New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-12
MAKING READY FOR CHRISTu1S.

! MAKING READY FOR CHRISTfJS.
just word or two about this matter Of
! Christmas. Most Of the readers Of THE TRIB-
UNE are Christian people, and wise practical
people, who know the value OF fun and charity,
and hearty devotional feeling. and mean
therefore to keep the day which brings these
things into their houses and the hearts Of
their boys and girls. But the majority Of
TRIBUNE readers are not people whose estates
run up into seven figures, or who can deal gOr-
geous gifts around among their friends and
poor ncighbors, with no more trouble than it
cost Aladdin TO rub his rusty lamp. As q
rule, they measure the outlay Of dimes pretty
sharply, and play perpetual game of fence
with their monthly bills They mean to keep
Christmas, and to give Christmas gifts, but
they have in all probability about one-half or
one third as much money as they could afford
to give to the purpose in former years. The
wsest plan to follow as it seems to U.S. in
these circumstances, is 4:
|. Let the stinting and hardship. if it must
come, fall on the grown people; keep it ont Of
sight of the children on this day as much as
possible. If they have been used TO a tree,
so without your cigars or new bonnet, but
let it rise for them on this Christmas morning
with all its old splendOr. The middle-agcd !
can weigh a sacrifice at its insignificant value, |
and they have philosophy to meet it, But we |
question very much the good effects of the |
discipline of poverty at any season upon young
children. At all events spare it to them, If |
possible, in this gracious time when they think .
that all good gifts and gladncss come straight
from Him whose birthday it *.
II. Cut of your wealthy friends with the cheap
est and most trivial offerings. They will have |
sense enough to understand why YOU do il, |
and if they have not, they arc not worth |
keeping as friends Pit more thought. care, |
and sentiment into your little kecpsalcs for
them, and You will have more money left to
put into gifts for those who need substantial |
offerings.
III. "Remember the poor not by sending |
turkey to one hungry family, or a ton of coal /
to another, and then dropping the whole class
ont of your mind for the rest Of the holt |
days, but by actually taking thought how to |
help them substantially.
". Don't pay half your week salary for bit |
Of cloisonne to give your rich neighbor, whose
cabinets are full of such useless stuff, but take
photograph of his baby to the poor artist
round the corner to paint, so you shall scatter
real pleasure with both hands. You know
needy cousin to whose houscwifcly, anxious
soul Il set of embroidered napkins or handkcr-
chiefs would seem most proper gift, and YOU
know a necdlewoman starving for work;
make them both happy. Give the chdrcn's |
half-wOn coats and shoes to the poor
seamstress and cobblcr to bind and
patch, before You give them to those
who are still poorer than they Set the
children to worl, to mend their broken toys
and to dress their little trees and let them be
themselves the Christ children who shall
carry them out and give them away. So it
shall not be tinscllcd tree which you shall
plant, but habit of charity, of kindliness, of
love, which shall bear fruit their lives long.
Use your influence az well ~ your money to
scatter hope and help. Don't begrudge an
hours letter-wrting or a miles walk to find n
situation for that poor clerk or teacher out of
work. Don't be ashamed, either, to call in
cooperation in your kindly schemes. You can
yourself only afford to give an occasional
meal to the poor widow in the back street.
with her hungry brood, but with the help of
your fellows in the Office or shop you can set
her up in some small business which will give
her daily bread the year round.
Our hints are hOmcly, but we are talking,
we hope to homely, practical people. Lastly,
and above all, let us all remember in Christ
mas week. before we give a dollar away, to |
pay every dollar Of our debts. We have no |
right to give to rich friend or 10 starving seam |
stress the money which actually belongs to other |
people. If we cannot be honest, let us attract |
no false credit 20 ourselves by pretending TO !
be generous. We shall not be likely to de- /
ceiye our neighbOrs any more than God; and |
money honestly earned and honestly paid, is |
twice as live and useful as money gwen in |
aims.