The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-19
DIR. +. L. Loveland Says Spirit
of Christmas Is No More.
Has Been Succeeded by Selfish
ness and Greed.
HE WASTES HIS MONEY
Person Who Gives Presents to
Others Selfishly.
Bad Can Not Be Offset by Gift
at Christmas.

1t isn't the fiicky-jiggy that one wo-
man makes for another woman whom
she expects to send back another fiicky-
jiggy in return, that is really worth
while" declared DR. F. L. Loveland in
the course of an address Sunday night
on rs Christmas a Bore or Bless
ing?'
who ever gives cup of cold water
to one thirsty is but starting in motion
force that shall never be lost. 1 wish
1 could put q tree on this pulpit, and
you could all bring something of real
value. which can't be, bought at the
jewelry or some other store.
Maybe you would send letter you
should have written long ago; perhaps
You would send a poem, the words of
which came directly from your bubbling
over heart.
Here, you old fellow. you can't grind
down your employee all the year and
then offset it with Il turkey or a goose
Hear me you husband, you can't mis-
treat your wife and then offset it with
a calico dress on Christmas.
For the next six days you are going
to put aside everything else out the
thought of Christmas. If you see men
on the street with an expression of pain
in evidence. you know that they are al
ter Christmas presents and don't know
what to get.
WHO are they going to give them TO,
that's the question. Fathers viii give
to mothers, and children, and mothers
to fathers and children, and children to
mothers and fathers.
How far does your circle extend
How big is your thought? That's the
point.
The result of it all is that we ges
in the habit, if we enlarge our scope OF
giving and we begin to feel our duty as
irksome as calling-but the difference
is we can't go and leave a card when
there is no one at home and say,
good"
Has Become a Bore.
THE whole spirit has become a bore
TO many people instead of a blessing.
There is something significant in the
statement you'll hear over and over
again this week, I'm glad that Christ
mas comes but once a year. Why is
1t we are glad? Because we have LOST
the real spirit and Christmas becomes
q time for display and burdensome ex-
pense. Presents we give mean very lit
ssThe old Santa Claus spirit which
used to prevail when every child was
made happy was a blessing. Today our
Christmas spirit has become the spirit
of selfishness and greed.
Zone week of Christmas giving we
must remember will not atone for 81
weeks of ingratiudes - -s-r.f.s.--, --r..
"A man, who gives a dollars worth
of Christmas presents and gives them
selfishly wastes his dollar; the man who
gives with loving spirit never wastes
his money. There is an eternal and
everlasting value that belongs to an
unselfsh and kindly deed.
Good cannot be measured by the
yard stick, yet it has a money value
Many of you young people find it easy
to invest a dollar in a theater ticket
but hard to put it into a missionary
cause The difference is, you know
the theater means just so much-just
so many laughs, but 1t is doubtless
about the other, as it won't be the same
sort of spontaneous pleasure that you
will experience.
What we need is a Christmas spirit
of gratefulness to humanity, grateful
ness TO God. The Christmas spirit is
u-nrfh while,