The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-18

| 1t really shares the very immortality o.
God.
Christmas Gifts and Givers.
| Terse Comments for December 10
| Our Christmas Gifts" Matt 2.
| LII.
| BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
| An alert minister. discerning the ten
| dercies or the times. should preach 6
valuable sermon upon 1.-THE SocialiZ-
ing Value of Christmas" After elab-
| Grating the worldwide spread Of the
sociahzed spirit-the recognition of the
| claims of number two as against the
innate tendency to look out for mum
| Der one-he could show that Christmas
| introduced the gift giving spirit; the era
| of otherism, the day of brotherhood
From its beginning until now Christ
mas has stood for the recognition OF
other people. at this time, if at nc
otner men get out of themselves long
enough to think of those to whom they
should make gifts. Thought of others
| is the essence of genuine socialism.
To give IS to live according to the
Christmas program.
There is no more humanizing and
nellowing experience than to take
thought of the children. When a man
begins to think of the little ones his
heart warns to all of life. Love of
children is a gate through which all
the nobler impulses find easy access.
The world is at It's best when it gath
ers yearly about the manger of the
Babe.
The Wise Men brought gifts. That
was sign of their wisdom. The high
est expression of character is to give.
The greater the giving the greater the
living. History's brightest names are
of the men and women who gave most
lavishly. At the head of this roll shines
the Name above every name, OF Him
who gave himself for all the world.
Look on all his gifts around thee-gifts
that make it Joy to live;
Best Of all, o Royal Kindness! He has
given the power to give.
He has filled thy hands with blessings
which he bids thee scatter wide:
Calls thee friend and not his servant
/. friend to labor at his side.
Anon.
The trading Of tokens at Christmas
is parody upon the spirit of the day.
A brave simple rule with respect to
Christmas is to give only where love
and sympathy and need prompt the Of
fering. To give useless trifies to per-
sons who are as annoyed at having to
remember you at Christmas as you
are yourself. is miss utterly the
spirit of this glad. loving day They
are real friends of Christmas who have
the courage to abstain from making
such gifts.
The Wise Men Travelled far to make
their gifts. So the best Christmas gift
is still that which represents real en-
deavor and sacrifice in order to give
appropriately. 1t is quite in accord
with the genius of the day to seek out
the most deserving objects for our
IT, q
be no narrow limits to our Christmas
giving.
The Christmas thought is the world
thought. 1t remembers the uttermost
to whom Gods great gift was sent.
For God so loved the world that he
gave" To love the world as God loved
it, and to share with it our best, even
as he shared. is to make an all-the-
year-rou-d Christmas.
Miss Emile Poulsson has voiced
the true spirit of Christmas giving in
her little kindergarten poem:
Hast thou plenty? Then rejoice;
Rejoice and freely share.
Hast thou scanty store? Fen then
little canst thou spare.
And hast thou only bit or crumb,
A donor yet thou may'st become.
Since morsel from thy less or least
For bird or insect maketh feast.
Be the portion small or great,
The loving, generous heart
Will always find it large enough
To give away part.
The gift that costs nothing gives
nothing back to character.
Among the wonders of Christmas
must still be counted this one-that
mortals may, like God, give the Christ
himself to the world.
The only value Of a gift to be con-
sidered on Christmas day is the love
it represents.
SEVEN SENTENCE SERMONS.
The happiness of your life depends