The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-12-23
CHRISTMAS AID TIE cYNIc.
a Pessimist and Op;imist Talk It


A Pessimist and Optimist Talk Il
over.
"There is more bTotherly love and uplifting
OF spirit in a good fat turkey than in all th,
Christmas stories that ever were penned. =
said the cynic. "Holiday literature is not 70
my taste. 1t is usually of forced growth.
Written to fit the day, it has flavor OF I'm
naturalness. The hero of the Christmas
story is either translated on that dav, or le
has streak of perfectly phenomenal luck.
Its never so in real life. In fact, pleasure is
more evasive on Christmas than at any other.
tii1c, notwithstanding ali the extravacout
sentiment set afioat about the good will bust
ness"
To which the optimist replied: "Frt isn't it
good thing to have even the stories come
out right. It's pleasant to know that make
believe people find one day in the year joy-
oas There are so many wet blankets flung
around on the other 36i."
Il would rather have my slice of good will
cut up and given to me every now and then
than TO have big chunk of ii on Christmas" !"
continued the cynic. "All this buster isn't
sincere. Plenty Of people give presents be-
cause it's expected of them, not becanse they
have feeling of tenderness toward their fell
low Elortals. And how is humanity benefited
by spurt of genercsity!"
ut isn't perfection, this world isn't said
the optimist, musingly, "but there's lots of
goodness in the human animal after all No.
5ody but the babies cares for presents partic-
ularly; but its pretty custom to give them.
We're likely 10 grow so dcspicably selfish if
hero was no Christmas to remind US that we
could make somebody elso glad. And when
You come right down to solid facts, the dear.
grotesque old myth, Santa Claus, has done
more toward expanding the human heart and
seefing it tender toward the children and tie
ooor than all the sermons. What would we
10 without this good genius of Babyland who
ills the stockings while their owners arc
lway in the beautiful Land of Noas
The simple unquestionIng faith they
ave il him is worth more than the
rom OF kirss. There is no danger Of the
2arth being made too good by Gush
u generosity. We still have oil tine old
scourges ard few new ones. The Russian
eIiles still toll IL agony in the Siberian mines
The gaunt wolf of famine still prowls |
through the streets of great cities and on |
onely country roads The forked tongue of |
the hydra-headed devil of slander strikes hero |
and there doing its blasting work The !
north wind stinSs through the beggars rags.
The hot breath of disease still leaves its olden
rack of sorrow in the houses of the rich and |
,he novels Of the poor. and the old, old mar
plot, Death, IS rs formidable as ever Oh,
10, there is no danger of the grim old world
getting too good even for day, but through
lie leaden sky there gleam such stars of
promise that one can almost forget that
chris mas trees are sawed or at the base and
iave sticks for roots
Speaking of Christmas trees" said the
ynic, Il saw the most miserable caricature
# one to-day that could be imagined. 1t was
cast of limb from some Dives umbraSeous
ne. A small Lazarus had dragged it home,
ct it up near the front window i'll the pater-
lal shanty and strung it full of his miserable
There wasn't an article worth q
'enny in the lot. The collection was the
most depressing one ever on exhibition. Small
hunks of nothing wrapped in greasy paper,
lusters of old buttons found on the sidewalk
rom time to time, bits OF leather, nails, whit
led sticks, pieces of colorcd glass, and small
hina doll with both arms and legs broken
fl, comprised the assortment. Being n
ynic, I'm not much given to emotional I
cstasy, but [ could have wept over this
nrious burleSque of Christmas cheer. And
hat's about what Christmas means to half
ho people. The buster and pleasure of the
Gell- to do only emphasizes the distress of the
overly stricken. Tie Christmas angels are
ot impartial They fly swiftly over the
oofs of the wretched and linger long by the
earthstones of the rich"
The optimist smiled and sighed as he ,
lusingIy answered.: "Yes, the millennium is
long way OF, but there is some good win /
mong us, some generosity, some unseliish-
ess, some almost perfect love, and some c
ope for the future Of the race. We can't c
i have full Christmas trees any more than
c can all have continual joy and riches and
,ntentment 1t isn't III the plan; but its
,mcthing for . few to have pleasure. 1t has :,
zen said that if You make children happy i
hile they are children, you make them {
lppy twenty years later by the memory of
The rain of sorrow will fall upon them =
on enough Care and grief, old age and o
,ath are waiting for them down the road" g
"Well, wish the false would lie rung out q
III the true rung i'll rs soon rs possible" said
e cynic, as he walked away. G.. G.