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feature of the society has always been the appointment of many committees to attend to and systematize various aspects of church work. Conventions are held every year in different parts of the United States. Similar conventions are held in foreign countries. The World’s Christian Endeavor Union has been formed, and the Society in America publishes a journal, The Christian Endeavor World.

Christian Era, the great era, now almost universally accepted, especially in Christian countries, for the computation of time. It is commonly held to correspond to the date of the birth of Christ; but this is scarcely accurate, since that epochal event took place four years before the era now accepted as the commencement of the new epoch in reckoning time. The centuries before the advent of Christ are marked B. C. (before Christ); those that follow are marked A. D. (anno Domini). The era is computed from Jan. 1 in the 4th year of the 194th Olympiad; the 753th from the foundation of Rome; and the 4,714th of the Julian period. The new epoch was introduced in in the 16th century, and came into use in England some centuries later.

Christian Science.  See.

Christiania, capital of, was named after Christian IV, who began to build the city in 1624. The national parliament, the storthing, with its two houses, the Lagting and the Odelting, meets here. It has a large university, a fine observatory, two palaces of the king of Norway and a national picture-gallery. An interesting establishment in vogue here is the Steam Kitchen, which provides good and cheap dinners for working people. The great industry is its shipping trade, both foreign and coasting. Its chief exports are of timber and fish. Population, 241,834.

Christina (krĭs-tē′ nä), queen of, the only child of the great , was born Dec. 17, 1626. She succeeded her father when only six years old. Beautiful and brilliant, she was given the schooling then only given to men. She took the ruling power into her own hands in 1644, and six years later, in accordance with her mannish desires, was crowned king instead of queen. She ruled ably for the next four years, but her wayward restlessness could not brook longer the restraints on her personal action which her position of queen made her keep, and she resigned the throne in favor of her cousin Charles, reserving, however, authority over her own household. At this time, when but 28 years old, she traveled over Europe somewhat like a female knight-errant, now becoming very religious at Brussels, now entering Rome on horseback dressed as an amazon, and later shocking Paris by having her grand equerry put to death in her own household for treason. Tired of this wandering life, she thought the death of Charles a good chance to become queen again. But in this she failed. She died at Rome, April 19, 1689.

Christmas (krĭs′ mas), the day on which the birth of Jesus Christ is observed. The first certain traces of the festival are found about the time of the Emperor Commodus (180–192 A. D.). In the reign of a churchful of Christians, gathered to celebrate Christmas, were burned by order of the emperor. The birth was celebrated in May, April and January by the early Christians. It is almost certain that the 25th of December is not Christ’s birthday, as it is the rainy season in Judæa, and shepherds could hardly be watching their flocks by night in the plains at that time. The present date came to be used probably because all heathen nations celebrated that season with great festivities, as the old Norse Yule-feast. The beautiful Christmas carols at first were manger-songs, telling the story of Christ’s birth. The Christmas-tree with its hanging toys was a custom borrowed from the Romans, and is told about by the poet Vergil. The visit of Santa Claus bearing gifts belongs properly to December 6, the festival of St. Nicholas.

Christmas Carol, A, the first and best of strictly Christmas stories, is one of the masterpieces of Charles Dickens. Written for the Christmas of 1843, it was marked by the best gifts of the novelist, humor, fancy, simplicity and tenderness. The old miser, Scrooge, is visited and reformed by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.

Chris′topher, Saint, according to the old story, lived in, and was put to death as a martyr by the Emperor Decius. He is said to have been 12 feet in height and of great strength. In the pride of his strength, he would serve only the mightiest upon earth. Once he served a powerful king for a while; but seeing his master’s fear of the devil, he at once became the devil’s servant. But one day he saw the devil trembling before an image of Christ, and decided to serve Christ only. As punishment for not having served Him before, he undertook to carry travelers across a broad stream. One day, so the the story goes, Christ came to him in the form of a little child, to be carried over, but at every step the burden grew heavier and heavier. “Wonder not, Christopher,” said the child, “for with Me thou hast borne the sins of all the world.”

Christ’s Hospital, a noted school in London, England, with an ancient foundation. It was founded by Edward VI in 1553, as a hospital for orphans. It is usually called the Blue-coat School, from the odd dress worn by the boys. About