The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1912-01-04
GOOD EXAMPLE is SET
Many Plymouth Men Have Part In
Work of Charity That Brings
Joy and Gladness to Poor
Children.

Within the memory of many now
living. Christmas was almost wholly
church festival. 1t is largely so
even now, but while the church has
chiefly celebrated the day, other
societies make it a time for special
efforts. In all chimes, wherever the
Christ is owned, we shall find the
Christmas tide a high church day.
No one nation, no one people can
claim it as their own, for it is
worldwide. All observe it. When
at the birth of the Christ, the angel
made announcement to the shepherds
that he brought to them "Good It'd
ings of great JOY, which shall be to
all people," the door was opened,
So while the church may claim
first right, others feel that even
without the pale of church bounds
there Is realm that they may en-
ter, and get from the lesson of the
Holy One a sort of reflex feeling
that prompts to deeds that exemplify
the true Christmas spirit. The spirit
that inspires one heart to do some
thing that will gladden. another heart
That will bring joy and comfort and
happiness to another one perhaps
more unfortunate. Of late years the
effort in many church societies has
been to nave the child understand
that it is not all of Christmas to re-
cieve gifts, but that giving, when
giving is from a right motive, brings
as much or more pleasure than does
receiving.
While the church is teaching these
lessons to the youth who are in the
reach of their influence, there is out
side much larger company of chill
drsn who are not reached by any
religious society, and the officer
hanpered by many restrictions
from using the public money tc
| even relieve cases of real distress
With the stress of real winter, anG
the coming OF the Christmas time
the various societies have felt Their
inability to care for all the demand,
made, and so the movement O.
! ''good fellows has come to be
i. factor in making for the happines
$ of many hitherto neglected littl
4 ones. Some one who has no littl
ones dependent on him, is given tn
e task Of providing Christmas chez
to some named child. He sees tina
t particular child made comfortabl
!, and happy for this Christmas. L
the larger cities much has been &C
complished through this means, an,
the church has recognized that goo,
has resulted, and humanity helpe,
by this means. Of course many In
u dividuals help in cases of distress
and their acts never come before tn
: public,
Some people see no good in an
societies aside from those of re
lieious nature. However, where GOO
Is accomplished and distress relieve
due credit should be given, and j
any man or set Of men bring happ
hours to suffering child, he ha
shown forth measure of the Christ
mas spirit as clearly as has the pure
ly church man, and is entitled t
equal praise.
Some people look upon the eek
Lodge" as a lot of "sports." Tha
Is, men who are not professedl
church people belong to the society
and seldom if ever take any part i
work that is along lines that caus
them to think of any but themselves
They want a "good time" as the
see it, and pay for it, asking nothin
from others. This is Of cours
selfish, and selfshness is foreign t.
the Christ spirit.
The nearest Elks Lodge to Plyns
outh is At South Bend, as it is onl.
in the larger places that this societ.
has a lodge. A number of man re
siding here belong to this order. an
have their membership at Sout
Bend, hence what is done there take
on a local coloring. This year tn
South Bend Elks Lodge conceive
, the idea of holding a Bazaar a
their Temple, and the results Q
that effort was the raising Q
$500. This money was forlthe pun