Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-12-17
Christmas Giving Should Be
Prompted by the Heart.
Religion in the Orthodox Sense Not
Necessary to Appreciate Finer
Qualities of Great Christian
Holiday.
BY PRUDENCE sTANDIsH.

afraid at the glory which shines about
them. Clothed in binding light, the
angel speaks; the heavenly host that
crowds suddenly about him sing of
glory in the highest and peace and
good will The wise men who have
seen his star in the East, kneel and
spread their gifts of gold and myrrh
and frankincense without question.
The miracle of 1000 years ago is
still new and glad and lovely, for,
10! in all Christendom bells peal and
sweet choirs sing the message given
by the binding angel and the crowd
ing host:
"For behold / bring you tidings of
great joy which shall be to all people.
Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men,"
This is the message of the Christ
mastide, yet the bigger half of Chris
tendon makes the period the pagan
festival it once was at the time of
the winter solstice. We give gifts,
for sake of the gods of custom and
merriment, forgetting entirely that
they are for SAKE of the great spiritual
joy (which shall be to all people"
The gold and myrrh and frankincense
of the heart are withheld-we give
gifts because we've got to-. and keep
our hearts as much closed to the
Christmas child as was the inn. We
have our own selfish ends to gain, the
rich patron to cater to, the friend to
appease. We heap little children with
dazzling toys, and light the starry
lamps of their fir trees because it is
the fashion, and we do our small
Christmas charities because it would
seem mean not to do them.
We have forgotten the joyous and
sublime meaning Of Christmas. One
does not need to be religious in the
orthodox sense to appreciate the finer
quality of this great festival, for what
is known as Christian feeling has
come to be moral obligation at this
time-a point of etiquette, in truth,
for the heart and mind.
In point of mere etiquette what
the social world thinks on the sub
ject of Christmas gift giving-it is
thought bad taste for a person of mod
est means to give presents of value
to others of wealth and influence, for
this savors too much like currying to
continued favor if the giver is already
under obligations. But some knowl-
edge of the helpful friends existence
is necessary, and this may take the
form Of pretty Christmas card with
an appropriate greeting; or knot of
flowers or winter berries may be sent
with note expressing warm Christ
mas wishes.
That the servant who has given her
bodily strength and hearts best inter-
est to the home must not be forgot
ten, goes without saying; but it is
certainly bad form to make the poor
servitor's gift an inexpensive trife
when something better can be afford
ed.
Then what a woeful want of taste
1t shows for us to defer buying a
friends or sisters present until we
have found out what she means to
give us, and so make the exchange a
quid pro quo. The gift that goes to
friend or relative is above all one for
love, and it is undoubtedly better
taste for the recipient of the simpler
gift in the exchange to appear as
pleased as if she had received some
thing ten times its value.
But, then, what matters the nature
re- rrif oft Ill nv
the thing-and does not this silly pic
ture or cushion, so unbecoming to the
parlor, mean that the friend or sister
has thought of us?
AS for the little children, so much
are their feelings painfully strained
at this time that would like to write
a book on the subject. / beg every
mother not to threaten the poor little
heart that misbehaves sometimes with
the eternal word that Santa Claus
won't come if you do that any more"
The dear kiddie who forgets to be
good knows better after a year or two
of this narrowing threat, which makes
you out a story teller Meanwhile,
there is the little heart staying awake
at night with its dreadful anxieties;
there are the sudden storms of bitter
tears, with all the glory of Christmas
sunk in the bottomless pit of absolute
sureness that Santy-dear, abused,
good old fat gentleman-won't come.
We remember the poor and drop a
few pennies gladly for the blind chill
dren
But, why do we do it--why? It is
because wide, sweet star has stopped
over stable in the far East, because
the church choirs are singing of
peace on earth and good will toward
men.
So let us never lose sight of that
fact with our gifts, whether our hands
tender or receive them; for the heart
closed to the deeper significance OF
Christmas may truly be likened to
4 the inn that held no room. LET Ms