The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-04-18
Elizabeth Cady Stanton has drawn .
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53& Gl1ZaO0t0 CAOy OC6utOu MAS OTAW0 y
n picture of an old fashioned Christmas
that makes ones mouth water. Perhaps
. it brings suspicious moisture around
\ the eyes Of old timers too. Certain it is
that only in the farm districts can any
thing like such Christmas be enjoyed
now as that pictured by Mrs Stanton.
Among the retainers of her family was
a gigantic cook and serving man, coal
black, named Peter. Peter sang tenor,
played the violin and made the sum of
the children's happiness at Christmas.
They had dance in a great basement
kitchen on Christmas eve. There Peter
played for them. Then they hung up
their stockings and went to bed. In the
morning before daylight they darted
down into the basement kitchen, bare.
foot, to see what Santa Claus had
brought them. The gifts were simple;
they were inexpensive. A modern city
child would scorn them. Yet happiness,
Joy, danced all day in the hearts OF
those rosy, healthy country children.
Peter always took them for a great
sleigh ride in q long old lumber sled.
Mrs. Stanton is now 80 years old, yet
the recollection Of those rides remains
as one of the shining spots in her men,
DRY. And now, alas, the times! "Christ-
mas and wedding presents and flowers at
funerals have come to be tax and nui-
sance in their extravaganza and ex-
cess So they have. Women work
themselves into nervous illness strain
ing to make and buy gifts for their
acquaintance. Men with families are
taxed so heavily that it takes months
to recover from the drain.
1t is time we reformed Christmas Civ
ing. This holy and heavenly day ought
to be made sacred to children because
it is the, Christ child 8 day. They should
be made perfectly happy from morning
till night in all reasonable ways that
their parents and friends can devise.
Presents should indeed be- given to them,
but not extravaganza dolls and toys un-
less their parents are very rich. Games,
rides and juvenile parties will make
them happier than expensive gifts.
As to grown people, Christmas will
be more honored by their ceasing to
give presents to one another altogether
than by their striving to give what they
cannot afford. Women especially ought
to stop boring their eyes out and sew
ing themselves into hysterical state
making things which half the time are
of no good to anybody after they are
done. Christ came into the world to
save sinners, not to make people bank
rupt themselves in purse and health
making Christmas gifts.
If, by mutual consent, grown people
could stop giving one another gifts at
Christmas or cease to expect them, we
should all be better off. A gift should
be offered for the mere joy it confers on
the giver. Let US measure our outlay
for the holiday season by that test, then
send pretty and inexpensive Christmas
cards to our friends to show them we
love them STILL
OF course, if one is a millionaire and
is systematically seized with remorse
for getting so much richer than his fel-
low men, then by all means let him ease
his conscience by giving gifts to those
whom he can help To such it will be
pleasant to read what George W. Childs
said about Christmas giving:
When was boy, made up my mind to be
rich, and also made up my mind that when
should be a man l would give Christmas pres
ents to every one knew. If have not been
able to accomplish my resolve, it has not been
for lack of will / can truthfully say that the
happiest week in each year Of my life is the
one which directly precedes Christmas, when
l feel that am able to send presents to about
1900 people whom l know and feel are perfect
" deserving Of them,