Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-20
MAJOR BEN C. TRUMAN

have heard you both say that it was
more blessed to give than to receive"
my wear Georgia" observed Mr.,
Truelove, as one tear chased another
down his cheek, you shall have the
merriest Christmas tomorrow that you
have ever had in your life. AT the
annual festival season, which is pc
culiarly time for manifesting aHec-
ton and good will, no thoughts are
more appropriate or profitable tndn
those which carry the heart beyond
the narrow circle of self and permit
it to entwine the tendrils of love, SYM
pathy and liberality around. those
whom we regard and respect. Chrlst-
mas is emphatically full of blessings
! in just the degree that we believe ana
act upon the assurance Of him whose
birthday we commemorate. Just as
home is where the heart is, so is gift
that which the heart makes It, whether
the heart be that of the donor or the
recipient. It need not be always
| thing of great cost, nor even thing
of beauty to make it joy, temporar-
| lily. if not forever. Thousands OF SIM
/ pie. as well as expensive, presents Will
| pass between sympathetic hearts to-
! morrow and bear in their train meal
culable pleasure. Moreover, Christmas
| gifts are not always necessarily ma
| terial or tangible, for a word or
| smile or a kindly act may prove in
many instances the most acceptable
present and become of itself benson
| most craved and most welcome. Even
| the crumbs of comfort which in the
absence of more pretentious or costly
gifts. even the poorest of us may be-
| stow upon some saddened neighbor,
NAV come in for recognition from him
who said Tnasmuch as We have done
it unto one of the least Of these, my
brethren, we have done 1t unto me.
| Then, too, It is our right and duty 10
| make the Christmas season a merry
| one for ourselves and others. And
i last. not least, but greatest of all, let
| us remember that source OF all gooo
we have ever enjoyed and in humble
| heartfelt appreciation Of GODS CHRIST
| mas. gift to our race let us all lnvest
| our fullest faith in him whose earthly
pifts are but as dross compared with
that gift of heavenly grace which Of
fers a merry Christmas in the best
sense, eternally to all"
Papa" said George. when her
father had concluded, what nice
Santa Claus you would make. l am
sure you would fill the stockings of
! the poor children as well os those OF
the rich"
Eyes. my dear, If were Santa Claus
the children of the poor should all be
remembered They should all have
| one day in which they may entertain Q
| belief in the goodness of humanity, and
realize the Christmas song that the
angels sang above the newborn Christ
in his manger. I would see to it that
all their homes were made happy.
would see to It that all their stockings
/ were well filed. I would see to 1t that
all should have a Christmas dinner"
ooh, what a noble, generous Santa
Claus you would be surely, my dear
good papa!"
at would see to it, my darling thai
thew should be made to understand, nc
/. matter how poor they might be, that
: the Christ-child loves them all ano
does not forget a single one among
them; for am aware that small toy
in a poor mans house brings great
comfort, and sometimes long continued
! enjoyment with it. To the little ones
minutes are hours and hours are days
and. therefore. their happiness il
spread over a long period. would dc
, all in my power to soften the struggle
of the poor with poverty and teacf
! them that humanity is not so hard a:
they think-that they are part of th'
universal brotherhood, and that there
are hearts and hands reaching down t
them to help and sympathize witt
, them. I would make Christmas so en-
/, joyable to them all that they would
: never forget ii. ] would free then
, from all the little trials and troubles
! which afflict them upon other days
: and see to it that they had one day Il
the year, God bless them, of unalloyet
comfort and enjoyment. would maxi
it a day. not only of fragrant memories
= and blessed tradition, but also of peac
! and good will to all mankind, of heart!
cheer at every poor mans Preside, ant
make every child old enough to reason
: gladder and happier by Christina
! benefcence, and the memories Of tn
= Bethlehem manger which it symbol
. ICES"
! George was fast asleep in Mr.. True
, loves arms, dreaming that her father
had been, indeed. transformed into the
I little old Icelander and that she anf
: Viola were flying over the roofs of th'
dwellings of the poor and scatterinl
+, toys and books and sweetmeats from
I an immense reindeer load of gifts. II
! a short time afterward the stockings
were all hung and the darling child was
in bed.