Tárogató, 1938-1939 (1. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)
1938-11-01 / 5. szám
TÁROGATÓ 1» QUEER QUIRKS GIPSIES Do you know why gipsies are such proverbial wanderers over the face of the earth: a people having a language and music of their own, found in every country, and yet having no country of their own? The old Jewish legend has it that the gipsies were once a peaceful tribe on the outskirts of Egypt. Into one of their villages just at nightfall came a young woman with a baby in her arms, asking shelter for herself and child. The proverbial hospitality of the East was wanting in this case, for the blackhaired gipsy women, jealous of the beautiful reddish-gold hair of the stranger, drove them away from the village with harsh words and threats. Weary and travel-worn, as she was, she had to continue her journey toward Egypt through the dangers and darkness of the night. It was Mary, the mother of the Infant Jesus, seeking shelter in Egypt from the cruel order which we remember as the ■“Slaughter of the Innocents.” Because of this the gipsies, so the legend runs, were condemned for ever after to wander over the earth exactly as they had forced Mary and the Christ Child to do. The very word “gipsies” reminds us of their Egyptian origin and they are still called Egyptians in Scotland, as those of you who have read Sir James Barrie’s book, “The Little Minister,” will remember. STAMPS AND RELIGION By Philatelist Several stamps have been issued by various countries showing scenes in the life of Christ, pictures of famous saints and views of beautiful churches and chapels. Italy has issued a number of stamps to commemorate the tercentenary of the death of Pope Gregory XV. Perhaps the best known of this issue is the one which shows Christ surrounded by his disciples, preaching to great throngs of his followers. Underneath the picture the words, “Preach the Gospel to all creatures” are inscribed. Stamps have been issued by both Belgium and Cyprus showing pictures of well-known saints. Belgium issued a stamp showing Saint Michael triumphing over evil, and in the background a beautiful church stands as a symbol of the power of Christianity over evil. A stamp issued by Cyprus in 1928 shows the discovery of the body of St. Barnabas in 477 A.D. Spain and France have both issued many beautiful stamps showing their magnificent churches and cathedrals, but perhaps it is not generally known that Canada has issued a stamp which shows a view of the chapel at Grand Pré. Though this is the only Canadian stamp that bears a picture of a chapel or church, there was a stamp issued in 1908 showing the great French explorer and discoverer, Champlain, who had a great desire to Christianize the Indians. Many other religious stamps have been issued by different countries, such as Mexico, Greece, Portugal and Germany. Study your stamps and see how many you have which portray scenes of religious interest. —“The Canadian Boy.” UP IN THE AIR Watching a Hockey Game from the Gondola. A few months ago, Rev. Stanley H. Greenslade, minister of a Toronto Church, selected as his sermon topic for Sunday evening the often-repeated exclamation of Foster Hewitt, Canada’s Premier Sports announcer, “He Shoots—He Scores.” At the close of the service a young man made his way to where the minister was meeting his people and quietly introduced himself as Foster Hewitt. The happy and interesting sequel to this introduction was a special invitation given by Foster himself to see the Toronto Maple Leaf—Montreal Maroon game from the Gondola in Maple Leaf Gardens on a certain Thursday n’ight. To the minister this promised to be the thrill of a lifetime, and so it turned out to be. The place of meeting was the office on Church Street. The time was eight o’clock. Needless to say the guest was on time and received a very kindly greeting from the announcer. “Almost immediately we began to climb the long, steep ascent to the Gondola. The watch indicated that almost twelve minutes were required to make the trip. “About one-third of the way up came a welcome breather, at least It was to this amateur climber. The break was a visit to the control room. In this room the mechanics of the broadcasting operation, the last word in radio broadcasting equipment, were already being tuned up. Four expert technicians, each having his own responsibility, were busy getting ready to play a part in the entertainment of a whole province of hockey fans. From this point there is a clear view of the thousands
