Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
CHRISTMAS TIME

Paragraphs, columns, pages,
ave books, cannot tell US all of the
meaning there is in these two
beautiful words-Christmas time.
Who is so old that he does not
give pleasant thoughts to Christ
mas time and its incidents-its
ceremonies prompted by the good
that is in the hearts of mankind?
The cooling babe seems to know
when Christmas time has come.
The rich and the poor; the young
and the old; the wise and the
simple; the good and the bad
everybody is influenced by the
holy Christmas time memories.
The joy and gladness in the home
of the poor, where a dollar has
placed presents in the stockings of
a half dozen little ones, Wednesday
morning, will be as great as in the
home Of wealth where thousands
of dollars have been conferred in
beautiful and costly presents. 1t
is a wonderful day for reckoning,
is Christmas. The wife and chill
dren Of the toiling husband and
father value the gifts of husband
and father, not by the dollar which
was used in getting them, but by
the love hat impelled the buying.
The wife and little ones are not
unmindful of husband and papa's
struggle to pick up money TO lay
in the winters coal, buy clothing
and pay taxes. They know, and
appreciate-God bless the dear
oneS-how hard each dollar has
been earned, and how precious it
is; and when, on the day of days
the day which the songs of
angels proclaimed IS the one upon
which the Christ-child came to
earth for mankind's benefit, weary,
loving, thoughtful papa and hus-
band pours out his heart-his love
in a present for each member of
his flock, his dear ones measure
the gifts and the love by endless
tape-lines, and their hearts go out
to him SO earnestly and warmly
that for the day he forgets his
struggles and his home is a very
heaven and its inmates angels.
May God send a happy, merry
Christmas to the homes of all of
the honest toilers of the broad
earth. The busy men of the office
and store-the men ofWealth-are
as surely touched by the sweet
influences Of the hour as any other
class; they want to add to the
happiness of those about them.
They have unspeakable pleasure
in gladdening their employees with
tokens of respect and love; they
fill their homes with costly gifts
for each member of the family.
For a day his heart and mind are
drawn from business. The Christ
that is in him looks out of his face
and shows i'll his acts and goodly
gifts. He, like the honest toiler
with hardened palms, is made bet
ter for the holy influences of the
blessed Christmas time which had
controlled his conduct. The chill
dren of the poor who have spent
their pennies in buying material
out Of which to make presents for
papa, mamma, brothers and sisters,
will be better men and women for
such use of their money and that
work. The children of rich
parents who have used a portion
of their allowance in making and
arranging presents for their less
fortunate friends, will be all the
better for it. The young women
of moderate means-mearfS they
have earned by honest, hard work,
in the store or office, who have
spent weeks in skillful work as
present manufacturerS-well, heav-
ems best blessings are none to
good for them. Let is thank God
for the sweet, softening influences
of the beautiful Christmas time
Sunday Telegraph.
The death of Mrs. Harrison's
sister, Mrs. Scott-Lord, has cast a