Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-19
XMAS WITH THE POOR
CLASS TO WHICH THE SEASON Is
NOT ALI JOY.
YEARE FOR WHAT THEY SEE.
How the Loving Mother Denies Her
self That the Stockings of the
Children May he Fflled-Let tho
Anniversary BE Bright for All.

words express. The season, which brings !
toy 70 the hearts of so many, when ex-
nressions OF good will and friendship are
manifested by the making Of gifts. when
a spirit Of generosity is supposed 10
creep even into the soul Of the veriest
uniser. does not always cause happiness
to those who find it a hard matter at al
times even to make both ENDS meet. say
what you will. Christmas must Do ODD
served according to the customs WHICH
havs prevailed for ages. and some at
,,,,n+ must be made to celebrate the
day. even by those who can ia aiioru "
do so. What mother can hnd IL IN her
heart to say to the little brood winch
she is making such struggle 10 rear
,h.+ Christmas TO them must mean no
thing more than any other day on the
calendar. and must pass by without re-
gard 10 it's observance? In truth she
cannot do this without striking fatal
blow at A childish faith, which she her-
self has taught belief in tnat lrnasf
nary parsonage in whose generosity the
child has n trust which has never YET
haan shaken. Shall she, while the tender
how or girl has yet such a genuine iaIth
in the existence of that sprlghty en-
| like creature, whose hoary lochs neVe.
grow whittier, whose rotuno p,opor 'ons
1ayar grow less, and whose big heaIt
rever grows smaller, with one rude shock
| foraver shatter the childlike trust IN
| those wonderful tales, and destroy just
| tbat much of the innocence ana guiie-
| ,assness Of her offspring? NO, as long
| ga the child is susceptible TO Isl'h 30
| s-,set and innocent, she will let 1t remain
IN ignorance of the hard, stern realties-
| q knowledge Of which must come 10 hlni
| all too soon.
THE MOTHERS sELF-DENLh
And SO. when the holiday approaches,
and she overhears what great Things arc
! exnected OF the Christmas VISITOR VIM
! will stop at their lowly hearthstole We =
tired eyelids are closed IN si.ep ~
| boavex a sigh and puzzles Tor the nun
dredth time how she may make ne.
unitad means meet so great oemanu
I upon them. ,otner
Ru, the class to which such O. mother
] h.Ion~u Ga not that which is entirety oes-
| tttute There is hard eight 10 De ilisDue
/ bv her at the season, ana she i"S
4 deny herself many things, anu III 'ne
1 eonSuct ~ her household affairs exercise
the most rigid economy, Dul sHe ,h. bou.
60 the task and on the eve OF the non
dav when the little ones are snugls
| evoked in bed, she glances at the row "
stockings hung so carefully by the CHIN
navniece. from the fat, chuppy one VI
her 3-year-old, to the rather ions' tdns
hose of the 9-year-old boy, whose 1altl
is iust beginning TO shake, and she Know
that on the morrow no one OF thehi vi,
he ouontv and that moreover by the bed
s,de r,,II he the coveted toys on whici
ne children have set Their hearts AM
hayA never. for one moment, doupte'
would be left behind when the merry e.
took his flight from their humple foo
and sped on his mission.
,Tbere are hundreds of children, now
ever. TO whom the happy, merry Chris.
mas will bring no such delignt me
hardly expect that this "Chrlsttids hIns
will remember them. Indeed they nov
been taught, those VINO naVe ~ ho,,.S q
a1tooether dissuaded from any pehei !
se,nt that he comes only to IN
BONES of the rich, ard thus the chiio'
Vie tenderest years, has instlleo III III
80 hraast a feeling OF pltterhes
ratrst those of his fellow creatures WI
ore better off in this worlds goods Una Una
himself a state Of mind quite unnatur'
al his stage OF life, but nevertheless tro
THE POOR AND THE RICH.
Nh. narents of these children are r.
.ronsible. in q large measure, for IN
condition of affairs, ana 700 oite e.
engender such feelings than attempt
oyercome them. The boy. VINO IS
creafure of the streets. and VINO mas
readv become somewhat hardened py y
contact with the world, even I'M
esrly in his life, meets the chilul'
~ the rich on the great retail thoroue
J. Sares and draws the contrast petWe'
his own patched boat and MS prok !,
a sboas with the well-dressed boy OF =
u ovvn age. whom he brushes against IN 7
crouS A feeling he cannot explain rs
an his breast; he hates tnis Wen-eia
brieht-faced lad, and he turns not
= ,nch from his path when shouioer
! shouIder they push in their efforts 10 pa pa
o. tbe great mass of humanity VIM
y - surging UP and down, and swihgi
7 ~ and fro, like the swell OF some hea
IA n Is but the beginning with THIS rag
"a ,rcbin Of the old cry SO often hearu =,
y The .'rich against the poor IL u
y sana feeling which makes OF many
q So,,tb in these circumstances q hafuen
u criminal In after years. or an eHipis.o .,
y n.n who forever holds up the inlqu
= l the workings of a providence WIN
Ives so layishIy TO one and SO stintin !
20 another. It Is the same ieehhs y