The Washington herald., 1913-12-07
What 1t Means to Be a Spug.
Christina. Spirit Soul of Her.

of obligation, pride, or for any other
motive that is not based on love.
The Spug movement grew out of
the Vacation Savings Fund in New
York. in which city more than 5000
Joined the army last year, since which
! time the number of Spugs has grown
very rapidly, and if you want to know
the reason why it is because Christ
mas Spirit is the soul of the move
ment-Christma Spirit, the Child whose
birthday we celebrate on the 25th of
December.
The actions of the Spug are stamped
with the glory of the first Christmas
Spirit.
She is a generous giver, but not to
those who are expecting a Christmas
present as a sort of social bargain,
nor is she the buyer of an unsuitable
gift because it happens to be cheap.
The Spug does not wear herself out
in an effort to do ali her shopping
in single day, but feels that it is an
infinitely better plan to take an en-
tire week rather than to push and
crowd.
Nor does she plan her shopping ex-
all tired out before she starts.
She buys her out-of-town presents
first, and has them comfortably start
ed, and off her mind, ten days before
Christmas.
She does not waste her time in the
shops looping at a lot of things she
has no intention OF buying.
The Spug does not spend so much
money on her first Christmas pur-
chases that she has to cut down on
those left for the last. She makes
a preliminary inspection of the shops,
jotting down what each gift she has
planned is going to cost. Then she
takes this memorandum home and adds
up the figures to be sure that she is
not going to exceed the amount she
has laid aside for Christmas giving,
which eliminates any necessity of fret
ting when all preparations have been
completed.
She never drags her children through
an endless afternoon of buying in
crowded stores, but has the good
sense to realize that they are better
off playing at home.
Because real Christmas Spirit is the
core of her being she does not get
peevish if the elevators are crowded
or when she has to wait for change,
remembering that others are putting
up with the same conditions.
She does not wall over the expen-
sive toys she cannot afford to give
her little ones, nor tell them how she
wishes she could buy these things for
them, but points out the children who
have less than they, for if she is
wise Spug she realizes that the child
who has to make no self-denials along
the way of his growth is in a poor
way of character development.
She does not make the girl behind
the counter take down the same article
a dozen times to show her because she
cannot make up her mind. The same
quality of character which urged her
10 become identified with the army of
Spugs brings her the realization that
the saleswoman has waited on many
others before she came, and is quite
worthy ct kindness and consideration.
If the Spug happens to be a mother
she does not take her kiddies on a tour
of inspection through the "Toylands"
OF the shops. and then become cross
with them because their greedy young
desires crave everything in sight This
is only child nature and does not
merit a scolding.
Nor does she take the children to
see the lovely Christmas things and
crowd them through so that they have
no time to really enjoy the Santa Claus
wonders they have come out to behold.
And when She is buying for her own
dear babies the Spug remembers that
the gratest gift day of all the Chris
tian centuries was not intended for
the few; remembers that there are a
great many children who pray for
Santa Claus, believing in the PRAYER,
and SO she buys gift for one or two
or as many of these as her purse will
allow, in which she proves herself
more truly Spug than in any of the
other things which have marked her
Christmas shopping.
Yes; the Spug is a wonderful per-
son because the real Christmas Spirit
is in the heart of her.