The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-12-20
a SERMON.
The Distinction Between Giving and
Contributing" Of Gifts
as see it.

oS S~~ sss
Before the next issue of the III erald
greets waiting and expectant world,
the sweetest and most wonderful of all
the sweet and wonderful holidays that
constitute the picture pages in the
great book of days will have glided.
from the eternity that lies before into
the eternity past.
The most wonderful because it does
not commemorate the birth of ma
ton, a victory OF arms, success in
science, an accomplishment in art,
an achievement in literature or a
triumph in craftsmanship, but simply
recalls to the memory of men the
birth of manger-born babe who,
when he to manhood grew, never led
an army, accepted an office, wrote q
book, painted a picture or made a
speech, but whose life, deeds and
5crGs have been mora potent iEhu~
ence in swaying the destinies of indi-
viduals and nations than all the
potentates, warriors, scientists,
writer's and politicians that have trod
the earth from the time the morning
stars sang together at Creations
morn.
The most wonderful, because of the
universally of it's observance. We
have American holidays. English
holidays, German holidays, French
holidays, Scandinavian holidays, Ire
lands st. Patrick's day,-each of
special significance to the nation OBJ
serving them, but Christmas is a
world holiday and possesses the same
Significance to all the children of
men. The only explanation of this is
the divinity of Jesus, that he was in
deed the Son of God. For man or
woman to deny tins proposition and
then make special efforts and sacri-
fees to provide Christmas gifts for
loved ones, is to declare themselves
monumental hypocrites by their own
acts. There are many men who scott
at the sweet story of the manger, the
dark recital OF the betrayal and the
pathetic history of the cross. They
believe not what they say, and their
words ring false! The names o. Peter,
John, James, Mathew and others OF
the disciples that remained true, have
been, and will continue to be confer
rod upon sons by fathers in every land
hundred times more frequent than
all others in the vocabulary of nomen-
clature, and yet no man in all the his
tory of the world, when he took his
new born man-child, red and rosy
from the arms of the smiling nurse
has declared: Ibis name shall be Ju-
das Iscariot," and yet, if Christ was
not divine, which many claim, Judas
was the best and bravest of the twelve
d Ia ienIuIcO -umanitT service ~
delivering an imposter Into the hands
of the Roman soldiery.
Christmas is the sweetest of all hoI'-
days because the great central idea OF
it's observance is giving, and although
the millions OF givers stop not to
think, this is tacit acknowledgment
of the Great Gift. Ever should it be
borne in mind, and especially al
Christmas time, by both donors and
recipients, the wide. wide difference
between gifts and contributions. A
gift means sacrifice, contribution
does not. A London paper lying on
my table as 1 write, states "Queen Al
exandra will give thousand pounds
to the poor this Christmas. Give
nothing! Is there single pleasure
that money can buy that she denies
herself to make the donation3 She
only contributes it. She does not give
as much to the London poor as the
disreputable, dirty, ragged, hollow
eyed, hungry bootblack to whom
tossed farthing in England's capital
fastening to nearby stand he pur
chased a piping hot baked potato
Spying a comrade, he shouted: Eli
Skinny, come over ere, I'll split this
later wild ye!''
Rockefeller has been credited witt
giving millions to the cause of educa
ton and religion. He never gave &
cent! He sacrificed rothing. He only
| contributed from hoard he could no
use himself and which he could no
take with him at his death-and # ht
| could it would melt. He never gave
as much to education as the Connect
cut youth of olden time who walked
into New Haven bearing two bricks
which he begged be placed in ole
Yale's original walls. He never gave
as much to the cause of religion as the
tot of q girl who went by my dool
while was penning this article, who.
penny in hand, shut her eyes while
passing the candy store, lest she be
tempted to spend it for her own gratifi'
cation instead of depositing it in the
Sunday school fund.
Carnegie has been lauded to the
skies for giving libraries to a thOuS-