Norwich bulletin., 1911-12-23
SUNDAY MORNING TALK
CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY.

The beautiful season is at hand!
The children have dreamt of it; the
grown-ups have planned for it; young
and old, rich and poor, have thought
and worked in anticipation OF its COM
ing. And now that it is here most OF
us are prepared to enjoy 1T. There 9
a thoroughly pleasant atmosphere for
everybody. A good deal of the milk
of human kindness is on tap.
The spirit of the day gets hold of
some of the most unlikely characters.
Old Scrooge, In that best Christmas
story ever written, was transformed
from dreary old miser into a genial
lover of his kind. And that miracle is
often repeated about this time of year.
Stern people find themselves relaxing
into geniality-t Your sour-visaged
Merry Christmas" The frugal party
hands the newsboy a dime and bids
him keep the change. The postman
wears a smile, the butcher, the baker,
the candlestick maker beam on you
with unWOnted cordially. A splendid
infection of friendliness seems abroad.
At such time ! catch myself wish
ing that Christmas came oftener.
wish the festival might be repeated
every day of the year. 1t is not that
my purse could stand the strain of
endless filling of small stockings, nor
could any stomach accommodate it
self to a succession of holiday din
ners. Moreover, my nerves would re-
volt against a program of unceasing
fun and frivolity, but these things are
only the eXuberant and passing ac-
compartments of the season. OF the
Christmas spirit itself one could new
er tire.
One feels that, somehow, the inf1u-
ences generated on this great day
should stay with US for a long time.
We should sing the Christmas songs
throughout the year. Joy should not
be allowed to die out of our hearts
with the fading OF the holly wreaths-
If 1T is good to be generous one day, 1t
is good to be SO on all the days. If
the exercise of love and good will is
a rejuvenating experience on the 25th
of December, why not follow out the
same programme for the 365 days, be-
ginning Jan. 1
The characteristic truths of this
season are those we believe in when
in our highest mood. While the
chimes ring on Christmas morning 1
seem to hear the angelic chorus.
Peace on earth, good will toward
men," In that hour the long record
of mans inhumanity to man seems a
shameful one. War with its cruelty
and pillage and bloodshed, is wicked
waste. Peaceful homes seem better
than mighty armies. A cradle is more
beautiful than a dreadnought- If all
the nations of men could remain in
ped their Ginning, what a redemp-
ton of human life and labor and
treasure there would be-
What greater gift can we desire for
all the days of the year than Good
will toward men,? The universal and
genuine adoption of that principle
would stop expressions, settle strikes,
abolish courts and open prisons the
world over Seven eighths of our
problems would be solved directly IL
men should begin to live in the spirit
of their holy festival.
So many Gods, SO many creeds.
So many paths that wind and wind,
When just the art OF being kind
Is all this old world needs.
Some day, when il has grown wiser,
the world may decide to make Christ
mas a perpetual institution. And then
will the hearts of men become glad.
THE PARSON.