The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-12-26

Holiday @sution-4ri,sss Ehemi IL e..
Better 70 Saye a5oney rhaH 10
Spcnd u.
Thesthings we do as Christians are
touched with a certain grain OF extrav-
agance, us beuntifuf IN some 81 It's as
poets as the extravagance Of nature IN
juno. 1t Is the childrep's carnival the
midsummer OF charity to the poor, the
s~pting-tide OF goodwill TO men; the
3eime OF the yea when heaven opens,
and angels come down tossing TO sailors
on the ocean, to- oId-country folks ia
the l~ong-reaches of new colonies, to
people In hospitals, poor-houses, in
mansions. and "the huts where poor
men lie !" the time when the atmos-
phere Is just right for cl%ear-burning
fires, and 1T would be something of q
shame for the wind to send the smoke
down any chimney as IL does O week
before or after; when there is a goodly
smell abroad, as il the frankincense
the wise men brought on q day long
ago, TO temper the faint of a stable,
had got into this whole world Of ours,
as a trailing cloud of the odors OF spiced
bread when the poorest platters and
mugs take u touch OF fine recklessness
oy reason OF the thoughtfulness of
those who have bread enough and to
spare : when the Christmas tree grows
all radiant and fruitful, as no other
tree which blooms through the year:
for 1t bears at least twelve manner of
fruit. ndthe leaves Of the.tree are for
the healing of the nations.
l would not therefore insult Christ.
mas by u~nderdoing 1t. The man who
then does most for his fellow men, ac-
cording to his means, does best. We can
give the tramp who comes I o our back
door, ar,oyal cup of coffee Christmas
morning. with a good grace, though
we have to @ that he does not run
away with the spoon. They are wide
pages the angel opens,in the book of
lie at Christmas ; and when we do our
best, we cannot do it quicker than he
can write 1t down.
Still l 1T is not hard to see how
we may spare, ven at Christmas-tide,
ana yet do more and better than if we
spend. LIZ ~ man spends the money he
ought to save to pay his debts, when he
knows very we'll he can only paw his
.;ebts by saving, he may give what he
buys, rightand left with an open hand,
and 1T viii be to his own shame. L have
never digested one of the best d
! ever sat down to in my life, though
it is years since [ ate it. because, as it
came out after, my host owed for it
ut the store, and the debt was never
paid. L don't want any more of those
lars spent every Christmas, of other
mems money. Not u penny ought to be
laid out in gifts one can we'll let alone.
Men who do that get drunk on their
own generosity, though they never
taste OF wine and, if they are men of
conscience, the headache and henrt-
ache of getting sober will be none the
less for their motive in getting drunk.
We should never spend when we
ought to spare, especially il we have
families. One of the saddest things /
have struck in my life has been the
sight of families left destitute, through
q certain easy-going generosity in the
man out OF whose life they sprang, who
would have everything of the best
trusting to his luck to come out all
right; who would spare nothing at
Christmas-time, or any other time.
SO that he might have things hand
some, while he had not laid up q dollar
for o rainy day Oh for that instant peril
of death which dogs all IL footsteps
between the cradle and the grave.
Saving is SO slow to such men and so
hard! l should not take much stock In
that man who would not close instantly
with the proposal of u decent com.
petence Tor his wife and children, in
exchange for the open gates of heaven,
and the angels waiting with a crown.
If he had the chance.
I'VE brought nothing into this
world. and it is certain we can carry
nothing out" the sad old Hebrew cries.
l answer. .S,lcclN spralS.
mere things . WIN
me when | go away, l carry the account
OF what have done to fend for those
leave behind me, and save them from
the bitter pangs Of poverty, by m,
forethought, self denial, and cleaj
grit, from the day when | took a maid
from her mother, and said, Trust mt
to take care of you, whatever comes, t,
be q house-bo n toyou and the childre,
God mayg' us )" yes even by pushins
back Christmas, if we have TO do il
and letting the BARNS rise to find empt,
stockings these hard times. Better EN-
PITY stockings to-day than the bitter bar,
winter of poverty, if | should be take,
from them. | can easily imagine how
a man would be glad to exchange hi,
golden harp and crown, if he could, fol
good six e cent stock if he could
find himself in heaveD-supposing f,
mat could go there, when, though his
own carelessness, he has left a wife
and family of little ones without n pen
ny in the world.