The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-25
"A CHRISTMAS STORY"
Rev. DR.. Willard Scott Talks to
Men at the Y. M, C., A,

There was an unusually interesting
service at they. M. C. A mems meet
ing yesterday. Rev. DR.. Willard Scott,
pastor of Piedmont church, gave an
interesting and timely talk, taking for
his subject, "A Christmas story" In
addition, there were selections by the
Alhambra Club and vocal solos by Ben
Jamin A Barber, together with the
usual selections by the male chorus,
all of which were well rendered.
DR. Scott opened his address by wish
ing his hearers a merry Christmas, and
then proceeded with what was essen
TALLY Christmas address. He said
that there was sort of feeling in the
air at this season of the year differing
from that of any other, and described
his sensations while being conducted
about town by three children who
wanted to see all the sights, and last
but not least trip to one store which,
to those who have entered the institu-
ton during the past week, needs no
turher description. What impressed
him more than anything else was the
universal spirit evidenced among all
classes of people on the street. Wom-
en- with pinched faces and plain gar
ments, workingmen. with their wages
in their hands, hurrying about, all in
search of some little memorial for a
loved one to keep Christmas.
DR.. Scott asserted that Christmas was
not instituted in New England by
the Puritans. They established the
Thanksgiving day, which has spread
all over the country, but observance
of Christmas day originated in Vir-
ginia where few men of the order of
the Church of England settled When
Christmas day came around, they went
into the woods to chop down trees, and
gathered evergreens with which they
decorated their homes, in keeping with
the customs of the home land
According to Edward Everett Hale,
there was practically no observance of
Christmas day in New England until
about 1876. In 1851 there was some
observance by individuals, but no such
celebration as in evidence at present.
In 1851 the matter of Christmas decor
ations had its start in New York. A
German woodchopper in the Catskills
was taken with the idea that there was
q chance to sell trees and Christmas
greens for decorations in the metropo-
lis He went into the forest and cut a
stock of evergreens which was shipped
to New York and set up on the ground
in the neighborhood of Greenwich street
where trees are exhibited at present
The woodchopper paid 81 for his stand
AT present upward of 100000 trees are
shipped to this place and the dealers
are willing to pay $10O for the privilege
of displaying their wares for 10 davs
during the holiday season In 1916 every
body was doing business on Christmas
day, the only observance being in the
church, while at the present day every-
body shuts up shop and gives his entire
attention to observance of the day
DR.. Scott said he had talked with n
householder who had no use for Christ.
mas from the fact that fathers and
mothers are inclined to spend their
money for gifts for the little ones rath-
er than looking after the rent DR. scott
has no use for this sort of a spirit He
would rather let the rent go over a
month or so rather than deprive any
one of the Christmas celebration. He
considers the present conditions as more
indicative, perhaps, than ANYTHING else
that Jesus Christ is coming nearer 10
the world and the church.
he spoke of one man who complained
or the custom of gift giving as all hum
pug. He has lot of girls in his family
and the girls have a lot of fellows foy
whom they buy lot of presents. which
did not accord with the parental view
But" said DR.. Scott, "let anybody trv
10 get IN the way of this movement and
see what will become of him, The
Christmas feeling starts before Thanks
giving and ends about the middle of tba
following February. Those who stand
In the way had better get aboard and
steer: it's safer"
In closing, Dr. Scott paid feeling
tribute to the memory of Dwight T,
Moody. He characterized the great
evangelist as a simple man, who went
ABOUT ms work in simple way, but
n of 5fr
than kings or sovereigns can ever ex-
pect to.