The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-19

But don't let them play too hard. That
is one of the weaknesses of the con-
temporary groVn-upS. 1t is the fashion
"a new fashioh-for them to play every
chance they get, and they are very apt
to overdo It. If your grown-ups play
golf, persuade them that eighteen
holes are plenty enough Tor Christmas
day; if they go out on bicycles, insist
that ten miles and back is far enough.
grown-up discreetly managed is capa-
bic of absorbing a good deal of Christ
mas warmth, and of radiating some Of
it out again. But of course the rea
Christmas fun must be supplied by the
young. Some observers hold that it has
been unduly impressed upon this genera
ton that its young people must have
a good time. Ever so good thing ma
be overdone, and excellent as the idea
of making children happy is, there is
the possibility of excess in it. But hardl
ut Christmas. 1t is recognized that at
that season fun is indispensable, and
that it is easier and more advantageous
to grown-ups to get good part of !
yicariously. There is a time for all
things, and the particular time for holi
day fun is youth. 1t is interesting, to b
sure, to shift the scenes and pull th
strings that make the puppets move
but it is better sport to be young enough
to sit out ON the other side of the foot
lights and see the show. That is where
children have the best of it. They are
the audience, and the grown-ups are
the actors, and the best reward the com
pany can ask is to have the audience
thoroughly pleased with the show. Hap
PLY the audience is not critical. 1t is
eager to be happy, and ready to make
the most of every chance. 1T magniies
every gift, and supplements rudimentary
facts with a splendid bounty Of ina
gination. 1t finds bliss in book, 10
in Il pair of skates, delight in dolls, ana
loves holiday for its own sake and be-
cause it is different. TO be boy at
boarding school and come home for the
holidays-who that has known that pleas
ure ever forgets it? TO be schoolgir
and be let out to Christmas dances
bless me, the excitement of it, the de
.-s-C of It'll There is deal of fun i
living before the novelty of it has worl
off. There is Christmas fun to be ha
always, but grown-up peoples fun i
like gold in quartz, that is only com
by after hard work, while for youth
is like Klondike nuggets, waiting to be
picked up out of the loose gravel.
A little faith that when we die
We reap our sowing.
If you can have no fun at-u1I atNChrist
mas-time something's the matter Moo
to yourself, something is amiss with!ou
ie fr1sinf 9 - Il
not heal it; if it is illness, please Heaven,
that viii pass away; if it is misfortun
and the res angustae from that too
Time brings promise of escape; if b
have been at fault and are suffering, 10
it, Christmas is good time to be sorry
in and and to make reparation, if that
is possible, and plan a new course. But
what if you have lost the capacity f0
Christmas happiness because You have
followed your own ends, your own ease,
your own pleasure and profit, SO Ion
that the germ of the Christmas spiri
seems to have died out in you? Wha
if you can have no Christmas fun be
cause you are too selfish to deserve it?
If that is your case it is very, very
bad one, and you ought on no accoun
to sit still under it. 1t is not only un-
comfortable, but ominous. There may
or may not be hell hereafter, but ther
is no doubt about yours. 1t has com
to you already. If you don't realize how
badly off you arc, the situation is pret
ty desperate. but II you recognize at all
your own predicament, perhaps some
thing may be done for you yet. Bad
cases like yours have been cured before
now. There was Scrooge. Somehow or
other you must manage to add to some
ones happiness. If you are a domestic
ogre and are mean to your dependents,
you must ahate yourself. If you have
neglected every one who had n natura
claim on you until they all have passed
out of your life, you must get them back
into it again, If you have pursued a
policy of -eXelusiycLnss until you hay
excluded every one who was willing to
associate with YOU. you must drop that
and try to get back into touch with hui
manity. The whole Christmas sentiment
is permcated with solidarity. Goodwill
to men is its only indispensable ingre-
dent. The great business of the season
is to cultivate and develop goodwill and
to give evidences of it. That is why
some people go TO church, and why myr-
lads OF folks give presents and exert
themselves to make Christmas merry
for persons who are ont of luck or short
OF the ordinary appliances for merr
ment. You OF the atrophied heart, go
through the motions OF Christmas keep
ing as well as you can. Perhaps if you
are earnest about it little OF the spirit
OF the time may come even TO you De-
pend upon 1T, people in general would
not take so much pains with Christmas
if they were not pretty sure it's observa
tion was a necessary exercise At Iessf