The National tribune., 1908-12-24


IL would serys our souls well IL. at
this happy Christmas time. VIC eopia ee
isy aside our 0Wh sorrows ana our own
disap;,oinftnenls and griefs. ma Tor
awhile enter into the j0yousnsss thht
the great Christian anniversary repre-
seuts The world is too much with US,
sven al this season. The careful ana
troubled Nhfthas are looking wen 10
the ways of their households. That the
inmates and the guests that hfs To
eotne may have the BEST and the most
Of that best,
All arc planning present giving, ana
the whole time Tor weeks has been
taken up with thoughts OF what each
shall give the other dear one
aenefa Sara does not belong to that
fiass of ieeheeiasts who believe that tho
Christmas anniversary, with Santa
Claus myths ana ell that. should be
done away with, The very happiest
iiifes III her whole life fsvelse about
The delights Of the Christmas season
aud tsanta claus was very dear To her,
A splendid father and biesse' meth
sf made the dat ore long ain or
pleasure. ana new that they gone
the memories sf the Christmas season
that cluster around childish years are
the very dearest that eeine. One hhEfhs
1fs is that 81 2 great aSll, as big az
thisae=Hi ans as-sSia sasS, vita wtsSd,tftAi
fea checks. afsG2, haff as.S SfeWh sNes!
it IL VefS VIVA sfyeF the fassasa et
ssAess years sfaa care 10 Eesi II @as
= sAste don and il haa Sae most fsaa-
sisA CS:lth.s aa IN eTA5F6iSsse3 saiE
$<s.h5 11;rfs,istlcR4h q had been foF %'eefs
4't.a 4sffnefpa3 attraction fh she @4ndo~
G,f 9sifa greet and only tdy staf'e N varfi.
Isvssfy Child wanted q, ara every %hils
F,rtSStad thst 4 might De hels oh S'f4lsE-
ssii.i5 iii{sFnire hs soon Ak EeAeea %as
fiif,f,iiHs,s,tl seseh evening We FseekeS %
ylie4 Tffifa6T- To .stse t'45aaS AFAseifs,
s!vt4. s;,F,;, ltf 4haa gfA4l paS A4faSst psSs-
f.fss4iS+s ~, al 9Ssi+ s54e very Ezesa, s3st
az, SN4E#FsRass fh5sFasRzs Y ssesefses On nay
high ehsss, holding e'ae at my STOCK
jngS,
Hgppys Why. tho world was mine
that day and for many months after
ward. ! know now that the doll cost
my mother and father many ANXIOUS
hours before they could plan Its pur-
chase, but daddy always said that the
rssy 0vercoat that he didn't get-wear-
tag f!s coat Of Army blue another VIM
fer-Taye him vastly more pleasure
than 81 he had got the coat and the
solt been left in the sffcT window. Two
generations beside myself have nursed
ffszt doll. and a third one has IT in hand
rozy, Do you suppose that the Santa
Clzs5s myth has hurt any who nave
funded ft2
II II too true that the Christmas sea-
son has become irkaOne TO many, bnt
IL Il because they have made it so. To
spend all one's time and energy in
planning gifts for friends which it will
take months To pay for is all but GRIM
lrzI The gifts in the family should he
those that love and affection naturally
prompt n the means are moderate
The gifts should be simple. The good
will that goes with them ls worth much
more 10 the recipient than the gift it
self: that ig what the season means.
u rs too sadly true that the average
American is given 10 mortgaging the
future in almost every way. but this
spirit should be kept out OF the Christ
mas giving. II all ones energies and
money are given TO the family and per-
sonal friends there is nothing left foI
the less prosperous neighbor. Don'i
forget those on whom the sun OF sue
cess has not shone when you give gifts
at this season. Be sure that all the lit
tie children you know have gift or
two. 1t takes so little to make a child
happy. and it is so sad, so pitifully sad.
to see their great longing eyes fixed on
the toys and candy of their playmates,
and to know that none of il Is for them
The sorrows of childhood are long, LONG
sorrows. You remember some of the
unhappy incidents of childhood in year:
that have lost all other significance t.
you ] know ] do. So IL is that We
should try to tighten and brighten th
day for the less fortunate. There ar
none of us so poor that we cannot Civ
q little to others.
The story of the Christ child is g
beautiful. Scarcely a heart but is soft
ened at this season in remembrance o
the baby that came to make the worl'
better, and whose birthday anniversar.
has for nearly 1000 years been OBJ
served by the civilized people of tn,
world It is something to remembe
that wherever the Bible truths hav
penetrated. the sweet Christmas senti
ment has also gone, and that the Chris
tan world uniIes in observation of tn
day, religiously End socially.
It is cone5rd of thought and actor
that holds good of no other day in tn
calendar.
As you value happy thoughts an
memories of the day. make good t
your fellowman and woman; let no on
who comes within the radius of you
environment leave it unhappy, !f 1t lie
within your power to help them to haI
piness.
Christmas decorations need not b
hard 10 plan. even If you are clear OF
of range of the big shops. Tissue pa
per is now much used even in the cit.
Red, of course, is the Christmas colo
with a mixture of green. If you car
not have the green of the laurel. whic
does not wither take pliable wire an
wind il with green tissue paper. IL
real easy to fashion red poppies, ros;
ana the larger llOWEIS OUT OF cEEI
paper, but if you can only get I'll
smooth red you can make il look quit
artistic by taking a sheet of it an
carefully squeezing II into wad
your hand. Crumple il into the small
est sort of a wad. then careful
straighten out. not smooth. but just 5
that you can cut out the petals. The
you can crumple the pefals after the
are fastened into the flower. II 20
have old artificial flowers they also ca
be used TO good advantage in the deI
Orations that are to go higher up.
1t has seemed SO impossible to kee
portieres closed in Winter that alnlc
every one has become reconciled TO IL
fact and lets the draft sweep TIM
the room at will. But clever woma
has at last found a solution to Il
problem, and such a simple device it
There seems no excuse for its not ha
ing been used long ago.
The curtains may be fastened {
getaer with patent clasps, of cours
just like tailored gloves are fastene
or skirts Why not? The arrangeme
is almost invisible, and would never
discovered were the little balls al
sockets sewn TO the wrong side of
thick curtain. They are easy to un,
and easy TO refasten, and the discoye
will fill many n long-felt want in hous
where the living room and dining-roo
are separated only by portieres.