The river press., 1912-12-18
Why Christmas Should
Be Spent at Home

| 7 T is the fashion nowadays. alas, to
| cry down Christmas. and it is fast
| becoming cant be bothered
4 with it, sort of day. 1t Is looked
hpon as a nuisance because Christmas
tide brings with it 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. Prepara-
tions were made months beforehand
Geese and turkeys were fattened. plum
puddings 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 he 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 TIE 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. Ii
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 ts 1.-The finest
pudding have ever eaten?" No
praise Of a Christmas pudding ever
comes amiss to a housewives heart.
and If Christmas is not spent at home
the dinner will fall fat. There is no
family gathering. no noisy. good hu-
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 bitter
ness. that is so marked feature in a
good. homely Christmas gathering.
|
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 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 1hack
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 home, feeling
better and happier men.
Without a doubt a 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 out all that is best
in them after it has lain dormant for
years until they have forgotten they
had a tender side to their nature al
all. Yes, without doubt home Is the
place for Christmas. "Oh. it will be
so dull and uninteresting at home!" is
often the cry. 1t will only be dull tt
those who make it so.
And If there is a vacant chair or tw'
which. alas. can never be retilled dasl
away the silent tear and be Thankful
that you are spared to taste the joy
Of still another homely Christmas
Your example of spending the festive
season will most assuredly instill th'
love Of the yearly family gathering
into the younger generation, who will
emulate your ideas In future years
Posterity will be indebted to you to
showing how to keep up a good oil
. Christmas which was suffering from
, a slump in the twentieth century.
, BY all means. then. spend Christina
, at home, decorate your house, remem
ber the postman. the butcher, the serv
, ants and even your wife's or husband
relatives. However, poor you are yo
, can be rich in 4ind. thoughts AM
, CHEEKY words. When you sit down t
the table, don't care whether
;. groans with turkey and plum puddin
. laid for twenty or thirty or whether
r merely trembles under the weight o
!. much scantier fare and places laid TO
! only three or four-if your heart Is i
\ the right place you will say:
: Here's to happy Christmas
! Thank God we are at home!"-Pictoria
a Magazine.
9 An After Dirgs.