St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
4HE LESSONS
IH IHRE\TMh \
a - I'll UHltlUllnnU.
Rev. Robert Collyer Gives a Timely
Holiday Caution.
Times When it is Better to Save Money Than to
Spend it-Rev 7. Dewitt Talmage breaches
the Gospel of Good Cheer Good Times are
Coming and We Should Hasten Their Advent

The things we do at Christmas are touched
with a certain grain of extravaganza, as beau
tiful in some of its aspects as this extravaganza
of nature in June. 1t is the children's carnival
the midsummer of charity to the poor the
spring-tide of goodwill to men; the time of the
year when heaven opens, and angels come
down to sing to sailors on the ocean, to old
country folks in the long-reaches of new colon
les, to people in hospitals, poor-houses, in man
sions, and 3" the huts where poor men lie; !" the
time when the atmosphere is just right for
clear-burning fires, and it would be something
of a shame for the wind to send the smoke
down any chimney as it does week before or
after; when there is a goodly smell abroad, as
if the frankincense the wise men brought on a
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 a
touch of fine recklessness by 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 it bears at least
twelve manners of fruit, and the leaves of the
tree are for the healing of the nations.
I would not, therefore, insult Christmas by
for his fellow men, according to his means,
does best. We can give the tramp who comes
to our back door, a royal cup of coffee Christ
mas morning, with good grace, though we
have to see that he does not run away with the
spoon. They are wide pages the angel opens in
the book of life at Christmas; and when we do
our best, we cannot do it quicker, than he can
write it down.
Still [ think it is not hard to see how we may
spare, even at Christmas-tide, and yet do more
and better than if we spend. If a man spends
the money he ought to save to pay his debts,
when he knows very well he can only pay his
debts by saving, he may give what he buys.
right and left with an open hand, and it will be
to his own shame. have never digested one of
the best suppers l 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 at the store.
| and the debt was never paid. don't want any
more of those suppers. There are millions of
| dollars spent every Christmas, of other men s
money. Not a penny ought to be laid out in
| gifts one can well let alone. Men who do that
| get drunk on their own generosity, though they
never taste of wine; and, if they are men of con-
science, the headache and heartache of getting
| sober will be none the less for their motive in
| getting drunk.
We should never spend when we ought to
spare especially If we have families. One of
the saddest things have struck in my life has
been the sight. of families left destitute.
| through 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 handsome, while
he had not laid up dollar for rainy day OF
for that instant peril of death which dogs all
our footsteps between the cradle and the
grave. Saving is so slow to such men and SO
hard should not take much stock in that
| man who would not close instantly with the
proposal of decent competence for his wife and
children, in exchange for the open gates OF
heaven, and the angels waiting with crown
| if he had the chance.
"We brought nothing into this world and IL
| is certain we can carry nothing out, the sad
old Hebrew cries. answer, Surely, surely, ii
you mean mere things" but somewhere with