Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-12-26
Christmas for Everybody.

different meaning to people of diff
ferent ages in every age. The most
pleasant music we ever heard is the
patter of little feet as the happy
youngsters rush downstairs, half
clad, and eager to look into their
stockings to see what Santa Claus
has brought them. What express
sions of surprise, of real heart glad
ness! What delighted and delight
full chattering goes on, until it is
time to dress and sit down to break
fast. Let. them enjoy themselves.
Mar not the pleasure of the young
sters by telling them there is no
Santa Claus Let them cherish the
dream of a kind-hearted, jolly, lit
tie, old man, who knows the heart
of the little child and brings it what
it wants. They will find out for
themselves in time. Meanwhile, let
them exercise their Imagination.
Children naturally love mystery,
and half of the pleasure of life
would be lost if the veil of mystery
were torn aside. For each of us has
a Santa Claus, though we may not
call it by that name-something or
somebody who will give us the great
desire of our heart-friend or lover,
fame or fortune.
HEt H o.
The little feet that battered down
the stairs in the dim light of the
old-time Christmas dawn are now
clad In No. 9 boots, and the sweet.
childish treble has now changed to
manly bass. They are scattered, far
scattered, long scattered, now; but
as they listen to like music in their
own homes, they think back to the
old home, to the time when Santa
CLAUS was a real person to them;
and they tell their little children
the same old story. For the story
of good, old "Santy" will ever be
real to the heart Of the little child.
Christmas has its meaning for the
boy. It is the time when the first
pants should come from some mys-
terious source; or in our own early
days it was 1red-topped boots-the
joy Of the boy; or brand-new ball,
or something else dear to the boyish
heart. Wen do We remember muf-
fer (then called scarf) that came,
to us one Christmas day, a marye-
lous creation OF many colors, war
ranted to keep us from catching
cold III any storm, We thought that
Joseph's coat of many colors, that
his father Jacob gave him, must
have been colored after the pattern
of that scarf. We did not rest un-
til we had gone over to grand
ma s''-carefully concealing it with
our coat until the time should come
when we could most effectively flash
It upon. her astonished vision. Wise
old lady she, was, holding up both
hands and ,exclaiming, la, me! did
I ever see the like of that? Where
did you get it?" We strongly sus-
pect it came from that very grand
mother herself.
AS the. boy grows, Christmas takes
on another neutrality-suspicious. from
school,, a rabbit hunt, a, sleighing
party, skating. eoasting, toboggan-
ing, singing /. school, a church or
school festival of some sort, but al
ways with fellowship of his own
age and class; for the pleasure is
not in the game and sport alone,
nor even mainly, but in congenial
fellowship, the Joy Of living, the
quick response of heart to heart,
mood to mood, the music of heart
beats.
Az we grow older, other thoughts
come crowding, In on Christmas eve.
What love token will he send OF
BRING? A letter, II distance separ-
ates. in which one, may read between
he lines? Or will he bring or send
lowers, a book, perhaps ring?
there. will be a sleigh-ride
n invitation to, a party; or, better
till. an evening of fun in the fam
ly circle, where the old folks may J
orm their opinions. Will she send
! dainty note, or tie, or a book
he likes, an. unconscious revelation
II her own tastes. And so, like chill
lren, we peer into the unknown,
Waiting for the good things to come,
he "summum bonum," the thing
worth having, which Sol
mon sought so long In vain. Happy
re we II It does not in the end J
rove to be- but vanity and bitter Z
ess Of spirit.
AS the years pass and we have
hildren Of our own, we live our =
wn youth over again in their lives
nd Toys !, BY this time we have
earned something OF the elusiveness
life, and the good for which our ,
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