Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-12-29
SPEAKING OF CHRISTMAS


drawbacks and al Christmas time tn.
evil seems at first blush, almost witho1
compensation. How wistfully we look a
pretty things we would enjoy giving anc
!. long for the luxury of being generous
We tell ourselves Of the pleasure We
might give, il only we had the money
Perhaps the keenest wish at Christmas i:
to give good gifts to little children, fol
they have still the naive sweetness to en-.
JOY receiving without any mean reserya-
tion-a fine magnanimity seldom retained
by bearded men; for il takes more gen.
crosby OF spirit to accept than to confer
favors- When we look into the matter
OF childrens' happiness over gifts it Is
surprising to find their delight centering
about some triae of little intrinsic value,
the gift has touched cord in the strange
little being that responds, the expensive
toy is neglected for FIVE cent top or a
squawker. that, to them, is dear at any
price, What lesson in unworldIiness is
a chiid's pleasure in trash, no element Of
sordid calculation takes for him the lustre
from tinsel. The morning OF his inno-
eence shines as the sun rising upon a
world husbed by the frozen breath of fog.
making all common things radiant with
an ephemeral glory. The wealth we
want could not add to the chiId's hap
piness and it is almost the same with
grown people, for in all gift-giying the
element of thoughtfulness is the element
fruitful OF pleasure both to him who gives
and him who takes. Most OF us know
what it is to feel hurt by the tactlessress
OF an utterly inappropriate gift, and who
has not been touched to the heart by
some trif1e that thought and loving work
has fitted to fiji real want, shaped to our
individual need. Very few people are
earthly enough to care how much, or little,
money has been spent upon them, but
all OF us do care to feel sure OF the love
and real impulse OF generosity back of the
gift, and when what is given is chosen at
hap-hazzard, as though to discharge
disagreeable necessity imposed BY the
season, we ARE right to mistrust the
senders' love. Since the real worth of a
gift lies in the GOODWILL We can manifest
through it, there is really not SO much
need oil longer purses as Of larger hearts
at this season, and all seasons. The best
Christmas gift was little naked baby in
a manager of straw sent because God so
loved the world.
1--WE exchange Christmas presents. +"
This is phrase that ought to be drawn
and quartered and never again allowed to
gather its sundered members into a
coherent whole. When present giving
comes to be matter Of barter and ex-
change it is high time that it were
dropped. To be honest, it is not a salts
factory sort of business and it has forfeit
cd all claim to consideration as any other
sort Of transaction. Giving that is the
result OF any motive except desire to
give for the sheer matchmaking pleasure
OF giving, has lest the divine element OF |
free-will offering and has descended into !
the market-place, where it is no better |
than any other form Of chaffering. |
1t takes good deal Of moral |
courage to break the pernicious
habit OF exchanging presents;
generally the habit began in all innocence
when the true gift spirit was alive, but
with those changes of feelings and assoc
Citations that time brings, the spirit dies,
leaving only dreary annual function in
its stead. The body should have been
accorded decent burial long ago but be-
cause it has been neglected is no excuse
for the continuance of the neglect. Let
Christmas 90 by without making one
single penunctory gift. Not knowing
that the exchange" has ended your
partner in guilt will send the annual
tribute, bear it as well as you can, it is
what you. must pay for return to the
path OF virtue. 1t is not only when the
car runs off the track that there is a
rve-breaking jar, jerking back on the
$500 - A~cS 40 painful, Dub afterwards
how smoothly one spins along. The ugly
Christmas chafering is over you viii get
no gift the next year to grieve you and
you will be no gladder for the cessation
q amenities than the quandom recipient
Of your reluctant gifts.
A great many letters are sent Just be-
lore Christmas to nearly every large
postoffice addressed to Santa Claus.
such letters in accordance with the law,
are sent to the dead letter office. But a
benevolent gentleman Of PHILADELPHIA.
rays the New York Tribune, has written
o the postmaster Of that city, asking that
III such letters be delivered to him. an
'e wishes to make an appropriate present
o the writer's. And it is now under con-
liberation whether the letters can be
egally given him.-Times- Democrat.
Want to Hold Their Jobs.
A Republican congressman from Ohio,
Who called on the president and asked