The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-12-12
A WORD ABOUT CHRISTMAS.


thing About Prcsenta'
When what was designed to he o
pleasure becomes burden, it is time to
stop and examine il carefully, and see
II 1t Is the thing itself which has grown
to be such weight, or whether it "a
simply an awkward manner Of carrying
it. Certainly there must be something !
wrong IN any celebration OF Christmas
which results i'll serious fatigue of mind
and body. During the FIRST three
months OF the year, nothing Is more
commonly given as reason for i'll
health than an overstrein during the
holidays. "She got no wofh ont at
Christmas, or "She worked too hard III
flushing her Christmas presents" OF
"The week before Chrlsttuaa she was
tired ont with shopping" are eSCroes
which appear ~ surely rs January and
February come. The question must
occur sometimes to every Uho, whether
all this worry aid wear Of heart and
hand and brain are really worth while
Is there not some better way of celebra.
ting this day OF days than for women to
wear themselves out in making or buying
pretty triiles for people who already
have more than they can find room for?
Setting aside all effort Of eyes and fin.
gers, the mental strain is intense.
Merely to devise presents for dozon OF
more people, which must he appropriate
and acceptable, and which they do moi
already possess, and which no one else
IL likely to hit upon, is enough to wear
upon the strongest brain and when
ones means are not unlimited, and the
! question of economy must come in, the
matter IN still more complicated. The
agony of indecision, the weighing OF
rival merits In this and that, the dis.
! trcss when the article which In finally
| decided upon does not seem a. fascina.
ting as one had hoped, the endless round
of shopping, the packing to send to dis
tant friends, the frantic effort to finish
at the last moment something which
ought to have hcen done long ago, result
in relapse, when all is over, into o
complete WEAKNESS Of mind and body
which units one for either giving or re.
ceiving pleasure. Now, when nil this is
looked at soberly, does it payi 1t il a
remarkable fact that, although Christ
mas has been kept on the twenty-tifth
day of December for more than thou
sand years, its arrival seems as mex.
pected rs if it had been appointed by the
President. No one il ready for ii, al.
though last year every one resolved to
lie so, and about the middle of Decem
Der there begins rush and hurry which
is really more wearing than May NOV.
ing.
1t seems to be part of the fierce nc
tivity of our time and country that even
our pleasures must be enjoyed Mt high
pressure. While 1t is almost impossi.
bic, in matters of business, to act upon
the kindly suggestion Of intelligent
critics that we should take things more
leisurey, surely, in matters of enjoy.
ment, we might make al effort tobe less
overworked. Cannot the keeping o.
Christmas, for example, be made to con.
sist in other things than gifts? Let tic
giving be for the children and those to
whom our gifts are real necessities.
As q people, we are negligent in the
matter of keeping birthdays. If these
festivals we're made more of in the family,
especially among the elder members, we
should not find that We were losing the
blessedness of giving and the happiness
of receiving, even If We did omit pres
cnts Mt Christmas time. In many larg,
families n mutual understanding tina
the Christmas gifts were oil to be TO
the children would be an immense relief
although, perhaps, no one would b.
quite willing to acknowledge 1t. Some
times large circle of brothers and sis
tiers can unite in gift, in that wa,
making it possible to give something o
more value, and Mt the same time I,
lessen the difficult task of selection.
Above all things, if you give presents
he more anxious to give something which
"suppics want than to send som,
pretty trine which can only prove in til,
eud nm nd ditional care. A little fore
thought and friendly putting of yourself
in another's place will make this possible
In the great world of books something
can be found to suit every taste. Flow
ers are always n graceful gift, and cal
never become burdensome by lasting
after one has grown tired of them
There ARE numberlcss other things which
can be procured, without wear anC
tear of mind and body which make tn,
recipient feel as David did of the waite
from the well of Bethlehem, that wha
) cost so much was too valuable to be nc
ccpted. SUSAN ANNA BRowN, in tn
Century for December.