The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-23
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By Agnes Foster Buchanan

Dy nkitOo Il OctOA 1uNItoiioil
Z MAN sat IN his room alone. The
IN doors were bolted, the windows
barred. Before him on the table
were hts money bags-they were
his idols. Beside them were his
bank books. they were his gods. He
gazed upon them In reverent silence.
they were HIST HIST HIsnl Suddenly
IN the midst Of the silence he heard
a knocking. II came he knew not
whence. It echoed with persistent re-
petition through what seemed to be a
great, vacant room The air vfbrated
with the noisy demands OF the stranger
for entrances.
Who knocksr' asked the man.
open, and you shall see my face and
viii love me-" was the answer.
Pass on" answered the man. 81 am
busy" and he turned again to the
counting OF his money.
Louder and louder yet the knocks
the echoes sounded.
Who are youg" asked the man, this
time impatiently.
open to me and you shall know.
tell my name to those only who love
me-" the voice gave answer.
Come another time" protested the
man. Il tell you 1 am busy"
L come but once a year." objected
the voice. bid me welcome now.
Reluctantly enough the man consent
ed. The wayfarer waited for no second
invitation. He took immediate posses
sion Of his home and of that room Of
vacant echoes-his heart, filling its
emptiness to OVERLOOKING with JOY and
peace. The strangers name was The
Christmas Spirit"
This then is the influence at work
these days. This is the spirit that has
killed the old leaven of jealousy and
selnshness and has produced the I'M
leavened bread OF sincerity and truth.
II shows itself in crowded streets and
in shops all beautiful in their holiday
dress. But more than all else it mani
tests itself in the faces OF people; in
The ewes and on the lips o. those we
meet Everywhere the Christmas
spirit is present
Even in the refugee camps-in the
PARK. over at Ingleside. in the Rich
mond district, there may be, there
oetentines are, want. cod. hunger
even. but ABOVE al and through all the
Christmas spirit there holds sway.
The Little childrens Day
Christmas : essentially and forever
the children's day. The frs. Christmas,
in the year one. came into being be-
cause of a child. The heavenly mes
sengers themselves sang My of GER
tain babe which was borl in Bethle-
hem Of Judea. without tina ,oly child
Christmas would mean nothinl, and the
happiest day on the years calendar
would be nothing more than the 10th
or the goth of December.
Hundreds Of children there are TO
whom the day this year will scarcely
mean gnstening trees. mysterious pack
ages, turkey and plum pudding. The
coy cottage or fat Of last year is sup
planted today by canvas tents and
nakeshift shaclxs. These are the 'srefu-
gee" children. Some OF them, indeed
those out at Ingleside camp-are laid
10 rest at night much as the holy child
in the stable at Bethlehem. Their shell
ter is literally stall and their cradles
stand where few short months ago
the thoroughbred ponies ate from their
hangers
To these children then. one and all,
each hour is a day, each day a week,
before Santa Claus may. with any de-
gree of certainty. be expected. Some
of them have tiny calendars tackled up
in their temporary homes. and each
morning a funny little characteristic
line crosses OF the new day. And al