The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25

1 himself toward the old church. AS Gabriel went his way he saw the cheerful fires i glean through the old easements and he l heard the laugh of half dozen little 1 curly-headed rascals playing their Christ
 mas games. All this was wormwood and
 gall to the heart of Gabriel Grub, and he 1 determined to wreak his revenge on some
 one. So as he went on up the ancient 1 street he caught the sound of a merry l little voice and later found it proceeded from happy little boy intent upon join I ing some of his comrades in their Christ
 mas games, and so the old sexton rapped him over the head with his lantern, just
 because the little fellow was happy. 1 But the goblns had seen and heard what had happened, and so they proceeded Gabriel Grub to the graveyard and wait ed. Presently the old sexton arrived, and
 the first thing he did was to take out his ] bottle. There was not the faintest rustic
 to break the tranquility of the solemn scene; just as he was in the act of rais- l ing it to his lips weird sound close the 1 air.
 What do you here at Christmas Eve?' l said the Goblin. T came to dig a grave, sir" said Cab
 riel his blood running cold from sheer 1 fright.
 And that bottle? Who drinks Hollands l alone in a church yard on such night I as this ?" inquired the deep voice. 1 To this the invisible chorus of goblins ] replied. l Gabriel Grubl Gabriel Grub!' Which sounded like the voices of many choris- l ters singing to the mighty swell of the old church organ.
 I'm afraid my friends want you, Cab l riel," said the fantastic little sprite Under favor, sir,'' answer Gabriel. q 1 don't think they can sir; they don't know l me. sir
 "Oh, yes they do, Gabriel. They know the man with the sulky face and the grim scowl that came down the street this Christmas Eve, throwing his evil looks at the innocent, merry little children and grasping his burying spade the tighter. They know the man who struck the little boy in the envious malice of his heart because the boy could be happy and he could not. They know him, and they want him." said the goblin. At this the entire procession of gob- lins, prancings and leaping, took the old sexton and sank through the earth with him. When Gabriel Grub had time to fetch his breath, he found himself in what appeared to be a large cavern surrounded by myriads of goblins, ugly and grim.
 And now" said the King Goblin. Show this man of misery and gloom a few of the pictures from our great store house."
 l. Obeying this command, picture after picture portraying the suffering and affiictions of humanity, were displayed before the amazed view of the surly old sexton, and many lesson did he learn.
 He saw that men worked hard and earned their scanty bread with lives of labor, were cheerful and happy; and that to the most ignorant, the sweet face of nature was a never-failing source of cheerfulness and joy.
 He saw those who had been tender ly and delicately nurtured, cheerful under privations and superior to suf- fering because they bore within their bosoms the attributes of happiness, con tentment and peace.
 He saw that women, the most fra gile of all Gods creatures, were oftenest superior to sorrow, adversity, and dis tress, because they treasured in their hearts an inexhaustible well-spring of affection and devotion
 But above all, he saw that men like himself, who snarled at the mirth and cheerfulness of others, were the foulest and setting all the good of the world against the evil. he decided that it was a pretty decent sort of world after all.
 
 good moral for the sour, unhappy pessimist at this glorious Christmas tide, isn't it? Nf
 The world is full of Gabriel Grubs" today, but don't you be one. Eliminate if it is possible his spirit of selfishness and ugliness during the Christmas cheer, at least. Maybe you will like it so well that you'll continue to be cheer ful and happy.
 Cheerfulness means so much to all of us today--to "grown-ups" as well as children. For Christmas is the feast of feasts-and Santa Claus the best be- loved of all the saints
 Everywhere the world over today lit- tie children are standing with out stretched hands waiting to receive That is their joy. And the grown ups," who are the givers. should find the bestowal blessed indeed.
 Those of other generations may come