The Press., 1891-12-31
Number 39.
w. c. T. U, DEPARTMENT.
The Lesson of Christmas.

"How do fish live in the water ?" asks the old French comedy, and the answer is, "The same as men do on land. The big fish eat up the little ones." This has been the way of the world for ages. In the Homeric times, one of the regular ways of getting rich was by the "spoil" of slaughtered enemies. The same idea appears often in the Old Testament writ ings. Ever since, the whole conception which the majority have of business" is to let somebody work hard and earn something, and then get it away from him. This is the theory-and practice of the so-called "Napoleons of finance ;" to draw in the small investors, the weak and unwary, and then drive them a-wreck and sweep all their treasure into the pock- ct of one who has neither toiled nor spun, except as the spider spins snares. This is the principle of the sweating shops" of the employment of starving working lgirls by millionaire employers, and the renting of horrible human burrows to starving tenants at palatial prices by mill lionaire landlords. These are simply va rious methods of enabling the big fish to eat up the little ones. The system often dignifled by the name of spolitical econo- n.y." teaching that every employer must tpay his workmen the very least on which they can live, is simply the cut-throat principle reduced to 8 science. Slavery was but the logical carrying out of the same principle to it's legitimate conclu- sion the master took care that his work men should subsist; he also took care that they should do no more than subsist 1; and the solid surplus of the profit be pocketed by ''divine right"-only that 1t was derived from the wrong divinity. The vast monopoly of the drink traffic has the same basis; let the millions toll and earn; then let the lily-handed saloon keeper and the millionaire brewer divide the spoil, and government come in fol a share of the plunder. In short, Ito be ministered unto" has been. for ages the one great object of human ambition, and is sadly so to-day.
 Against all this, Christmas Is an annual protest. In it's chimes we hear the echo of His words for whom it is named, mot to be ministered unto, but to minister Feven as the Son of man." "do good <. hoping for nothing again, that ye may be the children of your Father, who is in heaven ;" "when thou makest. a feast, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor, thy rich neigh. bors, lest they also bid thee again, and 8 recompense be made thee. But when thou makest feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou shalt be blessed: for they cannot recon pense thee, for thou shalt be recompenseG at the resurrection of the just" The Ihlessing of not being recompensed is com ing to be the joy of Christmas. This de light of all the newsboys' dinners, pool children's dinners, mission festivals with Christmas trees, dolls and jack-knives and other gifts dear to the hearts of boys and girls. Even the prisons share in the sunshine, with one day on which society has kind thought, even for those who have warred against it's peace. All these things are streaks of light upon the sky premonitory of that day, when the "peace on earth, good will to men," shall fill the world with light, not for one Christmas day, but through all the christian age. =
 Tue Voice.