Newark post., 1914-12-16
As Other People Keep Xmas

As Other People Keep Xmas
What is claimed to be the first
Community Christmas of it's kind,
was held last year in Cleveland.
Team work in charitable action
was the principle of this effort, ac-
cording to an account of the occa-
sion.
For the first time in 20 years, the
Salvation Army removed it's kettles
from the streets. The Volunteers
Of America kept their chimneys and
Santa Clauses out Of sight. The
Anti tuberculosis League ceased to
solicit for the sale Of read cross
seals. The Associated Charities
forbore to send out it's usual spec
ial Christmas appeals.
Nearly three score other chari-
table and philanthropic activities,
ranging from orphan asylums to
hospitals, joined in making a great
coordinate appeal for Christmas
committee, appointed by Mayor
Baker and headed by Lieutenant
Governor Greenlund.
This committee raised it's funds
through the sale of preferred
stock in "Cleveland, the City of
Good Will (Unlimited), incorpor-
ated under the laws Of the common
wealth Of Good Cheer
"The holder of the preferred
stock shall be entitled to dividends
payable daily in the form of happy
voices Of robust children, the con-
tented faces of friendly fellow citi-
zens and the general well-being and
advancement of the said City of
Good Will"
The Country Contributor in the
December number of the Ladies
Home Journal in talking of the
Christmas spirit in practice says:
eff we are called to account for
our sins at some final judgment I
am very sure the sins of omission
will weigh heaviest. Where is the
cheering word we might have
spoken, the Christmas greeting we
might have sent, the visit we
might have madeY
81 have neighbors- l
might say friends-at least their
houses are in sight Of my own and
I have known them all my life.
When I see them coming past my
porch in their automobiles l can't
help feeling a throb of JOY at their
familiar faces. But they make me
the coolest, most distant bows and
pass on as if l were some stranger
they met yesterday. How joyful,
how genial would a wave of the
hand from them seem to me! How
glad should be if they would
shout Hello' or even say ISM it
a pretty day?'
$50 often I have striven all day
long with grief-a word would
help me, yet they do not give it.
This is probably for no special rea-
son of spite at me; it just comes
from the habit Of making them
selves comfortable and taking for
granted that everybody else can do
the same. Having their own ar
rangements. being full, perhaps,
with content and luxury, having
no especial heartaches, they serene
ly suppose that life offers it's COM
pensations to everybody.
Dear Friend, You Have a Gift
More Precious than frankincense
and myrrh, and it is absolutely free
Of cost. 1t is just the simple gift
speech. Just say over the tele-
phone, or on a penny postcard, or
face to face if you can: I am think
ing of you today. I value your
friendship, am glad you are here
let my regard add to your happi-
ness today!'
"When one is sick or sad or old
or 'superfuous word from a
friend is like drink of cool water
to the parched tongue. Have we
withheld it? The simple priceless
good we might do, but do not,
weighs heavily against our active
charity and church work.
"The poor you have always with
you. This only means that always
within sound Of your voice, per-
haps in your own household, are
human beings on whom you could
bestow what every one of us needs
most-a sense of human fellowship.
And then again, perhaps your
mistake is in not claiming your
right to friendship. Perhaps the
sad and lonely man who passes my