The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-15
About Christmas

when you were little and went 10
sunday school. just a little w"ile - .
know that you remember most aV""'
Miss Lilly or Mss Bessie or MISS MAT
who raised her pretty face anoN" Wv
organ and said: Now. children a'l
together" And all together your
shrill childish voices sang; wv
said the little stream, give. on si'c'
rs IL hurried on its way. lheic w.
at least Ave other verses aDJut H'N'
flowers and birds and all so' - :"
pretty t~ings that gave. IN sa,'
and hurried on their way. ana you hau
the most delightfully."- sympathetic i'el-
Ing. You didn't help To make th' grass
green or the flowers bloom Nhcfef''
Won went but you could diNld" inc
brown roll spread with jam "ith the
Titles sister.
Christmas time is coming Ne.N close
10 as all. and every body Is saying 10
every one else. Give. on give but
mainly they mean the children. 1hey
insist that the sight OF an empty Stock
ing Will spoil their happiness i"r
Years 10 come, ana rightly II sh"niu
but won't you please stop sHd thihk
about the mothers OF these little empty
stocking folks just little wohv-
Aren't there some people VINO are 90
unselfish and so quiet aud simple ABOUT
All that YOU never really thlnK Ap'~'
the sacrifice and come after a while l"
concede IL their rightful snare }" tiie
ro cat all the specked apples and 81
In All the hard and uncomfortable
ehajrse or course you do. You have
not meant to do II. not in worlds. bHt
v,u have grown used 10 the sacrihce-
II fails 10 appear Ia the iigat 81 =
sacrifice.
We'll. you say, Christmas is for the
children So IL Is. Whose child is Tue
mother that has toiled all year anu
saved and gone without and sacrihceu
even food for her own body Tor tns
xake II a few little gifts 10 drop lh'o
The little stocking that VIII dahsle >"
hopefully and optimistically before mex
hearth on Christmas Eve? Don't YOU
,o,,.r,ber in one OF those wonderful
s,orie. Of MIRA Kellys that oEe little
boy saws that his m other got ! me
nresent but she just cried WITH JoS
ph.n his father gave il 10 her. Don
YOU remember il was a receipt ici
The rent. 4 strange gift, but IL maos
such a happy heart
with all our thought for the emil
dr.n and all our loving hands anu
hearts reached out 10 the Httie eA''-
drep. please let's YOU and Feach ou0
in pa-t to brighten the Hu!eiide -
one mother heart. When she gets III
Christmas morning and wearby starts
about her breakfast getting she IS Jus,
obliged 10 rcel ever so tiny tnToo o.
dtsapao !ntment that there was 10 sur
to 20 hey Maybe her husband
has forgotten. maybe he didn't maze
nepnv left from buyin6 sh res and
Stockings and bread and butter 10 re-
,ocnb.r with Oh. sad and breaking
heart maybe he doesn't want 10 re
member IL would take sucn httie d,
OF YOUR time and such small SUN o.
yo,r money TO make little song IN
> mother heart that has for years eA-
oected nothing and never recelNeu
gin ,r a remembrance You hnd one
and leave so1nethi 70 he laid nesi0e
her Mate with bright ribbon ana
loving card. And you. little ooS am
girl don't you forget who il IS that
US reside The DIN I.ght and mends
that coat for you when you are ias'
.sleeo. You want TO save : ,Ine OF the
nennfes that you Were going to spend
an fireworks and have just something
for the mother that is sacrihc.rs iVi
you.
All of US are every one big sisters
to someb ,dy whose soul is not as care
free as our own. 1 know you want
To sit down TO your breakfast table oil
christmas morning with Happiness
singing in your heart and the con-
scgousness that somewhere a soui y
clad that would not have 0een slau
nut for sour thought and mat Tue
mothers are singing with the children.
Ring. ring happy bells
ON this Christmas morning.
BRENT WITT.