Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-12-08
Ca(nnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaac. d. d.

mon. when all are looking forward to
the joys of the approaching holidays.
the preacher draws n practical lesson
concerning gifts, which applies to all
classes The text Is John xiv, 10,
Whatsoever We shall ask in my name
that will do"
Many years ago the beautiful custom
was started of giving Christmas pres
/ euts. May II never become obsolete!
/ This custom dates as far back AS the
first Christmas day. when the three
wise mel came journeying from the
/ east and brought their presents OF gold
and frnnkincense aud myrrh and laid
them ut the Saviour's feet.
+ This beautiful custom of Christmas
giving Is practiced not only in the
homes Of the rich. but also in the cot
iages Of the poor. II Is practiced not
only among the young. but among the
middle aged aud those in the twilight
of life. But. though Christmas giving
means much to all classes OF people In
Christian lands. believe that 1t means
the most 10 those homes where there
are lot of children and where money
Is not overPlcntiful. us was the case
Ia the homes 0f our fathers and moth
crs. where our brothers and sisters
and ourselves grew III side by side.
When | mention tile Christmnscs of
our youthful homes the vivid scenes
come back 10 us. They Hood the minds
and hearts with grateful memories.
First we think of the preparations for
those Christniases. our fathers in
come WAS not very large. The daily
demands made upon his wages reduced
that income 10 the utmost. The shoes
and the stockings had 10 he bought for
many little feet The bread had To be
baked not hy one loaf or two ioaves.
but hy the d.Jzen loaveS. The healthy
appetites OF your fathers growing
family were simply enormous Medi-
cine had To bc bought aud the doctors
bills met for the care of your sick SIS
ter. The wood aud the coal had 10 be
put into the bin 60 drive the cold out Ia
those bitter January and February
nights No wonder your father and
mother had 10 figure very close how TO
make the income meet the necessary
outso. Thus there was not very much
money To- spend for the Christmas
presents \ little money had TO be
made to go II great way. Now. how did
our mothers bridge over the difficult
ties? This was the way they did It:
\ few weeks. or. rather a couple OF
I 4 hpt. bnr
would call all the children together.
Then she would give To each pencil
aud paper. Then she would say Now,
| my son. | want you TO write upon that
paper n list OF all the things that you
would like for Christmas. Do not
make your desires too great. Then. II
your father and mother can afford II.
from among those lists we will make
our selections and give You what you
want. Otherwise we may buy you
something You may not desire" Then
our mother would take the lists that
made Every day after the work at
the home was done mother would 30
shopping My. how tired she used 10
look when she returned She would
be too tired TO eat. Then those mys-
terious bundles would come home from
the store and he piled away in the
closet. which would be locked ms tight
as the one in which the tabled Blue
beard kept the decapitated heads OF
his murdered wives We remember
how. as boys. we used TO try to peek
through the kcyholc of that door and
hold a lighted match Just under the
knob 10 try to see what was behind
that unturnable lock. The longer and
the more often we looked the slower
that Christmas day crawlcd around
ON Christmas Eve.
Then that going To bed ON Christmas
evenly. II did seem as though we
never could get 10 sleep. When we
lay awake we could hear the strange
bustling downstairs aud the rumbllng
OF the delivery wagons coming and go
ing. And when We got out OF bed
lust 10 look over the banisters 10 see
what was going on our mother would
catch sight of our little nighigowns ev-
cry time aud cry: Frank il that youf
Are YOU ont OF bedf" Then We would
be so frightened that We could not an
swer her. All that she could hear was
pattering Of little feet us we sour
ried back 10 the bed nest But after a
long time. after IL seemed As though
we had lnin awake for at least thirty
six hours. we nw0ke II was Christ
mas morning then the stockings by
the bcdpost. filled with candy and a
few toys. which we grabbed; then
the hurried dressing and the hurried
breakfast. Mother ana father never
let us have our toys until after break
fast and Christmas prayers Then the
family formed into line. the youngest
at the head and our brothers and sis
tiers going Mp Ia steps until the line
endcl. with mother aud father last.
Then the door OF the back parlor swung
open.
Then the Christmas tree the differ
ent chairs. filled with bundles. each