The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-12-19
CHR1srMAs AND THE CHILDREN.

dar that means as much to the home
as Christmas does. 1t is the day of
Joy and gladness. Praise is in the air.
L Lovingkindness is in the heart. In
the church and the store, on the street,
in the home-everywhere the atmos-
phere is laden with the Christmas
spirit. What day it is for the chill
dren It is no wonder that the little
folks are delighted when the Novem-
Der sheet is torn from the calendar on
the wall, and December, with its "25"
printed in red appears. That means
the near approach of the ''joytime, "
and the little folks are happy with an
ticipation.
Children are an essential factor in a
really "merry Christmas. !" Their
enthusiasm, interest, expectations,
surprise, delight and unbridled Joy,
not only over the gifts they may re-
ceive, but rather over the whole set
ting of the happy festival-these give
the occasion a quality that is necessa-
ry to a comprehension of its wider
significance. The celebrations of the
day in the church give the children
the deep religious impressions that
are inseparable from Christmas and
these are confirmed and strengthened
by the suggestions and instruction of
the Christian home, for it is in the
home itself that the abiding impress
sions of Christmas are made.
The presence Of the children in the
home gives zest to the Joy of Christ
mas time. If there are several little
folks, the sharing of their pleasures
multiplies them, and makes the day
one of greater happiness. And just
here-as at many other points-the
children who have brothers and sis
ters are at a great advantage over
those who stand alone in their homes
as the representatives of the next
generation.
In the December number of one of
the numerous papers there appears a
double cartoon, entitled, "The two
sides of the picture" One side rep
resents beautiful, well-dressed little
boy, an only child of a wealthy home.
The boy is surrounded by costly
Christmas gifts. Nearly everything
that boy could wish to receive at
Christmas is there. But the boy is
unhappy. A surprised, far-away look
is in his eyes. He is lonely. He is
denied the unspeakable joy of COM
panionship. He would give up all
his gifts if he could have playmate.
The other picture introduces one to a
humble home. The Christmas gifts
are few and cheap. A healthy-look-
ing boy is blowing tin trumpet with
all his might, and at his side his two
sisters are playing contentedly with
their new dolls. It does not take
much to make them happy-as far as
Christmas gifts go. Their deeper joy
comes from their companionship,
which is token of affection greater
than that possessed by any toy, how
ever costly it may be, and an unfail-
ing source of contentment. Blessed
is the home in which the shout of the
happy children is heard on the birth
day of Him who loved the lambs Of
the fold with a tender love, and said
of them "of such is the kingdom" )"
But there are many homes where
Christmas will be spent without the
glad sound of the children's voices.
The place that knew them in other
years-perchance only last Christmas
is now still and lonely and desolate.
How many homes there are in which
the note OF sadness will mingle with
that of gladness the one coming from
the multitude, the other from the
heart stricken with sorrow because a
beloved presence is no longer in the
home at Christmas time. There will
be longings for ''touch of vanish
ed hand, and for the sound of voice
that is STILL" even as the assembled
children sing their sweet carols in the
church, or the greetings of Christmas
are exchanged in the homes where
sorrow has entered.
A Merry Christmas to all To the
little children; to those in the first
flush of youthhood to those of ripe
years; to those in mature life; to the
aged To the homes where the laugh.
ter and praise of the children are heard,
and to the homes where those joyous
voices no longer resound: A Merry
Christmas
Does it seem like mockery to wish
merry Christmas to those whose
hearts cannot be merry while the
memory of the loss of precious chill
dren is still fresh1 Well, it is moi
that, but if merry" seems to be toe
harsh a word, let "holy" take its
place. To all who mourn this day
because of the going out of the chill.
dren from the earthly home we would
say, "a Holy Christmas"-a day
sanctifed by sacred memories and glo
rifed by blessed anticipations. These
boys and girls who have gone out from
the home fold are with those we "have
loved long since and lost awhile .
No, not that exactly. They are MOI
among the lost. They are ours still
For a little while God, who gave then
to us, has them in his closer keeping
They are in his presence. They sins
his praises. By faith we can brinf
them back to enjoy with us the sacred
glories of the Christmas time. They
are ours and God's-and they serve
him day and night in his temple. =
Ebwoyth Herald.
DAsHAwAY-Well, Uncle Jasper