The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-20

rounded by those we love; and those who
love US. We've got to go beyond that.
We've got to lift the burden off the back
or the soul of some poor struggling ant,
and teach it what merry Christmas
means. We've got to feed 1t well, and
We've got to give to it, not only that
which is useful. but that which is lux
Iury.
l wonder If you ever saw. as did once,
the face of child, when, as a charitable
Christmas tree duh, dark, woollen dress
/ had been given to her! She needed it, of
/ course, and 1t undoubtedly was generous
to give 1t to her; but the dress might have
I been bright and with it there could have
been bit of folly, toy, a box of sweets,
or book full Of gay pictures. All the year
round the ants work for the necessaries of
life. When you are generous to them let
them know how it's pleasures taste. Pure
folly is good--good for everybody-and the
| folly of the Christmastide makes us
young again. When we give to somebody
who will really enjoy it the smartly dressed
doll, the wonderful get-up of the soldiers,
or the ship that will sail all round a wash
tub and back again, we'll, it may be folly
stockings and rubber shoes and undershrts
are more sensible perhaps, but somehow
they are not Christmas gifts. What hyp-
ocrite a little child must have become
( when he can be thankful at Christmas
time for useful present! Too many of the
ocrltes of children. Fancy giving a boy,
who had looked forward to a pair of skates
or bicycle, or something that was intense
ly boyish in its possibilities. dully-bound
Bible, because he could recite six hundred
verses from the Old Testament! l should
fear that boy. / should conclude that he
would be so conversant with some of the
vengeance expressed by the great soldiers
OF the old time, those soldiers who thun-
dered forth their belief in a revengeful God
that he would live UP to some of the verses
he had learned.
One verse is enough for any of us-but
how few of us explain in ourselves all its
beauty! If we could only manage to think
of the last part of it just now. You know
the verse l mean? Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy
neignbor as myself" Your neighbors are
all around you now. They are the poor,
Woodworking ants and a gift to each
one means for you the being a happier
man or woman and the certainty of a
Merry Christmas" Give and give and
give of your plenty to those who have
but little. Teach Your little children to
be really generous, not to give in a con-
descending way, not to give in a patroniz-
ing way, out to give as God gave that
nrst Christmas gift. That Christmas
Gl1t that came with goodwill to all the
world. Not just TO the kings and princes
ana TO the rich of the earth, but to those
who were in lowly places and who were
GODS own people-the poor How can the
angels sing their song of happiness when
they look down on a world so mean and
so full of selfishness? Make II easier for
them, my friend. Give so joyfulIy and
so merrily, and so certainly to those who
need gifts, that, like the quiet beasts in
the stable, there will come to Won as in
a cream, the sound of the melody, that
Irst echoed through the world SO many
hundred years ago.
You can be so happy when YOU are rem
erous. You can be so glad when YOU give
and give freely. And you need not he ricb
my friend, to do this. What seems So Iittie
70 you becomes so much to somebody who
10 poorer than YOU No one ever gave with
Tree heart who did not receive a great
sIt In return. 1t may be long coming. You
may not know it when it does come Rut
o1tenest 1t takes the form of a quiet nlaae-
ure that pervades your whole soul That
rs the blessing of God resting upon Won
Inc recipient of your gift may forget. but
zoo never does His thanks stand forever.
ana are written opposite your name in tbe
great Life-book. How can you refuse to he
generous on Christmas day? How can Won
draw the strings of your purse and tbe
strings or your Heart so closely when he
lore you there must come if only in tho
very name of the day, the memory of that
hrst Christmas gift? There will never he
another like 1t, but in our poor way we can
initiate i by Offering of our very best. A
mean gift is worse than no gift at ali.
VIII you give a thought, or better still.
VIII you lift the burden for this one day
from some poor ant? If you do this the
angels will sing a song in praise of Won
song that will echo and re-echo through
out heaven until your name and your gen.
eroslty are known to all the jewellers there
in. You will do 1t, am sure. You are good
and kind, but sometimes just a little
thoughtless. But to-day you will remem-
per. AND because OF the good gifts, far
off. making a bow, her best bow, and saw
ing God bless YOU and give you Merry
SnElsthas Is Bah.
A PrOverb Illustrated ON the Spot.