Morning journal and courier., 1891-12-18
COMMUNICATIONS.
Have we the Christ Spirit in our
 Christmas Giyinaf

Have we the Christ Spirit in our
 Christmas Giyinga
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 AS the Christmas season is nigh, let us search our hearts to see if in our giving we have the true Christ spirit. Do we give to those sorely needing our love and remembrance? Do we put our best selves into our gifts, or is our giving mainly self indulging? Do we remember those who but for our timely thoughts would have no Christmas? Or do we make long list and begin thus: "This one gave me such thing last year; I must spend that amount on her; that one ha, done me such and such a favor; I must remember her, &c., &c." And thus a long list is made, and for the one with purse as short as the list is long there is weary hunting and perplexing how to get things that look wo1th dollars tho costing cents. So we see worn out women tried and vexed with Christmas shopping when it ought to be only buoyant pleasure. So we see 8 spirit of barter and exchange instead of a spontaneous gift of love and ones best self Among the favored children of the land there is growing commercial spirit of Christmas, and general lack of appreci- ation of anything because they have too much of everything; they meet but to count their gifts and and compare values, and make miserable the ones lacking much. How much better it would be could we see all young and old, instead of reckoning what they have received, counting up the negIected and unfortunate they have made happy; instead of knowing, as many of us do, that the exchange of gifts among the | wealthy often only brings the inquiry to many 8 pampered dame, "What shall do with this stuff! 1 can't use it; l can't give it away because it was given to me-" But | why not give it away to some one who has none such, even if it is an ornament or bit of finery, and satisfy for once the nat | ural craving of every woman's heart for 8 dainty, pretty thing?
 | Wouldn't the gift be then more than twice blessed, and ought not this to make more than happy the original donorl espe' cially if the gift be passed on by one who might not otherwise have the power oi giving to one she happens to know needs ''just that thing" Are those we know ! and love- and who are not in need, the ones to heap our Christmas gifts on Would not they, if asked, say: ''Don'i spend on me; I have your love and re membrauce always; care for those who but for you would have no such timely re hinder of Christ-love" There are many who count on having clothes-baskets ful of fancy nothings who already have SC many ''gimcracks" that they can scarce find store room for them. If all such fla vored ones would ask their friends to us' the money they would thus spend ii spreading a real Christ spirit of giving, O. if there could be an understanding be tween loving friends that, instead of thu usual elaborate exchange, this money shal go to the needy, neglected ones, ther' would be many less cases of nervous pros tration from the worry of "What shall
 get for Tom, Dick and Harry, who hav' everything already" and we should speed fly see the homes for tired working girl built, the day nurseries fiourishing, and best of all. hope and faith, and cheer reused in many a barren heart.
 L. H. P.