The record-union., 1891-12-12
A REMINDER OF THE SEASON.

A REMINDER OF THE SEASON
The special season Of giving is at hand.
The spirit of the Christmas time is
abroad, and all manner of men feel it's
quiet influence. 1t is toning down the
rough places in our natures; it is smooth
ing the paths that lead to peace, and its
oews are distilling in millions of hearts
the cordial of love and kindness
Charity is pluming her wings for new
flights. and affection is endowing homes
and hearts with priceless treasures.
Benevolence finds it's Office enlarging,
and good deeds multiply as the dawn of
the season Of peace and good will
comes on.
In these days, when we contemplate with
love and reflect with satisfaction upon
the delights we can awaken through the
agency of tokens of affection and regard,
we need to remind ourselves that there
are others than ourselves who have
claims upon us. The poor we have
with Us always. They are our brethren,
and We are untrue to ourselves if in
home delights and comforts we forget
them for moment.
Sacramento has splendid agencies to
serve as almoners for our charities. The
orphans asylum we are accustomed to
aid; its call upon us is constant, and it is
blessed that it is so. For we love to cul-
tivate giving to it; it is good for US and
enriehes the more that which we retain
1t should not be, indeed it is not, neces-
sary at any time to remind our people Of
their duty towards the fatherless and
motherless little ones in that institution
The people give to it day by day freely,
and are proud of every days opportu-
nifty. To appeal especially for aid to be
given to it through specific channels, is
20 divert US from the good, time-worn
method of sending our gifts to it directly
day by day.
That is not our purpose therefore, but
TO jog the memory concerning the Christ
mas hopes Of the children in the asylum.
While we should double our offerings to
the institution in this month, we should
see to it that children's delights are sent
IN plenty. Let the little ones have
Christmas feast, and Christmas books,
and Christmas toys, and the merriest and
happiest of Christmas memories to carry
over into 1892. Help the orphan asylum
pour into its storerooms clothing, food
and fuel, but pour into the laps of the
children those little gifts that satisfy the
childish desire, and make the present a
living joy.
The "Howards," we must remind our
selves, have, for more than thirty years,
proved the best of agencies for reach
ing and helping the worthy poor. There
are the shelterless and the ill-clad there
are those whose pinched faces betoken
empty stomachs; there are the sick poor,
the wholly destitute, the families to
whom crusts are delicacies, and children
whose homes are the abode of desolation
aud penury. All of these the Howards
know. Their directory of woe and hu-
man suffering is full TO overfiowing.
While our stricken and suffering poor
neighbor shares our well-fIle6 store
house, let US see to it that the Howards'
hands are upheld. Let us enable that
noble institution to send something OF
Christmas cheer into the homes where
poverty sits by the hearth, and where
disease and misery walt by the threshold.
The orphans, tho Howards, the private
and church benevolent societies, the
benevolent brotherhoods, the sick in
the hospitals, the charity schools, the
poverty stricken all over the city, these
by our people should be made glad that
Christmas-tide is at hand.
We are liberal people; we give freely
suffering and want do not appeal to us in
vain, we relieve them, to our honor be il
said, as few others do; but in the last
days of this year of grace, 1891, let us dc
just little better than ever before, and
be just little more generous than in the
past, that We may be little better con-
tented than ever before with ourselves,
and more joyously than in any years
gone by celebrate Christmas at home.