Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-25
10Y OF CHRISTMAS
IN HEARTS OF ALL
THROUGHOUT LAND
Real Observance of Day More
General Than Ever Be-
fore in History.
WORLD GROWS BETTER,
SEASONS SPIRIT SHOWS
Kindliness, Unselfshness and Broth
erhood, Keynotes of Holiday
Activities.
MANY BOW HEADS IN WORSHIP
Inspiring Rites Held in Capital
Churches, Impressing ALI With
Duty of Extending Helping
Hand to Fellow-Man.

That pessimistic individual,
never wholly identified, but who
was probably half-brother to
some reincarnation of "Old
Scrooge," who went about the
world few years ago, shaking his
head and signing, "Oh, for the
good, old-time, real observance
OF Christmasr certainly walked up
this morning, wherever he might
be on earth, to the realization that
Christmas has never been so ex-
tensively celebrated as it is being
observed today.
Capitals Celebrations.
In Washington this truth has been
sIrikingly brought home. If it has not
what else have meant the first com
munity Christmas of the capital; the
success reported this year-at last-of
the shop early movement to give worm
out employees rest; the formation for
the HTSt tiine TINS Year Oh DlSlr1cl
branch of the Society for the Prevention
of Useless Giving. under the chairman
ship OF the daughter of the President;
the S,UvO extra temporary employees of the
Post Office Department to handle the
Christmas mails, the stores packed and
jamrned with Christmas toys and SOU
venirs made in Japan, nation that
does not celebrate Christmas; the church
eS of the capital crowded last night and
this morning, and TO be crowded again
1hey of
worshlpers who ever assembled in these
gathering places to participate in elab-
crate special services?
What DO all these things mean? They
mean that Christmas is being observed
throughout the country today more wide
ly than it has ever been observed for
what Is going on in Washington, the
Capital of the Nation, is going every
where else in the country today.
World Growing Better.
They mean more. They mean that the
world is growing better in heart and
spirit every year. They mean that peo-
pie this Christmas of 1913 are taking d
wider. deeper, more significant interest in
one anothers personal welfare and we'll
being than they ever took upon any pre-
vious Christmas.
Societies such that called the
"Spugs'' have not diminished the
exchange of gifts this Christmas-they
have rather inspired a larger volume of
more useful giving. Movements such as
that called the shop early" campaign.
inspired by humanitarian motives prove
more than anything else the growth OF
the real Christmas spirit, as hundreds of
testified within the last few days For
the rest. Washington's first community
Christmas is proving To be just what its
name implies-a getting together of
fhf.ir foil an,
and their fellow children.
For, az heart. We are all children today.
In all the photography OF Christmas there
is no more delightful name than that OF
Charles Dickens. who created his ''Old
Scrooge," that he might prove that even
I'm his day there was a constant growth
Of what is called the Christmas spirit
Today the old Scrooges" have vanished
from the land and in countless homes
throughout the city and the country
parents picking UP '*Pickwick Papers
To read about Mr.. Wrinkle and Mr.. Snod-
grass and Mr.. Weller.' or ~ Christmas
CAROL, 10 repeat 10 tie children Tiny
Tins God Bless Us Every Oner'
Authors of Good Cheer.
Robert Herrick, Ben Johnson, Sir
Walter Scott. Shakespeare. Longfellow.
Ihackeray, Washington Irving, William
Wordsworth, Alfred Tennyson, John G..
Whittier. Hans Christian Andersen. Chris
tina Rossetti. Martin Luther and many
other OF the worlds most famous writ
ers have written of Christmas but ii il
10 the old carol God Rest You. Merry
Gentlemen" the lines beginning Twas
the night before Christmas. When AL
through the house" by Clement - Moore
and To Dickens that your true believer in
Christmas turns today. For Dickens IS.
pecially writes of the home, the leveline
Of all barriers of pride or place and he
would be IA poor believer indeed in Christ
mas who could not find in the account oil
the Christmas goose at the Cratchits the
thing that touches the hearts of all Chris
tans alike today, whether they be il
Washington or at the ends of the world
How Many Scenes Like This?
In how many Washington homes, for
Instance, was enacted last night the
self-same scene that was enacted Christ
mas eve at Mr. Wardle's:
MIR. Wrinkle kissed the Young lady
with the black eyes. and Mr. SnodgTass
Kissed Emily, and Mr.. Weller. not being
particular about the form Of being under
the mis- ,ietoe. kissed Emma and the
,ther female servants just as he caught
them. As To the poor relations, the!
Kissed everybody, not even eXceptins
The palmer portion of the young lady
sisitors. who, in their excessive con
fusion, ran right under the mistletoe, di
'ectly IL was hung UP. without knowing
IT, Wardle stood with his back to the
5re, surveying the whole scene. witt
the utmost satisfaction. and the fat boy
.ook the opportunity of appropriatin,
20 his own use. and summarily deYour
ing. a particularly fine mince pie tha1
lad been carefully put by for somebody
tlse."
And the day passes As Thanks
giving is devoted To appreciation o1
lhe blessings Of the year. as New Yeal
Law is devoted to AN introspective strik
nag of moral balances, SO is Christmas
iay devoted 10 the feasting Of famil,