Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-12-15
CHRISTMAS READING.
The Eth!cg Of Chrigtmas GIVING.

As the Christmas time approaches, the
average mind begins to bestir itself upon
the matter of giving. The day, sacred as
II Is TO Chrlstendom because of its com
memoration of the birth of Christ. would
stu lose much of its real significance
were 1t not for the fact that at this par
ticuiar time ali minds seem bent upon
me happiness of others. My personal ex-
peflence Is that the average mortal has
kindly instincts and willingness to be
tseu Tor the benefit of others. If only
thls better side of human nature might
be developed, how many a darkened
nome would be frightened, how many
weary lives would find their burdens
lghtened, and how many little children
"otlu iook forward TO the coming Christ
mas WITH the sure expectancy that Some.
how, some way, Santa would appear. If
we could only get people to see that the
real JOY or Christmas giving is not neees-
sarlly confined TO ministering to those We
love, but to doing good to those who need
assistance, then many a little miss out.
side our own family circle would secure
a Christmas dollie and many little man
now neglected would be made happy
with a ball, sled. or skates. to saw nourht
of older discouraged ones whose lives
would be uplifted and helped
Scattered about in thousands of homes
are books, magazines, papers, etc. that
if sent to the boys and girls down among
the cacti of the southwest, out on the big
prairies of the Dakotas. or M among
tie pine groves of Michigan, Wisconsin
and Minnesota, would bring real Joy and
comfort. There are many books in MANY
homes that have outlived their useful
ness, because they have been read and
now have no purpose IN life but to orna-
ment bookshelf that would bring a
world of comfort TO many a restless. in
teiligent boy in a rural district. Visiting
IN the home of friend. my hostess one
day brought out about three years num-
bers of The Youths Companion. that
most excellent of children's papers. and
was about to conSign them to the flames
hnoWlng their value, | lnterceded for
the boys and girls.Aand the heap of RIB
bish. as she called it. was wrapped in
bundles OF ten to twenty papers. and
sent here and there over the land
have often heard from those papers. and
the woman who saved them will never
know just how much joy she brought to
many an ambitious boy or girl longing
for better things. Won't You think
about this, dear reader. and at this glad
Christmas time remember the weak and
less fortunate ones. met Il woman a few
days ago who, with beautiful Christian
grace, washes six days in the week and
cares for her home, keeps two children
IN school. and supports an aged mother
in-law. Her boy, lad of H. is restless
and full of energy, and needs entertain
ment. | saw an old lady of ST living
alone and mile from the nearest neigh
Dor. If only such cases were known to
the thousands of kindly people who want
to make Christmas giving practical and
helpful. | am sure they would readily
respond.
The ethics of Christmas giving is the
doing of something that represents our
own unselhsh natures. and is not repre-
sented by price. put by the benefit to the
recipient of the gift. 1t is not the one
who receives the gift alone who will be
benefited, but the satisfaction of having
tried to help brings TO the donor also a
full measure of Christmas JOY.
three
Himself, his hungry neighbor. and Me.
Prof. G, W. f. Hill, in The Pilgrim