Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24
Peculiarities Of People
written for the Times-Republiean.7

Merry Christman, everyone!
Old Santa Claus is again on his an
nual Christmas round. Today he must
be the jolliest, happiest old soul in all
the wide, wide world.
Why?
Because he has made happy so very
very many children and grown folks,
too. For happiness is contagious, you
know.
Gladness and goodness are synonyms,
and they are as contagious as measles,
and other meanness.
Today gladness and goodness with
big &c" reign supreme.
There is just one day in all the year
that is worth worrying along with the
other 1854 days-that is Christmas day
One day in all the year when the busy
man forgets his business long enough
to get acquainted with his wife and
babies. One day in all the year in
which the worried soul drops off its
load of care. the cynic loses his pes
simfsm, the selfish forget their greed.
One day in all the year when every
body quits his meanness, and the heart
of the big world throbs warm with
peace and good will to men,"
Thank the Lord for this one day
which glorifies the old year, renews our
faith in men, and makes life worth
living!
That was a very pretty story q am
sure it must have been true one) of
the burglar who broke into a house on
Christmas eve. The occupants were
all asleep save the little golden haired
elf. who had been lying awake all night
long, peeping about the room and
watching for a glimpse of old Santa
and the reindeer and catching sight of
the fur coat thru the open doors she
jumped out of her little bed and scam
pered across the room in her little
white night robe. Stealing UP behind
the robber she threw her little arms
around his legs, and bursting into a
merry laugh cried NOW dot you, dear
old Santa Claus" and stretching up
her little arms. she added take me UP
Sanity, want to kiss you and tell you
how much love. you" The burglar
took her UP in his arms and almost
smothered her with kisses Then, with
a suspicious moisture in his eyes, he
put her down and left the house, un-
disturbed.
80
Wonder how many Of my readers
have heard Of Old Scrooge and Of his
transformation by the goblins?
Those of you who haven't read this
biography, ought to get acquainted
with him right away. The Times-Re-
publican gives you the opportunity.
once heard of q publisher who
thought the christmas Carol" had
been overworked Gas tho that were pos
sible) So he sent notice to all his staff
writer's, that anyone whose Christmas
sketches made mention of Old Scrooge
or "Tiny Tifn,' would get fired. Heart
less. wasn't he?
But I'm glad the Times Republican
editor isn't that sort Of a man. He said
he was going to published the story OF
Scrooge- Dickens Christmas Carol }
in supplement form as a Christmas gift
for his subscribers. Now wasn't that
kind of him?
Say, what you going to do with your
copy? I'm going to keep mine, and
once g year, just before Christmas,
am going to read the story to lot OF
kids who haven't any copy Of their own
wouldn't be half bad for you to do the
same thing If you haven't any kids OF
your own, do as I do, borrow a couple
from some one luckier than yourself
and who has more than he knows
what to do with.
The story Of Scrooge, set in the big
beautiful, clear type Of the T.-R., will
be we'll worth reading and worth pre-
serving.
Besides, It's a literary classic, you
know, and one which we ought to read
once a year, at least. Before Christmas
eve, the ghosts of the past and the
future should call on us, and dwell with
us until the strong, beautiful, loving
Christmas spirit makes us it's very own
Now may be you think Scrooge was
an exaggerated myth; and that there
isn't any such meanness in the world
today. Well, we should like to believe
that way, too, but then we can't because
we happen to know an Old Scrooge.-
and he isn't so very old, either. He
lives in big city; and he has lots and
lots of property, and money, too. But
he's as poor as Jobs turkey, cause he
has no children-never had any. But
he has a wife,-poor fellow!--he de-
serves pity for that. She is one of the
mean, Jealous sort whose nose crinkles
up when they say they hate kids,
only she calls them 'brats,' and says
they are a nuisance. She loves to visit
her especial displeasure upon every kid
that her poor husband happens to smile
at. In fact, we half suspect that's what
ails them both. Like Old Screoge, they
never had a child to open up their
hearts, call forth their affections, and
give them that spirit of unselflshness
without which no man or woman can
he half human. And SO for want OF
child, their poor, little, mean, sordid
shrivelled-up souls have come TO see
and care for and treasure nothing in the
world. that can not be coined into dol
lars and cents.
They have poor but honest relatives
whom they do not recognize, because
they have mo use for poor relations.
The husband had a crippled-up bed
ridden sister from whose pitiful appeal
for help. he turned deaf ear, be-
cause-so he said-'there were charity
organizations to help such people"
This man says he doesn't believe in
Christmas nor Christmas giving. Says
It's all fol-de-rop and prides himself
on having outgrown such 'foolishness.
Old Scrooge didn't believe in 1t either
but he changed his mind after Marley's
ghost got hold of him, and before the
COLLINS got thru with him, he believed
in buying Christmas gifts, all right
enough, and he went and bought them
too, just as every decent soul that can
afford it, has been doing all over this
Christmas world, for the past week.