Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-12-06
Calnnage
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase, D. D,


mon, when all are looking forward to
the joys of the approaching holidays,
the preacher draws 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
ents. May it never become obsolete!
This custom dates as far back as tho
first Christmas day when the three
wise men came journeying from the
east and brought their presents of gold
and frankincense and myrrh and laid
them at 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
tages of the poor. 1t is practiced not
only among the young but among the
middle aged and those in the twilight
on life. But though Christmas giving
means much to all classes Of people in
Christian lands, | believe that it means
the most to those homes where there
are a lot Of children and where money
Is not overplentlful. as was the case
In the homes of our fathers and moth
ers, where our brothers and sisters
and ourselves grew up side by side.
When | mention the Christmases of
our youthful homes the vivid scenes
come back to us. They food the minds
nd hno rfC with f,,l 81
First we think Of the preparations for
those Christmases. Our fathers in
come was not very large. The daily
demands made upon his wages reduced
that income to the utmost. The shoes
and the stockings had to be bought for
many little feet. The bread had to be
baked not by one loaf or two loaves,
but by the dozen loaves. The healthy
appetites of your fathers growing
family We're simply enormous. Medi-
cine had to be bought and the doctors
bills met for the care of your sick SIS
ter. The wood and the coal had to be
put into the bin to drive the cold out in
those bitter January and February
nights. No wonder your father and
mother had to figure very close how to
make the income meet the necessary
outgo. Thus there was not very much
money to spend for the Christmas
presents. A little money had to be
made to go great way. Now, how did
our mothers bridge over the difficult
ties? This was the way they did it:
A few weeks, or, rather n couple of
months, before Christmas our mother
would call all the children together
Then she would give to each a pencil
and paper. Then she would say: "Now,
my son. want you to write upon that
paper list Of all the things that you
would like for Christmas. Do not
make your desires to- great. Then, If
your father and mother can afford it,
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
our brothers and sisters and we had
made. Every day after the work at
the home was done mother would go
shopping. My, how tired she used to
look when she returned! She would
be too tired to eat. Then those mys-
ferrous bundles would come home from
the store and be piled away fl the
closet, which would be locked rs 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 keyhole Of that door and
hold a lighted match just under the
knob to try to see what was behind
that unturnable lock. The longer and
the more often we looked the slower
that Christmas day crawled around.
On Christmns Eve.
Then that going to bed on Christmas
evenly, 1t did seem as though we
never could get to sleep. When we
lay awake we could hear the strange
bustling downstairs and the rumbling
Of the delivery wagons coming and GO
ing. And when we got out of bed
Just to look over the bAnisters to see
what was going on our mother would
catch sight of our little nightgowns ev
cry time and cry; Frank. is that your
Are you out Of bed?" Then we would
he so frightened that we could not an.
swer her All that she could hear was
n pattering of little feet as we sour
ried back to the bed nest. But after q
long time, after 1t seemed as though
we had lain awake for at least thirty
six hours, we awoke. 1t was Christ
mas morning-then the stockings by
the bedpost, filed with candy and a
few toys, which we grabbed; then
the hurried dressing and the hurried
breakfast. Mother and 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 up in steps, until the line
ended, with mother and father last
Then the door of the back parlor swung
open.
Then the Christmas tree-the differ
ent chairs, filled with bundles. each
with the owners name marked upon
hem and the name Of the giver attach
ed. Then from every part of the room
tan be heard the same cries Of delight
MS the different bundles are opened,
then the kisses and the hugs. But
inter the presents have all been exam
ined and we have time to stop and
think we find that for the most part