Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-22
Entered at the newport news. va,
Post0flce no second-class matter
SUNDAY, DECEMBER %, 1907.
THE GIVING OF GIFTS TO THE
CHILDREN.

sfN No doubt tho chicago cub women
who inaugurated tho movement
against the gift-giving custom mt the
Christmas season were actuated by
Y what appears to them good and sur
Actent reasons, and also there Is no
doubt they can produce strong, II not
altogether convincing arguments, In
support of their position. Those poo-
pie In New York too. who took what
appeared to them an entirely justin
able course In the direction OF elm
mating as far as possible the Chrlst-
mas spirit and the Christ idea from
: the celebration in tho schools incident
TO this season, can produce arguments
that seem to them irrefutable. But
after all the arguments arc produced,
nnd all the reformatory innovations
fertile mind can suggest are can
vassed. tho fact remains that the
Christmas spirit Is still with us, and
that the sentiment that had It's birth
in that manger in bethlehem nearly
two thousand years ago. dominates
what is called the Christian world,
and the Christian world dominates
civilization.
There may be. and there doubtless
~, wide room for difference of indi-
syidual opinion OH many of the details
of the observance of the Yuletide
/ feast. In this Christian land. how
ever, there ought not to be, and 1t is
very doubtful IL there is, any differ
ence on the general proposition OF the
reign of the Christmas spirit. Christ
mas Is peculiarly the children's festi-
I val. To abandon or to abolish sin
gle feature that has grown in connec-
.stion with this festival with the growth
OF the world in Christianity would lie
to rob the children of their ldrthright.
and who among us would do that?
There are SO called advance think
ersp all about us who would have
elus teach the children what they call
! the absolute truth in connection with
this festlval-that 1t was originally
q heather celebration and that Christ
ianity has simply adopted and adapt
ed 1t. They would have us tell every
little girl that her doll is but bag
OF rags or at besta sack of sawdust,
y and every Little Boy Blue that his toy
+ soldier is but scrap of tin or a bit
OF lead. Grant that the doll Is stuffed
with sawdust, the little girl-the
mother In minature-loves 1t; grant
that the tiny soldier Is of tin, the man
IN the making is proud of it, He who
would rob that little mother of her
4 love for that miniature man of his pride
and hero worship; are not the men or
the women to be trusted with the
, training or the guidance of the future
men and women of the nation, or of
the world.
No doubt they call themselves men
and women of wisdom. these people
who would take the children's Christ
mas from them. but their wisdom IA
measured only by standards set up
by themselves, But IL we take from
the children the Christmas festival
what are we going 10 give them in
place OF IL? Yes. theea people who
would have make innovations and SO
called reforms ia THIS cbrtstmag OBJ
seryance are no doubt wise in their
y day and generation. but there were
wise men in days long gone bye and
wise men in days long gone by and
lem These wise men had seen a
wca3srful star, even as they tended