Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-12-21
Christmas Gifts.

Nothing is more lovely than the gift-giving
which custom has made specially appropriate
to the holiday period upon which we are en-
tering. Far be it from us to say one word to
discourage the custom.
Affection never seems so lovely as when it
seizes especial occasions to express itself in
generous and appropriate bestowments. Love
cannot be pent within the chamber of its own
individual life. 1t must go forth into the
world where are the needy and the sad with
smile of good cheer lighting its face, and with
its hands filled with bountes. But there lis
reason in all things,-or should be. Love is
not less love because its outgoings are direct
ed by good judgment and inspired by COM
mon sense.
There is such a thing as OVERRIDING even SO
beautiful an exhibition as giving. The tyr
amy of custom is the worst of all tyrannies
To do as others do, for no better reason than
because they do it, is always silly and often
unjust. To cheat creditor, in order to do Il
benevolence, reveals such confusion in ones
moral conceptions that it would provoke
smile were it not for the stronger feeling that
the spectacle inspires. Our advice is friends,
that you give no gifts unless you can pay for
them and pay for them, too, without EN-
barrassment TO yourselves. Love can take no
pleasure in receiving gift which costs the
giver so dear.
The best giving, that giving which ailec-
ton prizes most-is not of gems and gold and
costly fabrics but of the heart. SMILE
kiss a look of cordial welcome, II warm grasp
of the hand, the bright face, the look Of CRATE
ful affection, the sweet word, tenderly spoken,
the pardon craved for harshness, the happy
reminiscence of life enjoyed together, these
are better in the eyes of those who love us,
than costly Jewels OF gifts that money buys.
If the fact that we can give less of substance
,I,,n ,tfl To tttn
spirit to those we love, this year, it shall be
the happiest year our love has ever known.
Cheer mp then, good friends, you who have
lost money and are still losing, you who can
not buy costly pres nts, as you have been
wont to do when the glad Christmas time
came round, remember that you, though buy
ing less, can give more. Loving is better
than buying. Loving is the highest form OF
giving; and he who loveth most giyeth most.
He whose name is mingled in all Christmas
memories as sweet fragrance is mingled with
pure air, gave that which is finer than all gifts
that money might buy for man,-liis own
sweet love and life. II some poor one, as
men count poverty, shall chance to read these
lines, some heavy hearted one, made so be-
cause she has not money with which TO buy
Gift of earthly substance, let her remember
Him who had not where to lay his head, when
on the earth whose hands knew not the
touch of money, and yet who gave to all OF us
gift beside which all our earthly giving
seems so small. He loved and gave himself
for those he loved. You love; give, then,
yourself to those you loves and you shall
have share in that reward which came to
him and shall continue TO come in eyer-ln-
creasing measures while the world stands
and not alone to him but to all who are like
him. Better is a dinner of herbs where love
is. than stalled OK and hatred Herewith"
REQ. W. IT, H. Murray.