The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-20
OF CHRISTMAS MENRINESS.
Where One Days Joy is an Event Of a
Lifetime.
THE VERY RJUTIEE OF HUMAN LIFTS.
How Your Sew Gown tnta'l- hsroe' "o'A
for rtem-rwrive-Ycsr-oid "c''h
in sant,Ciaus' Eagsar-How Good
Cheer Can he Sent. ~

NEW YORK. DccenDei III "aHe ny
v.rv .c.f bow. ano wish you al Merry
Ci,r,sffea4.- The wish. can assIo you.
co.,ss straight lrom MY heart. for afte-
sl what can he better than 10 have
everybody in tie world merry for one
oave You. 10 whom money means niue
whose pleasures are numerous. VINO nave
need scarcely 20 express n desire 70 have
II grauucl 90 you "a day-onc cntiie Gay
I'm the whole ycar-cvcrNOWlng with Wer-
riment seems bat htuc. And yet. ihcr"
are people. thousands Of them. millions OF
them. to whom ID day Of JOY wouh mean
tho episode Of lifetime. They are not
people Nko vou-thcv are the people VINO
arc really the human aut9-carFNins bur
aeus larger than themselves. wonder
81 % man saw The other day over on me
EHsf Side will hove merry timer Hy
friend be lives in one room. and an max
room nt 3 clock iu The afternoon X is so
dark that the foul-smciing Kerosene
l.np must be- lighted. This man Us onlY
thirty wears old. bat be has bent over
sewing machine until judging from nus
body. hc looks CITY. lie has q wiic ana
chiidren-thrcc Of them. Tho poor always
have SO many children. And thcy love
them-somciimes
Cannot BE MERRY.
Then there arc three mon who come
in cvory day 10 sew with him. ana 'he
wife does the finishing. The children
well. they hope that the oldest boy VIII
soon Doe able 10 holm 20 great deal; he D.
rino wears old and docs help htuc
nor. for hc draws out tne btsurSs.
What is your niuc-ycar-old boy doinE
those dnve9 This man and the human
ants who work with him, cannot stop
long enough to hc merry ana dount IL
they would know how 10 be happy IL
been such % long time since they thousht
Of anything but work. But inc inothef'
we'll. che remembers something ABOUT TIC
Divine Child who came so many hunoreu
years ago. and she has saved q lew pen
MES 10 buy some of the queer German
condios that are never seen on Fifth
avenue. but which are sold al a very
low price over ON the Fast Side CHRIST
mas is something OF n bore 10 you. sup
pose 10 rid you of cnnui you hunt out
one of these hard-workne ants. relieve
him Of his work for the day. ana Try
TO teach him what happiness means; try
10 make him understand by giving him
and his day of pleasure That the good
will. about which the angels sang. was
meant not only for people like you. but
for the people who work and work and
find little OF JOY in anything until the
grave Is reached
/ wonder If the girl who worked till .
o'clock Christmas morning to finish your
dinner dress can have "a merry Christ
mas?
WHERE JOY IS ABSENT
1t IS true. YOU never cav hor. person
ally-lt IS the suave French madame who
promised ON SO positively that the gown
should be yours az the time YOU wished
but there are many ants needed 10 give
steady earnest work. 20 put i'm stitch
after stitch before the beautiful cOmblna-
ton Of lace and silk ana velvet ana
plumos becomes a toilette. IT Is true that
81 holiday is To- Dee given TO the girl who
put the last stitch 300 your gown. holt
dav which sho doesn't accent very gladly.
because "a deduction is made I'm her
wages fi0W can She Doe merry ana think
Of the Angels and OF the Christ Child
when sho will have a dollar less az the
end Of the week while already IL Is diff
cult 90 feed and clothc herself on what
sh- gets ana Doe honest. MS hard 10
be an ant bearing an enormous burden.
when you are youn- and see heautitul
things AN around Won and know very
well that these beautiful things which
are for other people would make dainty
butterfly OF you IT'S hard 10 be merry
when you are thoroughly tired out. and
vet. 7 am suro that ont Of her misera-
hie wages this girl has saved enough
money to buy triie for somebody. 10
may be for the cirl who runs the crrands.
for tho poor are so beautifully thought
fui Of those others who are poor also.
Did YOU over think that IL was not easy
10 be merry when YOU arc twelve years
old and "a cash girl in q toy shop? Your
heart goes out 90 the lovely dolls which
YOU can never possess. Your brain. made
quick by the artificial life YOU are lead
ing. would conquer every game that is
sold for happier children 10 puzzle over.
You have no individuality-you are sim
Ply cash" Sometimes this name is
yelled out IN a way that makes YOU shud-
der. That's when IL comes from the inn
pressiyc- looking hoor-walker. Sometimes
10 comes in gcntlor tones. for the girls
behind the counter feel sorry for
you. Hut always 10 means hurry hurry,
as fast as you can. or at the end OF the
week You viii Dee discharged. An" says
some charitable lady. "but each girl is
allowed TO have either toy or its value
in money as her present from the firm
Do YOU think that the girl called cash.
dare take a toy? and II she did, when
could she play with IL?
YOUTHFUL MARTYRS.
Because Some ladies fancy shopping
late in the afternoon. the cash girls
work doesn't end when the store closes.
and the money that Is given TO her for
present cannot be used for mcrrment.
~ either gees 90 buy her something that
she needs or-and this Is more than
hkcly-it is absorbed into the general
fund at home and is that much more
bread and butter
How can This child be merry? Poor
little ant. already her back IS weakening
undcr the burden, Look at her over
bright eyes. look 40 her pasty face. and.
when she darcs. how She docs cough
she wonders what it is to have "a Merry
Christmas She has read I'm some OF
those irritating books given out at the
SUNDAY school where she goes when she's
not TOO tired. or when she doesn't have 10
stqv q. home and got dinner. or when II
isn't absolutely necessary for her 10
take care OF the baby. that there are
children who have a fine dinner. no end
Of TOYS. and a Christmas tree an lighted
on this day She can see how these little
children can believe that the angels song
was meant for am the world. But she
doubts much II angels sang TO girls like
her
GOOD CHEER WITH \ FREE HAND.
What a.c you going 20 do about IT.
make a speech about The possibility OF
giving happiness 20 the whole world?
That is what YOU will Go unless you stop
10 think about N tor = white Thcn.
II you and your ucighbor ana / do our
duty. we viii each take in hand The lit
Tie ant about whom We know ana re-
neVo b. OF its burdens FOR one day. II
everybody would only 90 that, What a
jolly time the ants would have There
would be felstinc and mef-iment ana