Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-12-27

fully put in envelopes and marked with
the date of the day that meant sadness.
A Gladstone DAY.
But what we all ueed to do is tomake
the day just as glad and just as full OF
happiness as can be. Now no day can
be full Of happiness unless we are shar-
ing our Joy, with somebody else. The
secret OF all goodness is giving, and Civ
ing with great gladnesS. You two peo-
pie who arc alone think it great non
sense to trouble yourselves about Christ
mas Day. Don't permit yourselves to
get III this state of mind, for surely il
you do, You will both be old before
your time. Make as gay a Christmas rs
| you can, and call in your friends and
nelghbors to share 1t with you. Think
over tho list in your book and find out
those who are nico people, and who will
not have very much to enjoy on this
holy day. Have them in to share with
| you, and bring in some children and
| give them the good time they would not
have had but for you, and you will be
surprised to discover how much you en-
| joy yourself.
There is no enjoyment in life, my
friend, that isn't shared with somebody
else. There isn't book worth reading,
a play worth seeing, or picture worth
looking at unless you share the delights
with whoever is closest to you. Having
pleasures alone is like
KISSING THE AIR.
1t is stale, Hat and improbable. When
it is in your power to make some people
happy, how can you help doing it2
How do you get yourself in such an
irun.bound state? You fail to sec why
you should make life any fuller for
your friend, not to mention the stranger
within your gates. That's wicked
Take your joy and divide it up in a
lot of little pieces, aud make it go
around among Il whole circle. Women
are not naturally mean, but they forget.
They forget what little things please
people who have but little, and they
forget what day in somebody else
house means to the woman who is kept
busy all the time in her own until she is
body-siek and heart.sick. Bring into
your pretty home as many of your
friends as you can. Make it house
beautiful in every way. Your brocade
chairs and sofas lack all loneliness
unless their luxury is enjoyed by some
body, and your beautiful house ceases
to be u home when il is dressed up in
linen oyercoats and the sun is kept
from looking at it for fear it will fade it,
AS IT BEGAN.
Homes are made by friends, by the
atmosphere of gracious giving, which
means not only the mere sharing of the
bread, but the sharing of the good and
loving thoughts. When He who came
on earth SO many hundred years ago "a
u little child, lie came as present to VI
all. The first Christmas gift
When lie grew to manhood, and wher
the day came that was to show to al
unbelieuing world that He would diefo
it, almost the last thing He did was t
call about Him those whom He loveC
and who loved Him, that they nigh
, break bread together. He set US thu
example Of hospitality. And we mus
not fear ia selecting our guests, lest W,
make mistakes, for when Christ sn
l down at the able, there was Judas also
+, How much it meant, and how much i
l still means to us all-that first Christ
| mas gift A little child that lay in thu
Q arms of its mother, and looked to it
} mother for help and care. Somewhere
5 there is little child who is looking tt
$ you and to me for care and pleasure
: Happy women have their own, but tn
women who have none born of then
t must look out into the biz world am
Q search for the little child that she cal
: help, and give to it merry Christmas
, QUAINT OLD SENTIMENT.
= We say, as we meet each other, ~
, Merry Christmas" but what it reall
!, means we do not always comprehend
1t is Christmas without envy, hatred
/, malice or any uncharitableness. IL
= Christmas full of joy and glee, ant
: one which forces us all to forget for
:, little while the worries Of life, and to b
\ like little children. ] like the quair
( old phrase, "a Merry Christmas"
: seems to have been the one that ha
4 come down to us in all the long year
: and it seems right that while to each an
- every one we may hope for Il "liapp
! New Year. what we long for just no.
" y is "A Merry Christmas" To the maste
y of the house and to its mistress, 10 a
little children, and to the stranger With
the gates. And it will come ii we wis
IS for it with intensity, for in the sight {
a God an intense wish is prayer. IL
q member this rs you hear the carols sum
n Perhaps one verse of the old hymn wi
| linger with you, and sing in your hea
d all day long. as it does in mine, who
t. the Christmas blessednoss is over ever.
% thing:
&c "All glory be to God OH high,
y And on the earth be peace,
y Goodwill hcnccforth from Heaven to me
Begin and never cease. -
/. To how many of us has that ver
st come when were little childrcn2 7
it you? 70 your neighbor? To h
If neighbor? AS it did in the Christmas
e. long ago to Bah.
&c .. ---4'----