The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-12-22
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Christmas marks the advent of hu.
manity's ideal. Men need standards
| after which to strive. They want some
visible mark set for their aspirations
or for their ambitions, whether it be
in industry or honesty or morality.
The anniversary of the birth of Christ
is the anniversary of the coming of
perfection in human form. to reveal
the possibilities of the soul and give
encourages and hope to the Tag
ging will, and the efforts through long
ages to celebrate the occasion fittingly
have made into custom the most beau
tiful expressions of reverence and
mirth
Probably the central idea is that of
charity. The hard striving of ambi-
tion relaxes little and makes room
for the softer sentiments, men are i'm
bued with kindlier feelings, and they
| wish one another we'll. The idea aud
the feeling of active benevolence
comes uppermost. People not only
make reciprocal gifts as evidences of
affection, but they are inclined to stop
moment and realize that they have
real charity for one another's faults
and shortcomings.
Moreover, the spirit of active benev-
olence tends to reach beyond the i'm
! mediate objects of the personal affec-
tions and to take in all humanity. The
whole world becomes an object of I'M
terest. Mutual sympathy and mutual
kindness pervade all hearts. It may
truly be said to be the season of the
year when mans best impulses rule
him.
In the crazy haste of "business''
throughout the rest of the year some
may forget the poor and the unfor-
tunate, but not at Christmas time.
The day demands consideration for
them, and they get it. The sick, the
| destitute, and those in prison are min.
| istered to and made partakers in the
general cheer. In at least thirteen
states this year imprisoned men have
been pardoned in order to return to
their families at Christmas.
The whole Christian world feels at
this time the uplifting influence of the
life that was lived in Judea so many
| thousand years ago. 1t is so general,
so sweeping so all-pervading, it would
be hard to escape it if one wished to
do so.
But Christmas has become in this
! country peculiarly festival of the
home. 1t is the great domestic feast.
day and the time of reunion Of friends
| and relatives, strengthening domestic
| affection and the-bonds of the family.
If there had been no Christmas in the
pie would have invented one in order
to invest it with that peculiar 1harac-
ter.
Christmas is the home day. It is the
day which we devote, as far as possi.
BILE, to the family circle. Therefore it
may be interesting, under the head of
progress, to notice the increase in
comfort in the average workingman's 8
home during the last hundred years.
A hundred years ago every working.
mans. house was built Of unpainted
boards, and liable at any time to take
fire. If it did, there was neither fire
department nor insurance.
In the Western States the earliest
settlers lived in ''half-face" camps,
which were three-sided log cabins with
quilts of deerskin hung up on the
fourth side, and roofs made of saplings
and bark, .>~,z&&
In the towns, the little cottages had
sand on the brick floor instead of car
pet. The dishes were made of pewter.
The children had no store toys, no
pretty clothes, no candy, no picture
books. =.
The street in front Of the cottage
was no more than q flat lane Of mud.
Hungry pigs roamed the streets Of all
towns. There were no street lighta;