The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-12-22
CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM.

manner on the farm Will be more en-
joyed at the time and will be the
cause of fewer regrets and heartaches.
We can never realize the true mean
ing ofthe holiday greetings, MERRY
Christmas" and Happy New Year, F"
until we are able to separate the idea
that has established the custom of the
undue money spending, from proper
observances. 1t has become vice of
trying to have and do so many more
things during the holidays than we
are able to do. Severe criticism on
the OVERRIDING and bringing forward
the Gospel of Limit" is in order.
1t is in order that we be decently in
telligent on a few things and be igno-
rant of many things. If we do some
things we'll we must deliberately re-
fuse many opportunities of doing
some things which we see others do
ing. Let our dinner and entertain
ing on the farm be all our means
will allow, and be content with what
our purse will grant. Too many of
US annually turn our pockets wrong
side out in making gifts and enter
tanning our friends, and in conse-
quence we must begin the new year
in the spirit produced by bankruptcy.
Our gifts should be esymbols Of love
and good will. We give to children
in the spirit that makes the gift more
precious to the giver than to the re-
cipient. We all need as much of this
real old Christmas spirit as is possible
to get we get the spirit by being
good to some one on Christmas day.
"The only real gift is portion of
thyself; therefore, the poet brings a
poem; the shepherd, his lamb; the
farmer, corn the miner, gem; the
sailor, coral and shells; the painter,
his picture the girl, handkerchief
of her own sewing"
After doing all we can for the chill
dren and the poor, no one thing can
we accomplish with so much ease
that will yield such generous results
as giving the lowly little considera-
tion there are always lowly hearts
to cherish; you need not go among
the poor to find them; but we have
people living alone, or people living
in boarding houses, who have plenty
of money but are the poorest of the
poor these people should be an OBJ
ject to your farm on Christmas day !;
make this lonely one for one day a
member of your family he will go
away cheered and bettered, because
of the pure and good cheer of the
farmers home. Let US prove to lone
ly hearts i'll towns or cities that we
love them by sharing our homes with
them on Christmas day.
The greatest thing man can do
for his Heavenly Father is to be kind
to some of His other children.
Your Christmas gifts may be love-
wrought, or love-bought; but don't
leave thought out of them the gift
most welcome is the suitable present,
which need not be more expensive
and will also be a loving remem-
brance.
Homemade gifts carry with them
an air of sincerity and an indefnable
charm, but those purchased carry the
same air if suitable, and both may rep
resent months of selI-denial and low
Ing thought, and both may be made
to express the giver's vanity and
selfshness. By suitable presents it
does not necessarily follow that we
need be too practical; we need not
give flour, meat and coffee, only to
the very poor; our friends will appre-
ciate dainty dish, a picture, some
thing they would like to have very
much, but would not buy for himself
or herself.
He would not put off making or
buying our gifts until the Merry Day
comes; if we do we will not have
very light hearts, but will be worn
out and cross.
In making gifts we plainly show
our Individual character particular
" is this true, if we are making
Christmas gifts that are bargain or
casting bread upon the Christmas
waters with the expectation that it
will return in time.