News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1912-12-18
Why Christmas Should
Be Spent at Home
I T is the fashion nowadays, alas, to
cry down Christmas, and it is fast

7 IT is the fashion nowadays, alas, to
cry down Christmas, and it is fast
| becoming a cant be bothered
Il with it, sort of day. 1t is looked
upon as a nuisance because Christmas
tide brings with it a necessary increase
of expenditure in the form of tips and
presents.
1t is becoming more and more the
| fashion-fashion to be bothered-to
take less notice of Christmas and spend
it away from home where there will
be plenty Of fun"
In the good old days spending Christ
mas anywhere but at home was never
for one moment dreamed of. Prepare
tons were made months beforehand
Geese and turkeys were fattened, plum
buildings were made, prospective
guests were borne in mind, and the
girls of the home fell to thinking of
new schemes for decorations Now
could anything be more delightful than
making Christmas plans at least two
months beforehand SO as to keep the
festive season right royalty? All this
sort of thing kept the family together.
for when the winter evenings brought
them nearer and nearer to Christmas
day it made them see how necessary
each one was to the other in the way
of helping and suggesting as regards
presents for So-and-so, holly for this
room and mistletoe for that. Grad
ually it dawned on every one how dear
the home was to all and how still more
precious We're the parents and children
to one another
When Christmas day did come it
was a time of perfect happiness. har-
mony and satisfaction to every guest
and every member of the family. If
Christmas is not spent at home what
becomes of the family gathering, the
delight of decorating the care and
thought the happy mother has eXpend-
ed on the cooking of the dinner and.
to crown all. the praise of the Christ
mas pudding. which by the consent
of one and all invariably is the finest
pudding | have ever eaten?" No
praise of a Christmas pudding ever
COMES dI1lSS W Il uOuStMIIC l1Ccll u
and if Christmas is not spent at home
the dinner will fall fiat. Thee is no
family gathering. no noisy, good hui
mored chaff. and there is not that sub
tie, indefinable something at work
which binds the family closer together
heals up old sores, opens up new
friendships and wipes away all hitter
ness, that is so marked Il feature in a
good. homely Christmas gathering.
There have been more reconcilia
tons. more divided houses" brought
together again. more eyes made dim
through a mist of happy tears at some
difference or misunderstanding made
clear by a Christmas gathering at home
than at any other season or place.
Charles Dickens. the novelist OF
Christmas. who did more for Christ
mas than any one can ever guess, had
had a slight difference with Thack-
cray. He met him on the steps of his
club on Christmas morning. hesitated,
then held out his hand. which Thack- ]
cray grasped with all the warmth of
his great heart. Both men returned to
their family gathering at hume, feeling
better and happier men
Without a doubt family gathering
at this festive and joyful season knits
the bond of love and good fellowship
closer than at any other time. Old
sights and hurts are forgotten. hard
men of business relax and soften at
the sight of the children who many a
time have drawn ont all that is best