Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-12-22
From the Christian
Christ's Christmas Gifts.

by HARHirr nSKcnrn srowE.
" lT7,a H. oscen.Icd up on high, Ne led coytirry
crpiirc. nrt GAVE Gffrs unto men. '--Eph. W.;
Sems 'ay ,ha. ever gains, ,hai sessea comes
NhrIeln onr sayisur'r birth y celebrate.
Iheiird ~ dawulng -inge,h ull night long.
AMI lien. they sey no evii spirit walks;
sify asss @ no Witch hath ii'' power 70 charm i,'
:, nailoNed sud 80 ernciou y the time.
Aud this holy tine, so hallowed aud SO
gracious, was settling down over the great
roaring, nttling, seething life-word of New
York, in the year IS. Who does not feel
its oncoming in the shops and streets, in the
festive air of trade aud business, in the thou
sand gamitures by which every store hangs
out triumphant banners, and solicits you TO
buy something for a Christmas gift For
it is the peculiarity Of all this array Of prints,
confectionery, dry goods, and manufactures
Of all kinds, that their bravery and splendor
at Christmas tide is all 10 seduce you into
generosity, aud inportune You to give some
thing to others. II says to you g. The dear
God gave gouan unspeakabe gift give you
a lesser gift to your brother"
DO We ever think, when we walk those
busy. bustling streets, all alive with Christ.
mas shoppers, and mingle with the rushing
tides that throng and ioste through the
stores. that unseen spirits may be fastening
" anu lNh dtNil, AiiRNf oAlllN way - bNhiAAt
Christ's Christmas gifts to men-gifts whose
value no earthly gold or gems can represent
Yet, on this morning of the day before
Christmas, were there Shining Ones, moving
to aud fro with the crowd, whose faces were
loving and serene as the invisible stars,
whose robes took no deflement from the
spatter aud the rush of earth, whose coming
and going was still rs the falling snow.hakes.
They entered houses without ringing door
bells, they passed through apartments with
out opening doors, and everywhere they were
bearing Christ's Christmas presents, and
silently Offering them to whoever would open
their souls to receive. Like themselves, their
gifts were invisible--incapable of weight
and measurement in gross earthly scales.
To mourners they carried Joy; to weary aud
perplexed hearts, peace; to souls sitting in
luxury and self-indulgenoe, they carried that
noble discomfort that rises to aspiration for
higher things. Sometimes they took away
an earthly treasure to make room for a
heavenly one. They took health, but left
resignation and cheerful faith, They took
the dear babe from the cradle, but left in its
place heart full of pity for the suffering on
earth, aud fellowship with the blessed in
heaven. Let us follow their footsteps awhile.
SOME |.
A young girls boudolr, In one of our
American palaces OF luxury. built after the
choicest fancy of the architect, and furnished
in all the latest devices of household decora-
tion. Pictures, statuettes, and every form
Of Jijowerie make the room miracle Of
beauty, and the little princess of all sits in
an easy chair before the fire, and thus re-
solves with herself;
"Oh, dear me Christmas is a bore {
Such a rush and crush in the streets-such
a jam in the shops, and then such fuss
thinking up presents for everybody! All
for nothing, too for nobody wants anything
I'm sure ! don't. I'm surfeited now with
pictures and iewelry and bon-bon boxes,
aul little china dogs and oats-and all these
things that get so thick you can't move with
out upsetting some of them. There's papa,
he don't want anything lie never uses any
Of my Christmas presents when | get them (;
and mamma, she has every earthly thing
can think of, aud said the other day she did
hope nohodyd give her any more worsted
work Then Aunt Maria and Uncle John,
they don't want the things | give them /,
they have more than they know what to do
with now. All the boys say they don't
want any more cigar cases or slippers or
smoking caps. iitt NtdI Z
Here the shining ones came and stood
over tho little lady, aud looked down on her
with faces of pity, which seemed blent with
a serene and half-amused indulgence. 1t
was a heavenly amusement, such as that
with which mothers listen to the foolish
wise prattle OF children Just learning to talk.
As the grave, sweet eyes rested tenderly
on her, the girl somehow grew graver, leaned
l. 4 Z. L.. .l,.t, a II
" wish ! knew how to be better !" she
said to herself " | remember last Sunday
text, 1t is more blessed to give than to re-
ceve That must mean something Well,
isn't there something, too, IN the Bible about
giving 10 your rich neighbors that can give
again, but giving to the poor that cannot
recempense you ? | don't know any poor
people. Papa says there are very few de-
serving poor people. Well for the matter
of that, there aren't many deserving r.oL peo.
pie. !, for example how much do deserrs
10 have all these nice tlings I'm no bet.
ter than the poor shop girls that go trudging
by in the cold at six O'Clock in the morning
ugh il makes me shiyer to think of it.
| know if had to do that / shouldn't be
good at all. Well, Ia like TO give to poor
people, if knew any"
At this moment the door opened, and tho
maid entered.
hetty, do you knaw any poor people
ought to get things for, this Christmas 2"
Poor folks is always plenty, miss, said
/ Betty.
/ 40 yes, of course--beggars but mear
| people that ! could do something for besides
/ Just give cold yiotuals or money. | dom
! know where to hunt them up, and should b'
/ afraid TO 90 il | did q dear it's no use