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WIT & WISDOM - December 25, 1998 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. [1] ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: TROUBLE AT THE INN By Dina Donohue It was the typical Christmas pageant. Miss Lumbard was trying to assign all the children to their appropriate roles. Wallace Purling wanted to be a shepherd and have a flute, but Miss Lumbard found a more important role for Wally. He was about nine, and rather big for his age, but also rather slow. Miss Lumbard thought his size would make the lines of the Inn Keeper more forceful, and besides there were not too many words for Wally to remember. So it was as that fateful night began. The usual crowd of parents and loved ones gathered for the towns annual program. None of them more taken up by the story than Wallace Purling. Wally stood in the wings fascinated and caught up in the story that from time to time Miss Lumbard had to remind him not to wander on stage. Then the time came. Mary and Joseph appeared slowly moving toward the inn. Joseph knocked on the door and Wally the Innkeeper was there waiting. What do you want? He said swinging the door open. "We seek Lodging" "Seek it elsewhere" Wally said looking straight ahead and speaking brusquely. "Sir, we have asked everywhere in vain and we have traveled so far." "There is no room in the inn for you." Wally looked properly stern. "Please Mr. Innkeeper this is my wife she is heavy with child and need a place to rest. Now for the first time Wally relaxed. He looked at Mary. With that there was a long pause. The audience was a bit tense and embarrassed. And the prompter said from the side, "No be gone!" Wally repeated, "No begone.!" Joseph placed his arm around Mary and walked sadly away. The tired little mother of Jesus laid her head on his shoulder. The innkeeper did not return to his inn. Wally stood there watching the forlorn couple. His mouth stood open, his brow was creased, his eyes began to fill with tears. Suddenly this Christmas pageant became different from all the others. "Don't go Joseph," Wally called out. "Bring Mary back". Wally's face grew into a beaming smile, "You can have my room." From the book "Christmas Stories for the Heart" by Multnomah Books [2] ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Scott Hooker shows us what Christmas is like in Australia Here at the HELP DESK we get all kinds, with all kinds of questions: Dear Help Desk: Does it snow in Australia? And in response, we told them: A comparison between the rest of the world and Australia: Rest of world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Australia Christmas in Winter . . . . . . . . .Christmas in Summer Cold in North . . . . . . . . . . . .Cold in South Fosters is imported . . . . . . . . .Fosters is domestic Halifax on Atlantic Ocean . . . . . .Halifax on Pacific Ocean North Star guides sailors . . . . . .Sailors get lost Prince Edward is an island . . . . . Prince Edward is a Prince Prince of Wales is a Prince . . . . .Prince of Wales is an island Victoria is 49 deg. North . . . . . .Victoria is 37 deg. South Wales is South of Newcastle . . . . .Newcastle in New South Wales Water drains clockwise . . . . . . . Water drains anti-clockwise Winter in January . . . . . . . . . .Winter in July So any ways, the answer to your question is yes, it does snow in Australia. It's just that it's warm snow and it goes straight up. [3] ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: A class of 5-year- olds was singing Christmas carols, with each child naming favorite carols for the class to sing. In a corner of the room, at a Nativity scene, a little girl name Ava was toying with a shepherd figurine. The teacher asked Ava to name her favorite Christmas carol. Without hesitation she replied, "While Shepherds Washed Their Socks by Night." - Unknown ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Assuming Rudolph was in front, there are 40,320 ways to arrange the other eight reindeer. [4] ~~~~~~~ CONTRIBUTORS: [1] (Laur-an Merginio) [2] (Walt Groff) [3] (Have A Nice Day [4] (Fast Eddie's Funnies |