The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-12-24

phenomena that so many people re-
gard Oh excugable at the Christ nRR
season wrong doing that would be
condemned at any other time. We
speak not, of course, of bOyish pranks
or of any other g rt of fun, but of
earousing and drunkenness. Christ
mas should indeed be q season of fun
and merriment. We should like TO
see every one then as joyous as Mrs.
Fezziwig at the Christmas ball-"one
vast substantial smile" But any
thing that is positively unmanly or
degrading at any time in the year
ought Of all times TO be Stunned at
the Christmas seasOn-the celebrR-
ton of the birth of the Master who
set for US the highest ideal of
manhood and purity that the world
has known.
We heartily endorse Charity and
Children's estimate of Dickens
Christmas Carol as the ''pretttest
and one of the very best Christmas
stories In our language Bat we
are surprised at Bro. johnson put
ting his advice TO read il in just this
shape: eve hope every oh1Id reader
of this paper who has nos read it will
buy, beg or borrow q copy and let
its sweet lesson enrich the hearI and
life" It IL not the ''child readers"
that need the story so much az the
older ones who, like old Scrooge,
have allowed Rvarice and business
cares to dwarf their souls and dry
up their sympsthies until they no
longer realize that ''the life is more
than meat and the body IL m"Fe than
raiment." The ''child readers" need
no MArley's ghost to teach them the
JOY of the Christmas season. Bat
there are old Sorooges all over the
country, and every one of them
ought 20 have u oopv of "a ChFi "t-
mas Carol" as q holiday present.
10
Christmas 10 pre-eminently the
season Of 'tpeace ON earth, p"d will
TO men," If you have been so I'M
fortunate as so have had a m Sunder.
standing with any one this year, now
AS Is suggested by an article on
page Sis the beet time OF all the
year in which 30 forgive the wrong
door and forget the injury. "CllSe
up the old ledger OF grudgeS and ami
moeities d" For BE whose birth the
holiday commentaries taught IA
that 'if we forgive not men their
trespasses neither will our Heavenly
Father forgive our trePpasBes y
There il no work 80 fitting or appro-
priste at the Christmas season as
that of clearing out the hatred In
our own hearts and promoting, 30
far as il is possible for Us e do, the
spread of that "peaoe and good will"
of which the angels sang.
The advantages and disadvantages
of Christmas giving are often diS.
cussed. On enc phase Of the 'ubj' ct
the Chatham Record Of last week
had this:
"Too often gifts are made not from
love or friendship, but in some in
stances from meroenRry mott vet
hoping to receive in exchange q
more valuable gift-or for the sake
of appearances only. ThORe giftR
are moot appropriate and most ap.
preoisted-giving the most pleasure
to the recipient and donnF-which
are the result of self denial or ones
own labor, and ara expressive of q
heart and kindly feelings"
This reminds as of the suggestion
of a Social Chat contributor On page
-that we should seek out some
poor, forlorn man, woma1 or child
and try to carry to him or her some
thing of the joy of the holiday.
Again the words of the Master are
applicable: "But when thou mskest
feast, call the poor, the MANNED,
the lame: and the blind: and thou
shalt be blessed; for they cannot
recompense thee" This is indeed
the only kind of giving which really
benefits the giver. Giving in the
hope or expectation of receiving
other gifts in return is only 8 reck-
less sort of business exchange TO
which the name of giving should not
be applied. Never in that way, but
on y by giving to those that cannot
return the Gift will anv one raRfize