El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-23

For the Better Half
Written for the HlRALD.

begins to moraltze over the pity OF 1t
that Christmas giving should ever be
come q burden. That it ts often so
connot be denied. Sometimes it is only
physical burden when ones bones are
weary of running about to shops and
the postofice, ever though one's heart
Ia as willing Is ever; sometimes 1t
comes as pitiful strain to the purse
strings ard threatens to break them, and
worst of all, sometimes it is a burden
sentimentally when one has to go about
striving and worrying to think what
will pest please in giving some gift de-
manded. by Formally but not by
love. It is not infrequently that one
hears, 'Oh I've just got to get some
thing for Mary. She sent me an ugly
plate last year and 1 suppose some
year, but it would not do for me to
miss sending her something. I wish
she had kept her old plate last year
and let me keep the lovely handker-
chief got for her," Or it may be it is,
ST wish 1 could get this little book for
Mary. It is really all that L can afford
but she always sends me
such handsome presents. IN
have to send her some
thing more and my back aches any
way with running about to the shops
cost dollar" Surely strange senti-
ments for this season dedicated to the
child of peace, good will and love. The
wrong would seem remediable how
ever. Most people have, besides mo e
or less common sense, a decent regard
for the finer feelings OF life. No one
could care for q Christmas gift given
reluctantly or one which was measured
carefully, dollar for dollar with one
"a
meant great sacrifice to the giver. If
he could know anything of the I'M
happy spirit of the giving, he would
rightly feel insulted at the gift. 1t is
only one step farther into the ques-
ton, for him to find it wrong to give
IL this way. 1t is wrong, unfriendly,
unchristian, unbesutiful and unfair to
give so. 1t is insulting some one be-
hind his back, perhaps only insulting
silent and secrev insult does Lot redeem
1t. 1t would be infinitely better to
suffer the much dreaded ignominy of
receiving present without giving in
return, of letting the obligations OF
exchanging gifts stop little one sided,
than drag the habit on when there 1s
no fun in it for either one but is only
an annoyance aud tax. A slight obli-
cation Is MOI so great hurt as ts the
forced giving at Christmas time. A
gift should bear with it, first the
second some special use or Joy or
beauty for the one to whom. it Ia sent
and third should have that delightful
spontaneity and graciousness in it's
sending that never Is when the gift
costs any more than the giver can
afford.
There ia one bright and shining joy
in Christmas giving, that cannot grow
less, that keeps the world young and
of the children. They accept q i've
cent toy or some little electrical won-
der, q pickaninny doll ora French one,
with equal thanks and appreciation.
The rich child or beggar child, either
may be pleased mig htily with the re-
suit of the expenditure of . few PEN
MES, little time and little thought.
To ones old and dearest and best
friends, those whose lives we know
thing or big that will suit some little
or big want. We can spend recklessly
for them If we have 1t, or thriftily If
we must, and they cherish the thought
as greater than the gift but will also
cherish and use uhe gift as part of
their lives. While they are using and
approaching it, there is thought of the
giver and the two friends are bound to-
gether during the life of the gift by it's
little earthly tie and by the sweet
friendliness of life. This is Christmas
giving.
There are also the poor. For this
season of the year at least we may
throw aside the scruples and chidiuRs
of political economists and olothe and
warm the naked and feed the hungry
and be good to the little ones of the
poor and give them jolly, frivolous, use
less toys that they want at Christmas
time. We can forget that miserable
phrase "pauperizing the poor" with
our charity-and give as the Master
babe.
A recent writer In one of the maya
zines rails at calendars as Christmas
gifts. He accuses them of being Slip
shod in the way of Christmas gifts.
That they require no thought in the
giving, that they are characterless,
that people buy thirty-five cent
calendars for their thirty-five cent
lar friends and two dollar calendars for
their rich relatives. They buy calen-
dars for gifts because they are the
most noncommittal possible, offending
political, religious or social
pre- udices, that they are entirely soul
less gifts. They are easily bought,
easily carried home aud easily sent
away and are no gifts at all only conven-
fences. That their manifest unwor thi-
ness is only exceeded by that of the
abominable Christmas card which they
seem to have largely superseded. or
course every body needs one calendar
and If it be chosen with some little re-
gard for taste and usefulness, one can
be tolerated, but when it comes tn
getting six or ten, the calendar idea
gets to be bore. There ia no place to
hang them unless it is desired to turn
In HONOR OF LIEUTENANT LUNA.