Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-10
THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.
Not What We Give But What. We Share
Makes the Day Happy.

Less than half1a century ago the spirit
of Christmas as shown today was scarce
ly dreamed Of white the Oldest inhabitant
will assert that in his boyhood the idea
of feasting and frolicking and making "A
long holiday in this busiest. season of the
year was wholly unknown. The day
out any further observation. This was
naturally the result of the Puritan infiu-
ence SO long felt. and New England did
not adopt a more genial attitude in this
and Southern states had fallen into the
habit of burning the Yuletide log.
While feasts. in the way of great BAN
quets, We're given in England from time
lmmemoriai. the custom of exchanging,
or rather bestowing, gifts comes from
Germany. How different the simple habit
as practised in the fatherand is from
that now known. Presents. in the far
gone primitive days were hung upon the
Indispensable tree, with only the name OF
the person for whom they We're intended
attached. The donor did not declare him
self. Yet something is missed. too. IN
such practice. for if the spirit of Civ
ing and receiving is sincere, one must
feel as Lowell has so sweetly said that it
Not what we give. but what we share
For the gift, without the giver. is bare
Perhaps more than any other writer in
the English language Dickens has been
influential in establishing the beauty and
significance of Christmas day as. one to
be specially sacred to home. and to be
celebrated with the exercise of generosity
in deed and thought. The cities of the
today. The liberality with which appeals
from all parts of the country for holiday
cheer for the unfortunate and needy are
met shows that-the desire. to share" is
on the increase. 1t is no longer possible
for people to be, well fed and clothed and
housed, and be comfortable in the enjoy
ment of their good things, while the poor
not by the demahd Of the public, but BY
the will and inyention of the nianufac-
turer and traded, who seeks ever a mar
ket for his wares-has brought the gilt
exchanging custom to the point of ex-
trayagance. but much good Is accom-
plished when the poor, who can make no
return. are the recipients of a part of the
lavish expenditures. 1t has been asserted
that more money would be spent in New
York for gifts alone during the present
holiday season than was expended by the
entire United States for such purposes in
the years prior to the Civil War.
1t cannot be claimed that generosity is
the true spirit actuating all the outlay
for charity, The result may be as salts
factory to the beneficiary, but the donor
who has from an unworthy motive made
his gift viii lose his own rightful share
In the pleasure connected with it.
In another generation. or two. be an un-
known emotion on this continent 1t is
claimed That the spirit of home is dying;
in inn many ~. person s in fact it has never
experienced it, will never be realized, bu;
| something willibe missed from the COM
pleted character that no amount Of cul-
ture can compensate for. If anything can
preserve or cultivate the attachment for
the land of one'a birth, the home of ones
forefathers. thes vine and fig tree OF ones
andng phfe W. S;s small small
Christmas, this giving forth and taking
In of peace and goodwill, figuratively and
LITERALLY.
l To M RI nbraea tho ,yor1 &c Eo... =.
Q Christmas tale of long ago. one may
ma that q little more consideration Of
class for class, and therefore of man for
poor by the rich. and therefore tolerance
/ OF the rich by thespoOr; a higher value
put upon truth, and quicker apprecia-
ton and belief in integrity, will spread a
gold,