Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-12-28
Secret Of a True Christmas Spirit.

1t was a beautiful fancy of Dickens.
in the christmas Carol" to show the
influence of the Christmas spirit potent
enough to change the character of old
Scrooge, and perhaps one might be con
sidered an iconoclast who should hint
that the new century influence is less
powerful than the one immortalized by
the great writer. Yet the observant man
or woman is forced 10 confess that old
Screoge still walks the earth, and is oft
en- reincarnate in wonankind. 1t is q
different kind Of old Scrooge as BELTS
the difference in sex and the change in
the times, but the spirit is the same.
The ScrOoge fem nine does not grow
ut Christmas, but believes in it, She
drapes her pictures with ropes of laurel;
each window has its wreath of green.
and, in fact, she would think it very
bad form to be lacking one jot or title
Of this outward observance. Neither
would she forget the gifts that make the
season mer-: Yet, in place of the
blessed Christmas spirit. she is possessed
Of T. demon OF cOmmercialism.
Weeks ago She made UP her l'St of
those to whom she must give presents.
money she could afford TO spend this
year. 1t takes a pretty good knowledge
Df ngures for her to apportion the sum
judiciously, and to give to each person
about as much as she expects to receive
from each. or as she did reeeiye the year
before.
II one were an up-to-date Asmodeus
or q modern mind-reader. one might
know what words are passing through
her mentality. They are not fairly crys-
tallized into speech, perhaps. though some
women have been known to do such
Christmas reckoning openly before the
family, even allowing the children to
learn what a miserable makeshift the
Christmas spirit is in that household
Now" she thinks, there is Cousin
Jane. For the children's sake / ought
10 send her something handsome. She
is so rich she might remember them in
her Will. Still, she never sends me any
thing but a Christmas card. She has
scme silly notion about giving presents
TO those who are in need: just as il
| didn't need a lot of things l never get.
but II l send her anything costly it
will take such Il lot of money. and |
really want to send something lovely
to Dams wife, for she is always sure to
send me something handsomer than / do
her. 1t pays to give her a nice present.
might send Cousin Jane that Spanish
lace scarf Uncle John brought me from
Europe. l don't want it, and they are
coming in fashion again. I'll get a nice
box for it, and she'll never know it isn't
new.
'I'Il send Jacks mother a half-dozen
Va AuOSS udHuhGTCHIeIS L got ut Il par
gam sale. She's so old she can't see that
the lace is not real, and nobody will dare
10 tell her"
And thus this feminine Scrooge goes
over her list, and instead of helping to
spread the Christmas spirit abroad in the
land she is engaged in a sort of barter.
/ he exchanging of values. which seems
petty bit of commercialsm. is all the
Verse because it maSquerades in the form
OF gifts Of love in commemoratiOn of the
worlds greatest feast day. Nine.
Scrooge when her Christmas gifts are
aii IN, will reckon up their possible cost
In round numbers. and then. placing il
against her own Christmas expenditures.
VIII feel herself defrauded if the balance
Is not in her favor.
There are women who really harbor
tae Christmas spirit and yet have no
IDEA Of what gift should be, when they
would give TO one less well favored than
themselves. They wish to make the
MESSED season joyful for others, but their
IDEAS are so utilitarian. Because the re-
clplent is poor she must be given some
}nlng useful, and too often this useful
-iIt IS something ugly. something that
uas neither beauty nor grace. but can be
used 70 good advantage. The recipient
i duly grateful for being thus remem-
9ered, and the gift may fill a want she
has long felt.
To be sure, it will take some thought
ana care to do this. 1t would be far
tsleT to buy something at the shop in
5Ae way of a plain dress or flannel or
something that every poor person needs,
nan 10 find out some secret. l0ng-cher-
}>Aed desire and crafty it. For the poor
nave such desires. and the true Christ
mas spirit should seek TO crafty them for
INST one day in the year. Probably the
Tory is an old one of the poor family.
VINO. given a little money for their needs.
Immediately went to the circus thus
-satlfying lifelong desire: or the one of
'4~ woman who bought her sick daughter
Ing that she might not die with this
>a unsatisfied. OF course. everybody
~ heard these stories lifted their hands
= lpfror at the shiftlessness Of the poor.
S' why not, Just Mt Christmastide let
~ the poor be happy in their own
there may be somebody on yOur list of
'f people. my lady. who would rather
."ae bit Of real pleasure than a new
LOO dress. or a pretty bonnet than a
Ill ton of coal, or a little music or
seq play than a mince pie or a plum
ffuing, even if they 90 unwarmed or
-'-1eQ Tor several days to come.
Nhnsr u. -