The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-18
GOALS FROM aaaaE) FIELD

81 q e s5 IS. E's ssK ~ & 81 q N s
u THERE'S a great desla of grnvn sup dis,
content with fChr1stnnass andaa widening
disposition TO efcondeziah THE holiday as a
nuisance. The cost Of presents Is in.
Weighed against with recurring bitter
ness, and the time taken for shopping
the heart aches and the feet aches In
VOWED In selecting presents for a. circle
OF Irlends, many Of whom are sure to
De De disappointed 81 is made the, subject of
Jipes Which contain a lamentable ele-
ment Of disgust. The stores which have
things to sell, the newspapers, which are
Interested in all { things which interest
the general public exertE themselves I III
not to solve the problem, to- make. the
shopping problem capable Of solution.
The stores print lists tlof things which
can be bought for a man, lists OF pres
ents ntted for a, woman, and alluring.
cattalogs OF things which will make a.
chtld's heart glad. THE 11ewspa pers and
magazines have thrown themselves into
the fray with determination and very
often with discretion III the construction.
Of articles which will enable people to
buy ptelligently within their means, or
manufacture M within their capabilities;
Fhey even instruct the householder how
TO. choose the Christmas dinner, how to
employ themselves before and after din,
ner, and exhibit elaborate programs of
games for the children. y,
Some Of these SUGGESTIONS are really
helpful and have pulled. many a puzzled
man or woman out OF deep despond Of
diflcuity In other cases they no doubt
nave done something toward ,dulling the
;lndividual Initiative. They should be
criticized, if at all, on this, ground. ,.2s
Hf.
Il All OF this carping is. diseolraging to
people who still cling to Christmas as the
merrlest holiday of the: year. The people
VINO Still read Dickens Chris tina
CaroI, to the little folk and who set up
me christmas trees are; disturbed by. the
l l attitude efs;their neighbors:
ne KICKING on Christmas does not. ap-
pear 10 reduce the Christmas buying, but
u 'corrodes the holiday with the feeling
that%itfis being observed under a Sort Of
moral compuson. st.f.&S3t ii ~ !
r. i' =; " -ss -. ;s,S ~ I. ,
Perhaps some Of the' 'kfckers' would do
Wen to go back to Dickens 'eChristmas
Caroi and read it over again. There is
nothlng In it about shopping yourself to
oeath TO make presents to people you do
not know, nor of bankrupting your
tlnancess to accomplish things which at
announcer season you would consider beyond
your means. The aim and purpose Of
the book. is very different. IT was to
Keep. alive the spirit ofsthe time. the
spirit OF forgiveness, of charity, of gen
Leness and Kindness. scrooge was a
man who had forgotten his youth in the
cankerlng race for wealth. He had be-
come morose, disagreeable; stingy and
co'n1temptible:<' Dickens took him as !, a
type OF !, the man who had lost interest
49, % =.
put 1Scrooge thru are worthless if they do
not excite in. every man who reads IS
lively Interest in those about him, on
the other hand, the, Sympathetic. glamor
with which he has INFESTED. the Cratchit
family, which will live as, long as liter
ature, is not anywhere: tinged with conn
plant because the aCratehits We're poor.
Ihelf poverty merely: serves the. purpose
OF ines artist to show that they were a
True family, loving, harmonious and con-
tented,EW1th their lotsis THE contrast be
tween Scrooge and pCratc chit lis notf a
contrast between wea1t1r,i and +; poverty,
but between goodness land meahness. The
DICKENS idea Of Christmas was not of a
time OF giving presents Agrudgingly, but
or enjoying human Fellowship is 1stIie full
and J.. his use Of scrooge IS nor to- inyeigh
against worldly possessions, but to warn
-NASiA eoe5etiiASI ollOWlIlSo d passion Tor gain
10 separate them fren1--t4a eir~ fellow men.
ms, habit Of reading. .tha, n:".Christmas
Carol TO the children: IS good sb11t t
would be better it it could be read to the
older people who have begun to See in
Christmas a. burden which they eannot
pear. Probably it's reading would
change the viewpoint of many people.
reinforcing in a human way the truth Of
Lowells line: sy aeS r." :
Twelve years agorW. III. Harner, a lad
of II, or. was. it. 81 ?..Qne can never be
sure Of Horner's age-Kfe IS SO young and
looks so wise for any age-anFway,
several years ago Horner came tos;AIin-
neapolls and set himself the task tf in
surfing the lives of all the insurable in
TINS vicinity. 1t was stupendous task.
Even to see all those people and get$them
interested in the subject would ssShave
daunted the stoutest heart. ButtEthere
was in addition the fact that their at
tent1on was constantly being distracted
by Ikey Kaufman; 4 Charley Van Tuyl.
frankie Joyce and other boys 1; who
claimed to have an Improved brand of
insurance. ~ a,H. < @Sl;jj:sat, =
But Horner stuck to his job, refusing
TO quit even at the invitation of dogs,
pals of water and Busy Day. signs.
The result of his persistency is that he
made a contract with big company to
act as it's general agent. He has las
seed suite of offices in the Security
Bank building, where he will grant audi
ences to those fit to insure on and after
Jan. Is. The success Of Horner is a
gratlfication to his friends, all Of whom
are aware that it came by hard work
early rising Isl and sticking to one kind Of
breakfast food 8 james GRAY.
: ADJUSTMENTS