The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-12-23
Written for the Dcmocrat-Star.
The christmas Spirit
by IRWIN HUNTINGTON BURTON.

II the turkey and the plum pudding
could ask one another what Christmas
means. the gobbler would say "kill-
ing" and the pudding would say "gob.
bling,"-on the mans part, not the
turkeys. II asked the same question,
the child would say Santa Claus"
and the young man "a hot time"
while the average ''miss" would de-
| line Christmas as "Mistetoe." Now,
| think the most carnal minded
among us will own that none OF these
definitions come anywhere near the
true one, and yet they are the literal
expressions OF the sentiments OF most
OF us upon the subject and OF the ac
tions OF all of us during Christmas
tide. Old Webster knows better; let
us see what lie has to say about it,
"ChriStmas--Chrst massachusetts day
ia day upon which the birth Of Christ
is celebrated" Now whether the
wholesale slaughter of the animal
kingdom Is a very laudabie way tn
celebrate Il distinctly Christian fcsti-
yal need not he discussed; and dis
missing the subject with Tie remark
| hat as flesh was given TO man for his
susttnance, we have as much right to
cat turkey as steak, and no one in his
senses would choose bad meat when
lie can have good. But | would like
to ask the readers OF the DEMoCRAT-
STAR to stop and think for five min
uteS and think what they are doing
for Christmas beyond the preparation
of the biz family dinner and the pur-
chase OF toys for the babies. Have
they given so much as the space OF
fvc times sixty seconds to the cultiva-
tion OF the Christmas Spirit? Has The
fact Of its existence ever occurred TO
them at all? Sermonizing apart, |
wonder IL we would not all be happier
il we DID think OF this little. |
wonder il our appetite for mincc meat
and goodies would not be better were
it quickcned by the influence Of the
true Christians joys within our
hearts.
One Of the first lessons a man learns
when he puts away the things of a
child is that although another man
like himself may make holiday, no
nne, not even Mckinley with all his
big proclamations, can make holiday
spirit; that must come from within
us. or it will not come at all. Take
the Fourthof July,for instance. That
is the day on which every American
is supposed to feel as merry as a fire
cracker. Walk about the streets Of
one Of our clties-of Mobile, for in
stance-and leave it to my readers
to say II they ever saw a more dismal
lot OF human beings than the men who
stand around the corner trying to en-.
Joy themselves. Bring IL home to our
selves. Do we really enjoy alegal hol.
iday? Isn't there. 4 sort OF c0nstraint
about 1t, and isn't II with a sense Of
something like relief that we don our
business suit the next day and 30
about the old duties? Now what is
the reason OF this? Simply because we
have not the real holiday spirit. An.
other man may make us suffer, but no
man can force us to enjoy ourselves;
nobody has ever taken out a paten It on
that: for happiness IS state " the
soul and OF the heart, and tho words
OF Christ have an every day meaning:
"The Kingdom OF Heaven Is within
you"
Now the above facts apply 70 Christ
mas, l think, even more than to any
other festival. Nationally, we are moi
u l,oliday-maklng people; we lack the
carnival spirit that Is as the breath Of
his nostrlls to the Trenchman or Ital'
Ian. The Genlusof MlrtlI las not yei
left her old w0rld shrincs: we have
only the counterfeit. What We lack
nationally, Ne lack Individually. How
common lt.Is to hear the expressions
II dread Christmas, = 4 wlsn the e.. Z.