The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-12-24
CHRISTMAS AND
THE MISTLETOE.

guish jealousy Observation-Disclosures
ay, say, said of Dickens: "Was
there ever a better charity sermon
preached than Dickens's Christmas
Carol? believe it occasioned i'm
mense hospitality throughout Eng
land; was the means of lighting up
hundreds of kind fires at Christmas
time; caused a wonderful outpouring
of Christmas good feeling-of Christ
mas punch-brewing; an awful slaugh
ter of Christmas turkeys, and roast
ing and basting of Christmas beef
Yes, and to have done this is to
have done an incalculable service
But this is an outward, visible chart
ty. | do not depreciate it. | should
have been very glad, asI walked and
unused, to meet you, Master Gregory,
laboring along under a mighty load
of turkeys, with your pockets full
of sugar-plums and wooden horses
for the poor people not a hundred
miles from your comfortable quar-
tiers. No, I shall not depreciate the
affection which prompted old Mr..
Isaac, of York-whose teeth, of
course, you do not suppose to be his
own-to send that lace handker-
chief, of an incredible workmanship
and of fabulous price, to his daugh-
ter Rebecca, with merry Christ
mas And if old Scrooge and Ralph
Nickleby, each with a balance of
three millions at the bank, sent
checks right and left to clerks and
seamstresses, which fell upon them
with the glad surprise of the light
that shone upon the shepherds-I
say that it was well done, and I am
grateful to them for a pleasanter
Christmas because Of knowing that
they have done well. Old Scrooge
and Mr.. Nickleby have kissed under
the mistletoe-not kissed each other,
Gregory, but the seamstresses and
the young clerks, as you understand.
They have been truly charitable
But there is a body and a soul Of
charity. | have seen two men shake
hands politely, and chat pleasantly
together, with all the outward signs
of amity, when inwardly they were
ravening wolves, plotting against
each others prosperity and peace. |
have seen two women profuse i'll mu-
tual compliment, and with their
faces never relaxing from a smile,
Overlooking with the most friendly
professions, vying in elaborate could
tesy; and these women We're tigers.
Under every velvet word there was a
cruel claw; and when they parted
each sprang upon the others repu-
tation and devOured it. So, also, |
have seen men sitting high up in the
broad aisle of Saint Rainbow be-
having with propriety that would
edify old John Knox Of the Pope's
master of ecclesiastical ceremonies
dropping rolls of greenbacks into the
contribution box, and oh! such scrim
ping at home! such frowning upon
luckless beggars downtown. sach Il
universal reputation Of the utmost
meanness in every business transac-
ton!
All this is the body, the form, the
mask Of charity. This giving aims in
various ways, or this appearance of
cordiality-are these the kissing I'M
der the mistletoe? When the decor
Gus pewholder has dropped fifty dol
lars into the box, has he given the
kiss of peace without which there is
no true Christmas? Alas, my dea1
Gregory, what says the Apostle
"And though I bestow all my good:
, to feed the poor, and though | give
my body to be burned, and have no
charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Good heavens, my dear young frien,
man then may found college, o
even a theological seminary; he ma,
build a hospital Or endow library
he may give every poor family il
town aChristmas turkey stuffed wit
United States gold-bearing bonds
and yet not have charity. Poor fel
low! he may do all that and yet no
have kissed under the misteltoe
. While the wretched Lazarus, VIII
,, can't buy a turkey but who refuse
to be insulted, and who believes 9th
err people to be as honest as he is
may be the very man Paul had i
mind, and his whole life may be
kissing under the mistletoe!