The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1886-12-25
CHRISTMAS AND THE cYNIc.
A Pessimist and Optimist Talk s.
Over.

"There is more brotherly love and upiifiina
Of spirit in a good TAT turkey than in all the
Christmas stories that ever were lanned.r
s.id the cynic. Holiday literature i not TO
my taste. It is usually of forced growth
Written to fit the day, it has lla,o or OF un-
naturalncss The hero Of the Christmas
story is either translated on that day. or hs
has "A streak Of perfectly phenomenal lack.
It's never 50 in rear life I'm fact, pleasure Is
more evasiye on Christmas then at anv other
time, notwithstanding ali the extravacaut
sentiment set afloat about the good viii busi-
ness"
To which the optinlist replied. Put isn't *
a good thing TO have even the storc, come
out rightl It's pleasant 10 know that make
believe people find one day in the year ioy-
ous. There are so many wet blankets flung
Ground on the other 364."
i would rather have my slice of good viii
mt up and given to me every now and then
chan 10 have big chunk OF il on Christmas"
continued the cynic "All this buster isn't
sincere. Plenty Of people give presents be
cause it's expected Of them not because they
have a feeling of tenderness toward their fell
iow mortals. And how is humanity benefited
by a squirt of generosity"
"It isn't perfection, this world isn't" said
sle optimist, musingly, but there's lots of
GOODNESS i'm the human animal after all No
ody but the babies cares for presents partic-
llarly; but it's pretty custom to give them.
fo're likely 70 grow so despicably selfish if
here was 10 Christmas to remind us that we
.ould make somebody else glad And when
,ou come right down to solid facts, the dear,
rOtesQue old myth, Santa Claus, has done
lore toward expanding the human heart and
,acping it tender toward the children and the
aor than all the sermons. What would we
To- without this good genius of Babylaud who
his the stockings while their owners are
way in the beautiful Land of Nod
The simple unquestionmg faith they
eve in him is worth more than the
own of kings There is no danger of the
rth being made too good by a gush
generosity. We still have all the old
-,,rgcs and a few new ones The Russisn
rs stil toll in agony in the Sibe, ian mines
The gamt wolf Of famine still prowls
through the streets Of great cities and on
lonely country roads. The forked tongue Of
the hydra-headed devil of slander strikes here
and there doing its blasting work. The
north wind StingS through the beggar's rags.
The hot breath Of disease still leaves its olden
track of sorrow in the houses of the rich and
the novels cf the poor. and The old, old mar
plot. Death is as formidable as ever. Oh,
no. there is no danger of the grin old world
getting too good even for day, but through
the leaden sky there CLEAN such stars Of
promise that one can almost forget that
I 3ofPo or ba
have sticks for roots.
"Speakmg of Christmas trees" said the
cvnic. Il saw the most miserable calicature
Of one today that could be imagined. 1t was
a cast of limb from some Dives umbraSeouS
one. A small Lazarus had dragged 1t home,
Sc. it up near ,he front window IL the pater-
nal shanty and strung it full OF his miserable
possessions There wasn't an article worth
peDnv in the lot The collection was tho
most dcpressing one ever OF exhibition. Small
chunk. Of nothing wrapped in greasy paper,
clusters Of old buttons found on the sidewalk
from time 10 ume. bits OF leather, nails, "hll-
tied sticks. pieces Of colored glass, ana sinai
china doll with both arms and legs broken
off c0nu,rised the assortment Delh%
cvnic. I'm not much given to emot'onai
ecstasy bnt | could have wept over this
serious builesque Of Christmas cheer. Ahu
that's about what Christmas means ~ haI
Tn. PEOPLE. The buster and pleasure q me
well to- do only emphasizes the distress OF ''l'
povertv stricken The Christmas angels ave
not impartial They fly swiftly over lne
roofs of the wretched and linger long by tho
hearthstoues of the rich"
The opti,nist smiled and sighed as he
r,psioolv answered.: "Yes the millennium IS
lons way of, but there is some good ~iu
anon ms. some generosity, some unsei'isn-
ree. some almost perfect love, and some
hone for he future Of the race. We cant
an hac. 'fuil Christmas lreos any more tla'l
We cam an have continual JOY and riches ana
,o,,..,rr,ont Ii isn't in the p!an' bap iVS
sose ..rs for few TO have pleasure IL mas
been said CHAT il you make children happy
whiI. her ere chiidron. you make them them
happy twenty years later by the melnory u, .,l oi
If ihe rain Of sorrow viii fall upon them
soon enough. Care and grief ola age ana !
dea.b are waiting for them Gown tao ROAD.
wen wish tne falls, ~oui be rang out
and tse true rung in as soon as possible SAD
~. ..,,,,. as ne walked away u ="