The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-12-19
HOW TO SPEND CHRISTMAS
ITS JOYS AND SORROWS
(Contributed.

| greetings to the coming Of the festi
val, on the return of every year since
| Constantine the Great fixed the sign
of the Cross upon his banner and at
the head of his conquering legions,
| trampling PROSTATE heathenism un-
der the hoofs of his own horse, forced
his way, sword in hand to the gates
of Rome.
In that event less than three CEN
turtles after the death and resurrec-
ton of it's Divine founder, the Chris
tian religion rose above the sinking
fabric of the Roman power and be-
came the dominant creed of the civ
ilized world.
In this day the celebration of
Christmas bears little impress of its
religious significance. The secular
holiday has overgrown the religious
anniversary. The universal good will
of human brotherhood has crowded
the zeal of the devotee into a corner.
The Christmas turkey has taken the
place of the Sacrament. The Christ
mas gift has tempted the worshipper
from the altar. For many days the
Christmas present has engrossed
the thoughts of millions. The shops
have been thronged with wandering
restless generous minded crowds of
prospective gift-makers who know
not what they want nor how to
choose At Christmas time the hus-
band is brought to a realizing sense
of his ignorance touching the taste,
desires and longings of the partner
of his joys and wears himself out in
perplexity. The wife finds it doubt
full problem to select anything which
shall really be a welcome offering to
the plodding, absent minded, unima-
ginative husband, whose ideas of art
are embodied in an attractive busi-
ness sign, and whose conception of
personal comfort is bounded by a
bed. Alas, for the good wife, the Ia
boriously worked slippers shall full
fill no useful mission, the elegant ci-
gar case will be an encumbrance and
the costly sleeve buttons poor sub
stitute for the old convenient pair
But the children shall rejoice with
a great joy. The young man will wear
his leopard-tinted dressing gown with
sentimental faithfulness and dream
Of the fair donor with throbbing
teart; and the young ladies, God
bless them, are in a fiutter of expec-
ofr of vcf1, 10
which l trust and hope will
be realized.
Yes, Christmas is day to be
thankful for. There is vast amount
Of genuine good will in the comp1i
ments of the season which pass from
mouth to mouth.
The American does nothing thor
oughly, unless it be the business of |
the hour. When he gives his mind to
good fellowship his brotherly love
knows no bounds. He may do it awk- |
wardly, but his heartiness is beyond |
question. He may present his pastor |
with an elegant copy of Hoyle on
Games and buy Greek lexicon for |
the poor widow next door, but his (
heart glows with the spirit of the |
times, and he does not care for ex
penses.
Christmas has it's dark side as well |
as it's bright. In city of not more |
han 1900 inhabitants like Roswell,
where extreme poverty is an excep-
ton, we can still find some dreary
homes, with ragged, barefooted chill i
aren shivering around scanty fire, |
IN cheerless rooms with scanty fur
niture and a cradle-for a baby is
always there, pinched and hungry
looking, with an expression on its
face far different from that which
Bethlehem's Baby wore when Graded
in the manger The only plaything |
many OF these children have is some
broken toy or corn-cob tied with a
cotton. string, and answering the dou-
Bile purpose OF a cart for the boy and
4 doll for the little girl. who makes
the metamorphosis by wrapping it
with a piece of faded calico
IL such conditions exist IN a place
ike ours, where nature has done SO
much for us. how much worse must
t be in large cities where fntemper
ance and vice hold high carnival and
heir gaunt offspring. poverty. /
stretches out her hand for help.
Christmas is but a few days on,
md shall we shut our eyes. or shall
ue unite our purse strings and look
about to see what we can do to make