t ing happi ly-marriedcollege friends, five * years | oflunching, dining, and dancing witheligible bu t! fluid-minded maleswhom her fr iends kept throwingat her like | FE E DINGT IME AT -THEZOO; i t was enough to weardown anyone 's determinat ion, s.Be sides, th e married^ ones lookedha ppy .She started down the st reet because she was having ChristmasEve dinner with Dot ty and Fred,two of the Ihappi ly-marrieds. Asusual, there was to be a N EWMAN for Faith . It used to be interest ing, wondering what! they'dpick for her nextthere was thearcheologist, the singer, the adagio dancer, the bulky boy fromWisconsin who wrote Lyrics for

tlie Little, to mention a few ofthem. I t was men like^these wh owere supposed to get her interested in the BLESSEDSTATEOF-MAT RIMONY. I"Will you hold these a minute,please ?" he said, pushing a g rea tbouquet of poinsettas into herar ms .While he was rearrang ing themany packages he was carrying,Fai th studied the man. Tall, blond,and interesting-looking, she agreedwith herself, filing other noticeable characterist ics for further reference."Hope you weren' t in a hurry,"he said, after the bundles were arranged to his apparent sa t isfaction. Then he looked up and stared(Continued on Page 4)

Nativity P aintingsPictures of the first Christmnight are always a source of gremotion to ar t lovers . Illustt ions of that Night when Our Sviour was born of Our BlesMother bring the actual happeniso much closer to us, make us alize the unspeakable beauty apeace tha t reigned in the litJudaean town of Bethlehem at tt ime .One of the best and more famliar portrayals is Murillo's "TAdoration of The Shepherds," lust ra t ing the midnight visi t the shepherds to the mangThree of them , big, powerfubuilt peasa nts clad in skins ahomespun garmen ts, crowd ithe little room, bearing their pogif ts . The kneel ing shepherd hbrought a fowl; the woman behihim has a basket of eggs, an eblem of the Resurrection; and youth beside her leads a lamb,symbol of the Child's InnocenIn the left corner can be seen dily an ox and an ass.Our Lady withdraws the covto show, with gentle pride, her Dvine Son to the visitors . St. Jseph jus seen in the backgroucontemplat ing, perhaps, the futuoflithe Infant.The light of the composition centered upon the Child, symboof His character as i the Light the World. Our gentle Lady lootenderly a t Him, quiet ly proud her Treasure .Correggio ' s "Virgin in Adorat ioshows the Blessed Mother kneeliin adorat ion with such surrendof love as to shut out any fear the grief the years* might briHer hands are extended towathefChild expressing a rapture helpless ecstasy. The flight frothe Tiny Form transfigures heT h e : most famous paintings Correggio is La N o t te , " represeing th e moment when the shephercame upon the scene of The Biof Our Lord. They gaze at Hwith awe and fwonder and seealmos t blinded by the radianemanating from the Child in tManger.In the left foreground can seen a tall bearded shepherd, hright arm jra ised in astonishmenext to him kneels a young shpherd who is looking up at hian d I beyond j him a young womkneels, shielding the light froher face, as she gases at the Ifant . In one upper corner foangels hover, represent ing a | Hevenly guard . St. Joseph stands the {background quietly watch ih i s Hol y . Fa mi l y . The4'exultatioof the angels and the wonder Jthe shepherds are in st rong cotrast to the sereni ty of the ChriChild. :;May Our Tiny King of Peaand Love reign in your hearts anhomes this Christmas.Mary M. Parmet

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Pa ge Four T HE ME RCIAD January, 194"CITY OF LIGHTS"

(Continued from Page 2)catches the gleam in the eyes ofthe young pat ients as they excitedly whisper to one another tales ofSanta Glaus and his amazing reindeer A large p r i c k l y hollywreath hangs on the paneled frontentrance door . . . A ta l l f lowerypoinsetta stands on the desk in thefront lobby . . . A nurse in spotless whi te hurries down the corri dor to inform a haras sed young-man he is the fa ther of a babyboy . . .| A young doctor withbowed head and stooping shoulders gently closes the door of room402. In crushed despair he realizeshe has lost his f i rst case . . . Agust of snow follows in the wakeof a mother and fa ther as theyenter the main corridor* laden withgai ly wrapped packages. Theystep briskly to the e levator intenton visi t ing their smal l daughtera n d b r ig h te n in g h e r c o n f i n e dChristmas Eve. |As the drama of life continueswithin the hospi ta l wal ls, snow-flakes are gracefully descending tothe whi te earth outside and drooping in swirl folds Jf on hangingboughs. On the spacious lawn under the lighted windows stands agroup of yuletide carolers. Theirup-tur ned faces are illumined byglowing candles within t ransparent lanterns and gl i t ter ing patchesof snow huddle on their gay woolen jackets and ear-muffed caps.As their l i l t ing voices interpretthe melodious strains of "SilentNight , Holy Nigh t" a t ranqui lpeace engulfs the hospital and theholy spir it of | Christm as inv adesthe heart of everyone harkening tothe youthful voices.

* * ' - " H i tThe twin spires of St. Patrick'sCathedral si lhouet ted against thecalm, star ry sky sym bolize thedeep religious motif of t h i sChristmas Eve .4 Th r ough th earched door-way midnight worshippers are si lently entering thenave of the church. A stream of exotic incense hovers amid the shadowy forms of kneeling adorers ofthe Infant King. Massive goldcandelabra embrace tall glowingcandles on the flower i laden al tar .A hush descends over the worshippers as the voices of the choir riseheavenward in the blessed strainsof "Adeste Fidelia." | As the fullchoral anthem ascends higher,higher, an angelic host unites withthe earthly voices and the immensity of this vocal harmony envelopsthis festive city of lights in a profundity of holy spirit. |Pfis Jenkins

: -o-:The First Christmas!Story(Continued from Page 1)angels departed from them intoheaven the shepherds said one to

another:I Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this wordtha t is come to pass, which theLord hath showed to us.And they came with haste ; andthey found Mary and Joseph, andthe infant lying in the man ger.And seeing, they understood ofthe word that had been spoken tothem concerning the child*And all tha t heard, wondered;and at those things that were toldthem by the shepherds.But Mary kept a l l these words,pondering them in her heart .Luke, 2-1-21

Christmas Knight(Continued from Page 3)at her as they all did when theysaw her for the f irst t ime. "Oneof Ithese confounded! packagesstarted to slipyou {look verybeaut i ful wi th those f lowers. . . ""I was on my way to a Christ mas Eve dinner, but I don' t thinkyou've fupset my plans too much.""Well, I'm on my way to onetoo, so thanks a lot for helping acareworn traveler on his weary

wa y . G'bye."Disappointed, Fai th cont inuedwalking, wishing that she couldhave ta lked longer with the SHOP-PERINDISTRESS. But t ha t ha ppened only in books, while herswas the fate to go to a dull dinnerand st ruggle thru another impromptu monologue at tended byanother vapid BOYABOUTTOWN.Dotty and Fred, l i t t le Helen andShelia and Tuffy, the spaniel stoodin line in the doorwayHelen,Shelia, and Tuffy waging a battleto see who would be first to kissthe visi tor because there wasmist le toe hanging in the hal l . Dotty took her hat and coat , Fredasked about her job, the childrenbegan count ing the "sparkles" thatoutlined the hem of her dress."Darl ing, I 've got you ? th eGRANDE ST MAN, " c ha t t e re d Dot ty, as usual . "He 's a new lawyerin town. You should have seenhim when he came 'A commotion in the kitchen cutinto their conversat ion."Go on in and see the t ree , Fai th.Lacey seems to be having herusual t rouble with the sauce. Bewith you in a min ute." She left,followed by a helpful Fred, Helen,Sheila, and Tuffy. ; ^Fai th turned Jtoward\ the l ibrary, shrugged her shoulders, wishing, she could forestall meeting theYOUN GLAWY ER, | but gave uphope and opened the door."Wil l you hold these a minute ,please?" he said, pushing a greatbouquet of poinsetta s into her

a rms ."OMIGOSH," he said, "i t ' s youagain. I repeat, you look well inpoinsettas."I see you two have met," saidDotty from the doorway. "I 'msorry, Dan, I forgot i to bring thevase, I' ll get it righ t awa y." Shepoked her head in the door again."Her name's Fai th,\ Da n. " ^Fred gambled in. "Guess we'dbet ter get started with the t ree .F or goshjsakes, Fai th, put downthose flowers, you look - like astand-in for Lady of th e Lei."Fre d had la reputat ion for puns."Dan has been te l l ing me howhard it is to meet girls in thistown of ours. However, he didhave quite a stroke of luck earlierthis evening. He met a PERFECT-LYGORGEOUSGIRL, to q u o t ehim, in front of a florist shop.Asked me if I thou ght he'd eversee her again. 'Have fa i th, Dan, 'I said, 'have fa i th ! ' " |Dan looked at the girl a holdingthe f lowers."I 'd like to," she heard himwhisper.Hours la ter they STOODTO-GETHER in the Cathedral , l ighting candles before Midnight Mass.Deftly her gloved fingers slippedthe dime into the slot as shewatched the f lame in the a l tar cupleap heavenward."Good St. Anne, thanks so muchfor Dan ," she breathed, smilingup at the saint over ajbeautifulCORSAGEOFPOINSETTAS.REULLrich

Christmas ComesBut Once a Year DISC DATA

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That's ChristmasA bust l ing crowd on ci ty st reets,A cheery greet ing when one meets,A Sa n t a Claus at each big store ,De pa r t me n t s packed with toysgaloreAt Christmas. -The carol ing begun once more,A lovely song sung at j the door,The halls arrayed with hollyb o u g h s , | \A candle gleaming from eachhouseFor Chr i s t ma s .A tree bedecked with ornamentsELike gl i t ter ing starry ffirmaments ,A stocking at the chimney-placeflWith goodies filling every spaceOn Chr i s t ma s .The r inging chimes of t idings glad,The lack of time for being sad,The feeling of the joy of giving,T he happiness that one is livingT ha t ' s Ch ri s tm as .* "%A jol ly gathering of Iclan.From baby to the oldest man,A kiss beneath the mist le toeTo make a happy maiden glowAt Christmas.Praying in the House of GodAs His Son we seek to laud,The natal day of Christ the King,Glory to Him may we bringTHAT'S CHRIST MAS! jBarbara Dawson

: -o - :Christmas A tMercyhurstIThe Christmas season is a lwaysa busy one. This is part icularlytrue a t Mercyhurst where i t ha sbeen the custom for many yearsto celebrate this eventfin arroyalmanner. Eager to add their cont r ibut ions, the three underclassest radi t ional ly "present their offerings for the enjoyment and approval of the school. *To the Freshme n comes theirfirst chance to give something totheir new Alma Mater , to appearbefore its faculty and students asrepresentat ives of their c lass.Tradi t ion has founded this splendid occasion for the youngestgroup at Mercyhurst , so that eachyear our Preshmen proudly r iseand, se iz ing the oppo rtuni ty to display their ta lents, present a worthy and admirable Christmas party. This year ' s | Freshmen classwill not disappoint us.T h e Sophomores, n o w wellsteeped in the Mercyhurst Christ mas spir i t , have perhaps thegreatest honor of a l l the classes.To them falls the distinction ofpresent ing t h e most beautifulmeaning of Christmas,the mean-

I'm glad the date for Christmasw as settled once and for all in thethird or fourth centuryI ca nface, if necessary, two Thanksgivings, which merely result in a stateof being overfed and over fami-lied but the though t of twoChristm ases terrifies me. Shouldthe possibility loom imminent, Iwould simply have to develop aphasia and disappear until it blewover.This isn't cynical, but I insistthat , whi le Christmas is the mostexciting holiday I of all, it is alsothe most nerve-racking. Thereare intensive weeks of preparat ion, ominous newspaper and radiowarnings, monotonous as a brokenrecord,"No w only fifteen shopping days unt i l Christmas" . Thenthere is the strain of seeing!thatchildren continue to believe in Santa Claus, while the children inturn take equal pains to protecttheir naive parents from t h eknowledge that the l i t t le gi r l nextdoor disillusioned them in this regard long ago.By December 24, I will reachthe grand climax of confusion, susta ining a tense emotional pitchwith the temeri ty of Flagstad onhigh Gwallowing in pape r andstr ing as I bat t le wi th the lastminute giftsrushing next door inanswer to hurried calls to "Comesee our tree!"discovering t h a tduring the pas t week I have atodd times asked dozens to drop inand see ours, which they invariably do just as a fuse blows.

$If possible I will atten d midnight Mass, but I just have to finish those yellow mittens I beganway back in August -by daybreak.And, after everything is over,a long comes Christmas night , thatlowest of lows in anticlimaxestha t zero hour off aftermathswhen there are no more presentsto open, no feverish anticipationto heighten spir i ts, a drab out lookahead for another year. Now isthe time of jail times for a partycomposed of a few hand-pickedfriends who ral ly round; the l ightscan be low, ' the f i re bright , thereare the remains of a turkey in theice-box, and there's a fellow in thegroup whof fancies himself asrather a hand at Welsh rarebitgive him that slab of two-year oldcountry cheese and turn him loosein the kitchen. Wh at does it allmatterthefhouse*is a mess anywa y . | $ i I **ME RRY CHRIST MAS! Jo Musiing which should be firs t in ourhearts. The Christmas pageantdepicting the coming of the ChristChild, though one of the oldeststories, is still the most lovely.Awa re ofJ th e greatness of theirtask,! the Sophomores are * indeedproud to offer their bit.

I t i s a pi ty that Christmas carols, those exquisite songs, can besung for such a short t ime eachyear. Hearing t h e m resoundsweetlyl through the solemn corridors of Mercyhurst brings to allof us a real appreciation of theirbeauty. The Juniors mus t (real izethis, for each year they strive topresent their spiritual contributionas more inspiring, more delightfulthan ever before,and they alwayssucceed. Ann Johnson

At this point you're likely wondering what on earth you' re gointo give those problem people oyour gift list. As you've probablhad suggestio ns from everyonelse, why not from me? So hergoesFirst of all, in giving records bsure to bear in mind the likes andislikes of your friends. Exercisa good deal of caution. If he, shor it is a jazz enthusia st, foheaven's sake don't give out witMiller or Dorsey. On the othehand, the hea rt of a Miller fawill hardlyf beat with joy over gift of Ellington or Basie.A symphony fan will 8 be yofriend for life upon the gift of anrecordings by the Boston Symphony by Koussevitzky, or the NBSymphony under Toscanini. Yocan' t go wrong with Toscaninii nt er p re ta ti on o f B e e t h o v e nSeventh, a Victor album.F or the 1 azz enthusiast we reommend a Columbia re-issue ab u m , !Louis and Earl, which offethe choice records of a great musical collaboration, Earl Hines anLouis Arm strong . Or, if you'rst icking to singles, t ry Bing Crosby's I Ain't Got Nobody, backed bWoody Hermansome of the bejazz Bing has done since the dayof the Rhythm Boys. Anothesingle is Woody Herman 's Bihop's Blues on Deccaa beautifublues. An important jazz re issuis Beiderbecke's Crying All Day oColumbia.

To those who prefer the sweeter side of musical life, give albumof either one of the Dorseys, Miler, or any of the boys. An albumof Carmen Cavallaro would be welcome gift for manyeitheDancing in the Dark or Get t inSent imental Over You.For the sophisticated and whimsical we recommend Alec Templeton's Musical Port ra i ts Ion VictoA best seller among college peoplis Templeton's recording of Rhapsody in Blue with the Kostelanetorchestra . Burnham

: -o-:To All The People(Continued from Page 3)every wandering beggar wh opasses by?" exploded the man."He is no beggar, no chari ty isasked." the gir l answered witdefiance. "Give th em my fquarters, meager as they be. 'The fat flabby hand of the keeper struck the girl 's mouth and atrickle of .blood made scarlet hecheek. "Thou * insolent slave, will teach thee to speak with morecaution infthe future . Go to thisbeggar and te l l him he may haveuse of the stable provided hepay." I i MIThe girl stood, fixing her darkeyes on him so intently that shesaw deep into his small, mean soul."I go," she said.On returning to the man at thedoor, she smiled radiantly and shesaid, "There is no room, but I shallgo with thee and thy spouse to thestable where it is warm . I shallmilk the cow and bring the girlwife warm milk and shal l rakedown fresh straw on which both ofye must rest . "

"Thou art most good," said theman. And again as before thebeautiful girl wife laid her mostlovely hand upon the ebony hair,hair, stroked it and said, "Thouart most kind."-Mary Rita Gallagher