Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-12-24

far more in the practice of the
proper economy than the men do.
1t is the counsel Of barbarism to say
the need of scrimping should fall
more upon the women than upon
the men, and it is altogether wrong
to say the money belongs to the men
and that they are to give or with
hold according to their royal
pleasure, as if they were the lords
OF creation and the women their sub
jects, not to be trusted or admitted
to partnership.
There are some good men. There
are men willing to forego share in
the Christmas appropriation to the
end that more may be done for the
family and for friends of the family
1t may be said they have something
of the real Christmas spirit. 1t
may even be suggested they can be
happy in seeing others happy; and
those who cannot feel that way have
no real share in the Christmas Civ
ing.
The women are the large contri
butors to the happiness of home life
They do what money cannot do
Men who think they do their share
by doing out a few dollars are
stumbling blocks in the way OF
Christian living and of Christian
progress. They occupy the relation
to goodness Of the boils which
afflicted Job They may serve in a
mysterious way to exalt nobility of
character, to anchor faith, and to
turn the suffering mind to the mex
haustible fountain of the love OF
God; but usually they contribute to
human pain and to the family is not
Of itself an element of peace, and
there is no strength in it sufficient
to open the door of the heart for the
incoming of the warmth and glori-
GUS life OF the sun. Silver and gold
never sprouted flower. Money is
merely medium of exchange; but
it has no feeling, ithas no sentiment
All the smelters OF the world work
ing in combination cannot extract
from the richest of minerals an
ounce OF substance for the nourish-
ment of the life that gives exaltation
to the humblest soul. VIVA, is
wanted is bread-not coal or iron,
nor silver or gold.
The blessedness of giving to the
poor is in the love which is testified,
and without this testimony of love
the giving has no greater exaltation
than the carrying of swill to swine
in pen. Gifts within the family
that are separated from relation to
the great Gift the world has in Jesus
have their relation to mere fashion,
which is hollow enough, and to
selfishness, which is altogether a
sin. The widows mite given in
love is richer far than the offering
of many dollars given in testimony
of what can be afforded in worlds
goods.
Christmas is splendid and beau
tiful festival in the home of love,
where there is bearing of one
another's burdens, and every heart,
however surrounded, from which
there is radiation of the Christ
spirit is testimony to the splendor
and to the beauty.
Men who give grudgingly of their
money at Christmas time, in answer
to the desire Of women to remember
them and the children, put their
love Of money above their love Of
home-above all love having fellow
ship with the love of God.
Apart from that and as involving
justice and the principals Of law, the
theory that all the money belongs
to the men is pernicious and degrad-
ing. In largest part II belongs to
the women, for they in largest part
contribute to the making Of the
home-ve If il be home, place
Of refuge from storm. Moneys one
Iof many agents, but peace Of mind,
the JOY Of living, the music Of life,
are the priceless pearls.
The men are still in debt when
they have provided the money, and
| in making . payment on debt men
| do themselves no credit in represen-
Ting that they are making gift.