Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-24
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL
Direct Significance at Extreme
Period of Lives.
THE CHARM OF YULETlDE
Day Should Be Fully Freighted With
Happy Moments.
must KEEP THE SPIRIT ALIVE
Allow Children to Be Noisy, It is
Urged-Are Not Young
Long.
MUST KEEP THE SPIRIT ALIVE"
Written for The Star.

| Written for The Star.
1t often happens that the festival of
Christmas has its most direct significance
to us only at the extreme periods of our
lves-when we are children and when we
are aged
To the child it holds sense of delight
that no other day possesses. 1t is the one
day of the year in the mind of the child
which is distinctively it's own. And when
the mysterious charm of myth and leg
end has gone, though an interest in the day
remains, the delight is never again the
same.
In the one case it is Christmas in the
delicious Ders9ective-in the other it is the
day in the quiet retrospection. Too often
! 1t happens, once the children are grown and
! gone from the paternal roof the Christmas
is all too apt to go with them. Particularly
is this true when the children marry and
| find their homes in other cities and leave
the parents in the old home. No sadder
time comes into the life of a man or wom-
an than when the Christmas spirit is per-
mltted to be regarded thing only of the
| past. The day loses its delights and its
coming is deprived of all it's beautiful sig
nlfcance Surely II there are no children
in our homes their absence should recall
| rather than allow us to forget the children
in other homes, who may be made happy.
In such remembrance there may yet be
happiness for many who now allow the hol-
lday to pass with no touch of the Christ
mas spirit.
If ever a day was given to US wherein
to be hapn.' and in which to add to the
happiness of others it is Christmas day.
1t should be as fully freighted with happy
moments and pleasant deeds as We can
make them-haDDy moments for ourselves;
pleasant deeds for others. No span of
no ivh ,irI oil
Christmas spirit to be dormant between
| childhood and old age. 1t is the Christmas
of the present that should enjoy and
! make bright We must not allow ourselves
to forget the true meaning of the Christ
mas spirit 1t will bring happiness to us
just in proportion as we bring happiness
to others.
Other Than Happy Thoughts.
To some the day will this year bring other
than happy thoughts or memories. Sor-
rows are harder to bear on festal days than
at any other time. But no sorrow should
crush the Christmas spirit from our hearts
1t is not in the amount that We do, or are
able to do, that we shall find happiness for
ourselves and for others. The simplest
pleasures and acts ofttimes make the
hearts of others overflow with happiness
To fail to do something because you feel
you cannot do much is wrong. What seems
ever so trifling to you may make some little
heart sing all the day long, which but for
You might pass the day without a note
of happiness. Don't grow impatient of the
Christmas myth or legend. Keep it alive
God knows that we have few enough ideals
in these fconoclastic days of ours. Let Us
| not disturb our Christmas traditions 1t is
a duty to ourselves to keep this day as I'M
like any other can. And we can only
do this by tanning into fame the smoder-
ing embers of the Christmas spirit which is
in every one of US.
The Christ Child implanted it there 1t
was good that we should have it or Beth
lehem's angels would not have sung their
blessed message, Peace on EARTH good will
toward men," In childhood the fire burned
brightly enough within our hearts. In old
age the light Of Christmas should reflect
in our faces and our natures. But in the
meantime We must keep the spirit alive so
that IT may glow the warmer and softer in
old age. Let US have an old-tIme Merry
Christmas" this year-a real old-fashioned~
happy one. Let us make every body forget
there is anything in the world but good
fellowship and happy laughter.
Sign Of Good Health.
Suppose your boy is particularly noisy
on Christmas; what of it? Tell me, if YOU
can, a better sign of strong health than the
noise from boys lungs. Let the boys
have their Christmas day, and If your baby
girl does insist upon putting her sticky
candied fingers on your dress-what Of 1t?
Wear a dress on Christmas day which
bang the piano If she likes Let her slam
| the door. 1t will not seriously injure the
piano or the door, and If it annoys you
some close your ears to the din of the
day. Let her put her smutchy little fingers
on the white paint of the door or wall. l
know of a home where the marks of four
little smutchy fingers may be seen any day
on the white paint OF door, and they are
treasured above the coStliest ornament in
that house. Nothing could induce the moth
er of that home to wipe Off those finger
marks, and gayly would her heart sing If
the little fingers that put them there could
put others beside them. Oh! the JOY of
| having little baby fingers to smutch the
doors and walls in our homes!
Thank God that your child is blessed
with health, so that 1t can fill your home
even If it is a bit noisy
Suppose there are tears in the clothes.
Suppose the new toy is banged and broken.
Better a dozen rents, a busnel of broken
toys, than one moments lull in the play
of your child
get the inanimate and rejoice in the ami
mate, which is Gods own and yours. Don't
interfere with your boys pleasure. Don't
curb his fun. 1t is Christmas day.
Are Not Children for Long.
We are not children long. A life offers
plenty Of time for decorum. 1t has no place
in a child's nature on Christmas day. So
this Christmas let the innocent noise of
children ring through our homes. Let their
contagious merry laughter ne al over
this land, and let each of US who can give
freedom and zest to the dearest treasures
Of the Christmastide. the boys and girls of
our homes God bless them l say, every
one
Let us try to make everybody forget that
there is anything In the world but good
fellowship and happy laughter.
To the sick let us bring forgetfulness Of
pain. To the sorrowful the sweet balm of a
happy smile. To the aged loving thoughts
Of consideration. To the poor a suggestion
of the greater material blessings which are
ours.
Then as we bring light to other eyes, color
to other cheeks. happiness to other hearts,
we shall be happy ourselves.
The Christmas spirit will keep alive with
in us.
Our years thus will be spanned not with a
Christmas at either end, but with an I'M
broken bow OF happy Yuletides. the center
brighter than the beginning and the end
Loving memories will intertwine' and link
together the golden curl and snowy lock.
Then, indeed, we will live in the full rich