The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

r our Il noork wuutre r ue, ic the, current issue.. be in ta MIERRY CHRTSTrMAS! *WILmETTE . LIFE extends to- its many readers the heartiest of, wishes for a, Merry Christmas and a Happy ,New Year.. In the. same breath, it expresses its gratitude for the confidenc e end, good will that has not onyendured, for M*ore .than, a quarter ofa. century, but bas increesed over. the years and bias, now, become cemnented' into friendships wbich are highly prized. As there is unalloyed joy in the giving of.re- rnernbrances at Christtnas, so",there is. joy in serving *a cornrunity whose people respond so splendidly îto every movernent heving for its purpose the betterment of the village, the pro- * tection of its hornes, the interests of the indi- vidual, and the Iurtherance of its institutions. > 115 ews-magazine as been and is grate- fui for the encouragement and cooperation it has recelved from villagers, but it is equally grateful for the opportunities Mt has had, for service to the wbole ccimmunity. If its efforts have been of value or even in srnall mea sure successful, tbanks are not due to it alone. Those who have given of their aid and support have a large share in whetever credit may be due. If the year bas been a trying one, the prog- ress thet bas been made is all the more note- worthy. Unusually fevored, the North Shore has suffered no serious afflictions, and things PROVING POPUJLAR-_ýI The policy of the New Trier. Sunday Evening club' of offering only outstanding talent for its weekly entertainments is', proving 1irnmensely populer, if the capacity ettendance is an, in- dication. The executive board is to be congratulated upon the fine prograrns that have character- ized the present season. They have been un- usuel, not only in range and quality, but also, fertng andi contribute so mucn towar thtre cure of the rnalacly. Christmas Seals, too, cost so little that every-7 one, of however small mens, can do sorne- thing toward the life-saving work.. If you. have' not bought Christmas Seals this year,. use 1a fwcents of Christmas money. for this purpose.ý TuE GIFT 0F GIFTS. Almost twýenty centuries have corne andgêne since the humble shepherds, tending th-eir flocks oný hills of Judea, caught the glitter of a brul- liant star, and knew, thaàt something important -va stly important-to themselves and -to the world, had happened or was about to happën., Prophets, and seers- had' foretoldi an, event that would bring a new era, the birth' of a Savior who would redeemn the world. And so they dropped their shepherd's crooks and fol- loethe guiding star. to, Btlehemi,. where a new-born child rested in the arrns of its Ie-ý brew' mother. It was "the only begotten Son," sent to teach and preacb a religion that was to have a trernendous influence on ail coming ages-the gift of gifts. It has been this religion that has spurrm- men on and encoureged thern on their long andý bitter climb from the dark ages to a civiliza- tion which, by contra st, seems almost per-, fection; Now, curiously enough, in several countries we see this religion attacked, and the most desperate efforts being made to destroy it. From the cradle children. are being taught' that it is but sophistry, an opiate to duli the senses of the people and prevent themn from reaching the moral and, intellectual heights that are their real destinies. Christian nations everywhere must accept the gage of battie in defense of God's religion. If. that battie should by any chance be, lost, the birth at Bethlehem and the death ýon Calvary will, have been in, vain.. RAI LROAD CREDIT If ý,the, s are may have been based on the possio its citizeris might resent the inferený nonrresident that thie.city has no men required qualifications for that high of ty that * by a 'ith the ,ce. ive without great interest theeinformation that' the same period twice as many feil prey to wasting malady known as tuberculosis. [n ail the wers in which America has en- ged since 1776,. the number killed. totals 244, - LBut since the.World wer 1,800,000 Aineri- of the security for old age for thousands of men and women who put their savings into r ailroad stocks and bonds to provide e source of- income for their d ecliing years." Us, we bave no suc ýss can we? Anyway, thie Lo fear of being forgotten- tex collector is forgotten. memorial., THu'*PHANTOM REPORTER * ht"truth is stranger than fiction" stil a mains to be, if possible, successfully challenged. Even the imaginiation.of a Jules. Verne. could not in its .rnostý inspired moments mat 1ch the thrilling drama,. the'deep, dark plots, the mys- terious intrigues. of the four amaàzing Musica brothèrs,; the reve.lations of wýhose: operations in highefinance ýand villainous tbiev-,ery leaves. the whole'country breathless and Aomnewhat stunned. The only redeeming feature of the whole nasty mess is that the head and' brains1 of the crooked quartet had the decency to end. his on life when 'the bouse of cards fell about his ears and, he ;realized.that the jig was up. For forty years these rnas-ter,-ecrimi.na.s' prac- tcdtheir frauds upon a confiding public and their pilferings ý upon un suspec ting investors. They hobnobbed with honest men;, they filed s 1spurious birth certificates to boîster assumned namnes; at least one of them had served time tin a pCliteftary; phoney records in "Who's Who" were utilized to varnish a false reputetion of respectability. M isrepre senta tion, deceit and fraud were resorted to cover their machinations. Mammoth warehouses and tremendous stocks --of merchandise existed only on paper, but served to dupe stockholders. Financiel jugglery and incomprehiensible bookkeeping helped the, game along. McKesson & Robbins, Inc., a drug concern established 105 years ego, and with an unimpeachable reputation, was the vehicle used for the greatest financial fraud in American history, Its first proprietors may. wefl turn over ini their graves-or rise to haunt the de- spoilers stili living. There -is' notbing in fiction to equal the truth of the astounding record of the capable but dishonest Musica brothers. l3eing ail led up on "blonde tigress' killers," and apropos of the trial of one of the species across the lake, we remarked aloud that we wished to heck .a brunette would one of these days kîlla man, Just for a change.A demure ýyounig lady. of the type at an adjacent desk replied that she would, be happy. to. accommo- date. Prima facie evidence that the spirit of Christmas is abroad. Anoàt iinvthiine hpin' n osible Inthis'ha,-ý e-"-ý. ; ý -éee ý 1