Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-28
AL-MIANGToN, DELAWARE, T4UKspAY, DECNNlBNR


were hard or not, whether the household
was prosperous or not, that tree of ever.
lasting goodwill was always there, bear
ing the fruit of happiness. Nowadays |
wonder If children ever go to seek this
tree and are disappointed? | cannut
imagine anything more dreadful. Indeed,
everything about Christmas that comes
close to the little people ought to be OBJ
served, to teach them, not only the beauty
OF generosity, but to impress upon their
minds that it is the day OF the anniversary
Of the coming OF the greatest OF all gifts
Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord.
III your heart, and in NINE, there is
always Christmas that stands out palmer,
clearer, and brighter than any other.
Sometimes it is not a happy one; some
times IL is one that is so happy that we
know there will never be another like it,
and think then what We nave got? A
beautiful memory Nothing compares
with this. To-day, tomorrow or next
week we may be wretched, but always we
eau turn back the leaves of the book of
life to page on which is written ,'Happi-
ness, aud we can gloat over it us u miser
would over his gold. Haven't you such
Christmas
nan LOOKS BACKWARD.
am more than rich; | have two. One
was a great many years ago. We had
thought out our Christmas gifts, and we
had wondered all the time WHY. instead of
our mother. our father went with us to do
the mysterious buying, Days went by
and we didn't see her, but we got messages
aud notes, aud we knew that in the other
side of the house she was to be found, and
We firmly believed that she WAS having
daily interviews with the Spirit of Christ
mas that the day might be happier for us.
m fanN
the. church bells reused us bright and
early. We flew to the library, two happy
boys and one small girl, and there we
found such Christmas tree as we had
never seen before, and close to it, seated
Ill an easy chair. was the mother, all
dmntily dressed, anu looking, with her
golden hair and blue eyes, hike one of the
angels. Underneath the tree, in real
crib, lay little baby that had come the
week before, with eyes as blue, and little
curb as yellow as those on the dolls. and
on her spread was pinned card that said
This is the Christmas gift that came
straight from Heaven" Do Won wonder
that that was happy Christmas?
XMAS AND LOVE ARE ONE.
Years afterwards, when the children
were around the tree, hidden behind the
curtains was girl waiting to tell her
story; to tell that heart had been given
To her. and that because she feared they
would think she was too Young TO take It
II she asked, she had done without the
asking, ana gold band ON her finger told
That, though her hair WAS in long braids
and her. irOck was short. and yesterday
they had spoken of her as a child, to-day
SHE was a bride. The story was whispered,
the little bride was dressed AS "a woman
anu that night when they all were dancing
together, 1t seemed to her as il that was
the best Christmas she had ever known
because 1t had brought her love. Did they
blame her? My friend, if people were
harsh on Christmas Day they would never
keep the love OF their children
1 tell you what we want To dove want
to make up our minds that one day in the
year shall be perfectly happy for some
BODY, and, as surely US we give happiness,
Will we receive it.
BYGoNE CHRISTMAS JOYS.
Don't you love to think over the dear
Christmas time. 10 remember the woolly
dogs that bark, of the Noah's ark filled to
Overlooking with mysterious animals, flies
and elephants the same size, and tigers and
poodles looking exactly alike? Don't YOU
ioVe TO think OF the wonderful dolls
house where, ii the young lady wishes to
20 upstairs, she has TO be lifted out one
window and put in another? Don't YOU
love the wonderful tea service that will
hold real things to eat2 And the stove in
which you can make iire2 The carpen-
ters' tools that will saw the legs off of
chalrsf The engines that can be wound
up and will run all around the room, and
the dear dolls that will submit to having
their curls combed? II you don't care
Tor any of the Christmas belongings,
there Is something very wrong about
you. like to think it is your digestion
that IS BAD, for nobody wishes to believe
that anybody's heart is hard at Christmas
time. And you know one doesn't need to
have much to make Christmas. One can
make it in ones heart. 1t is sad TO be
alone at this time. Don't you know some
body lonelier than yourself whom YOU can
ask to come and be with you? Those are
the people we want to look ont for at such
time. The people who are alone. People
TO whom Christmas is not merry. and who
cannot in themselves make it glad. one
needn't to go out in the highways and BY
ways TO find these people. 1t is only neces-
sary to look among ones friends and ac-
quaintances. Will you do il? Will Won
look for that man, or that woman, whose
day might be lonely or sad, and make IL
happy and glad2 If you will, there will
go from you
CHRISTMAS GIFT TO GOD ALMIGHTY,
And can you give anything better than
that? want you to get into your heart
the spirit OF loving cheer and to make one
soul happy for the day. If every one of
us would 40 this, there wouldn't be many
unhappy people. And won't you be
CHEEKY in your words and in your looks?
For after all, you have deal to be glad
about. Think out to whom you can give
pleasure and give it beautifully Give il
after the measurement OF the Good Book,
Heart full, pressed down, shaken to,
gether and running over" We ought to
be generous, you and l, for no matter what
we do, no matter what we give, it will
seem after all SO little beside that great
gift that came on the first Christmas day.
And yet what We give is tribute to Him
who came into this world to save sinners.
God bless everybody. God give every
body a happy Christmas, is the earnest
WISH OIL BAB.
FATHER MULLEN DEAD.