New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-24
CHRISTMAS LOAYS TO THE LoED.

CHRISTMAS LOANS TO THE LOBD.
We print elsewhere the particulars Of oppor-
tunities for investment upon the very best OF
security. We should scOrn to say much at this
blessed Christmas time about stocks and shares
and the bulls and the bears; for, although tho
loans of which we speak may be very long ones
indeed, there is no possible mishap which can
put them below par, and every moment the div
dends at more than cent per cent. will come
tumbling in, and this can hardly be said OF all
the fimsy merchandise which distracts the wall
st. brain. Those who operate IN secret are
openly rewarded those who make Charity their
cashier below are known to keep handsome
account in the celestial Institutions; and the
prime beauty of all these transactions is, that
those who do all they can, although they may
do but little, engage i'll a business quite as Hour
ishing as that of the most magnificent operators
In proof of this, we adduce the story OF widow
mentioned in a wel-knOwn book. The heavy
men of the day were casting their gifts into the
treasury, making, we presume, prodigious fuss
about it, and rafting their shekels of gold into
the contributions box, when a poor woman, tim
idly drawing near, ventured to deposit two
mites, equal 1--WE blush to mention 49, to the
mean little sum of four fartbings sterling The
old lady was no doubt, running away IN
great shame and fright, when she heard voice
saying "0f a truth ! say unto YOU, that tins
"poor widow hath cast in more than they all.
" For all these have of their abundance cast IN
unto the offerings on oods hut sue vi neI
penury hath cast in all the living that she
had This shows upon what principle the
angel who keeps the celestial ledgers makes ms
entries and, although he may be very busy
at this time, we have good assurance that he
will not miss one penny cheeriully giyen--n0t
even one kind word spoken--nOt even one kind
look bestowed II there thus far be no entry
in our favor in that golden book, now Is the
hour to secure a credit there, before the balances
are struck and the business for the year Is
closed. One popularity of Christmas is. that 1t
affords such a magnificent opportunity tor MAX
ing up for lost time. If the opening Spring
did not wake the slumbering kindness OF our
sOus-if the glowing Summer did not warm us
into an expansive humaDity-if the plentiful
Autumn did not teach us to give Of our plenty,
why here we have Christmas. coming In the
very middle OF Winter, with the frosts and the
SHOWS, with wages small and the days short,
and work hard to find and hard to keep-com-
ing exactly when il is most needed, and com
manding us, with sweet aud winning lmper-
business, to see that the hungry are fed and the
naked clothed, and that the houseless have
where to lay their aching heads How beaut
fully has everything been arranged This is
the time when (as the Psychologists tell u.s. it
is particularly necessary TO eat. What happens
II. III h...,
through all the roaring Of the storm aud pos
itiycly, though blandly asserting that it would
be a shame upon this happy day if stomachs,
which are 50 seldom full were not now gratui
tOusly filled to their utmost capacity. And
Christmas, we have been assured il something
of an epicure, and insists that for once, the OBJ
lects of his care shall taste Of the most tooth
some. He makes no secret of his partially for
turkeys. His approval of mince pics is, we
may say, a matter of history and, we may add.
matter of poetry also. For hundreds OF years,
he has been curious in plum buildings. lie is
very impressive and solemn in church; but he
comes out, if we may say so, the strongest at
the domestic board. Now, domestic board,
with no provision for the interior territories OF
our mortal frames spread thereon, is, in our
opinion, most unsightly and dscouTaging
ticle OF furniture. A hungry family upon any day
OF the year would have depressing effect upon
any good mans spirits; but a hungry family on
Christmas Day is apegTim, a cbimera, melan-
choly absurdity, a painfully ridiculous anachro-
nism, disappetzer, and disgrace TO the age in
which We live. Again, those who study our friend
Christmas carefully will be likely to find him with
persuasive smile upon his countenance, and
thermometer in his hand He knows we'll
enough that he is not apt TO bring warm wea-
ther along with him-that he and zero are old
acquaintances-that the bodies of poor people
about this time need a little additional invest
Ing-that caloric is handy thing 10 have in
the house. He has peculiarly melting eye
for the children. The larger sizes Of human
beings may rough ID; but n child shvering,
crOuching, Dinched aud blue. and starving with
cold, IL n horror to dream of unless immediate
steps are taken to prevent such n nocturnal
visitation hy judiciOus distribution of great
coats and pctticoats, and every other kind Of
comfortable vestment If all the fathers and
mothers who have enough and TO spare for their
little ones who tomorrow morning will be
wakened by the pleasant infant voises and the
lisping cries of merry Christmss !" who nour-
ish so tenderJ and who sqssd 80 carefully