The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-20
BAB'S CHRISTMAS CHEER.
a WoMAN's HEART THAT IS FULL
OF HUMAN KINDNESS.

Reveries of Firelight-That Half of
This World of Whom SO Many of Us
Know Nauzht-Houses In Which
Christmas is But Name-The Chill
dren Of the Stage and the Newsboys.
Families in Which Are Little Domes-
tic Rifts-Whers to Send a Christmas
Greeting -Bab's Personal Word to
Her Readers-What to Put in q
Christmas Stocking.
Copyright 1871
NEW YORL, Dec. 1g-Almost every
thing is ready for Christmas The last
packages may need to have the rose-colored
papers wrapped about them and the dainty
ribbons tied, for Christmas gift loses half
its sweetness unless it is prettily put up, but
that is all. Half wearied with the pleasant
work, one sits down to think it all over.
REvERIEs OF A FIRELIGHr.
You have heard somebody say that
Christmas comes but once year, and you
study out in tie freight what it ell means,
and WHY it is that, even 70 those who do not
believe in the divinity of the Christ-child,
there is yet a feeling at this time of the year
that everybody should be more loving, aud
that life itself should be full of kindness
and merriment. For a week your heart has
been overlooking with kindly
feeling toward everybody, from tha beg
gar on the street to those of your
own household; e. you know it's
the atmosphere. The air is redolent with
pleasant words, with the odor Of pine and
cedar, the shop windows are full OF toys and
trifies, the wax-berred mis- letoe is CLEAN
ing from the florists shops, and everything
is saying as plainly as it can. "Be of good
cheer" Now, suppose you who have 1t
just give a thought to the ones who have
not, to whom there has come nothing of
good cheer when the world should be full OF
it,
CHILDREN OF THE STAGE.
Think of two little children you heard
about; two little children who night after
night dance on the stage dressed like little
fairies, looking as bright and dainty as pos
siole, and who 30 charm you that you take
your own happy brood to look at them. You
think life must be full of gladneSs when
they dance so merrily, and yet, when these
what they would like for Christmas, the
older of the two, a little 10-year-old
mother, said: please get our coats out of
pawn; father put them there and it's so
cold going home at night without any
coatp No coats TO 60 home in, and your
little daughter is always warm in the fur
one that the loving kindness of one man has
made possible for her. Your little girl
doesn't know what it il to shiver as she
crosses the long bridge over the dark river to
get home to comfortless place and to have
the few miserable clothes that are theirs
pawned by drunken, wretehed father.
Leave the fire for minute, go in and kueel
by your baby's bed. kiss her, and say: "But
for the grace Of God that might be my
daughter" SO give thought to the little
children of the stage. Honest, hardwood
ing little toilers, whose earnings go so many
times to support those who ought to care for
them.
WHERE CHRISTMAS is BUT A NAME.
Look In the fire again, and you see there,
trooping out of a great factory, hundreds OF
children-children who have worked ever
since they can remember, whose nursery
song was the sound Of those dreadful
wheels, who perhaps have mothers and
grandmothers there, to whom Sunday only
means day to sleep, and Christmas, too
often, day when they lose one twenty-four
hours pay. D, yes, there are employers
who do this, who deduct for death, for sick
ness, and for holidays, so-called. Can't
you, out of the fullness Of your heart and
your purse, think of these ohildren9 Can't
you manage to make merry Christmas for
at least one of them9 Surely you can.
can spare from your stock Of oranges and
sweets, and to put that little girl in an en-
tire new suit of clothes wouldn't cost you l
cent more than the favors you have on
your dinner table. You say you object to
tndiscriminate charity o, you hard
hearted woman; you want your name to be
published as a subscriber to some great So
cietyl Suppose. when the last great day
comes your child should be refused admit
lance to heaven because her name was not
enrolled by the secretary who writes down
the names with pen of pearl in a golden
book Suppose when Christ came in the
form of a little child he had selected ex-
actly who would be the little children who
should come to him Do you think that's
possible? Don't stop to think whether
charity discriminates or NOT, but give, give
from your plenty and in giving, think of
the little children, who work oil day long
in the factories, and whose toll never seems
to end.
THE BUSY NEwsBoY's CHRISTMAS.
Look in the fire agaio, and see your own
boy, IL years old. handsome, happy. warm
and looking forward to so much joy this
week then look at another boy, his clothes
are more or less ragged, he
is blowing in his hands to
keep them warm; he laughs, although his
poor little face is pinched ami blue with the
himself; and he is only too happy when the
day is ended and his stock sold out. He
likes to play ball and marbles as we'll as
does your boy. He never tasted beautiful
ices and sweet cakes, but he knows the de-
lights Of hokey-pokey ice cream and the
JOY of ginger bread he adores an apple, and
he THINKS if there is anything in this world
worth eating, it's a piece of turkey with
plenty of gravy over il. He is apt to get
this at Christmas, but sometimes he doesn't,
SO won't you give thought to him9 You
know who | mean-the bright, CHEEKY, hon
est little newsboy, who jumps on the street
car at the risk OF breaking his neck; VINO
didn't even find the blizzard too cold TO go
out in, and who is always ready to face
storm or sunshine with bravery that is
unsurpassed. Don't forget him in making
up your Christmas packages. he may DO
President of the United States; he stands a
better chance of it than does your boy, for
the world is teaching him-teaching him
with kicks and knocks; though it's hard, it's
an education that makes men out of boys.
But he isn't President just now, 80 think Of
him in your distribution.
LIES LITTLE RIFFS.
Look in the fire again. There comes up
before you somebody you love, who is far
away-somebody who labors under mis-
understanding; somebody who doesn't
know that love, forgiveness and a warm
Christmas greeting are waiting for him in
the east; somebody who doesn't know or
doesn't remember that the heart Of a
,,o+bar pavar n an0ea-that IL al WAYS ooaz