Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-12-20
THE OLD AND THE
 NEW CHRISTMAS
A Lament Over the Passing of the Customs of Our
 Forefathers.
(By a society leader.)

Who does not, at times feel a sentimental longing for tke Christ mas of long ago--the kind of Yule- tide delightfully."- depicted in Christi mascards and Christmas numbers? |? Outside, a spotless sheet of snow, sl- vered over with a frail fantastic frost; here and there the reddest of robins perching on a leafless bough. Inside, drawn curtains, happy fam fly group, grandfather, grandmother father, mother. children, grand children, uncles aunts, cousins, once, twice, yea, even thrice removed d)--all seated round a gigantic fire, in a holly-and- -mistletoe lamp-lit at-mos- phere of love and peace.
 Domestic incompatibility seems to have been unknown in these days. People had not yet developed "tem- peraments' or nerves. There were no aunts whom nieces couldn't stand" no uncles whom they abhorred, no cousins who were absolutely anti pathetic, no rivalry between youthful looking mothers and grown-up daugh- ters. The proverb that "blood is thicker than water" was omnipotent in it's operations, and the mere fact of kinship was cement strong enough to bind the most heterogene ous company in happy accord.
 Father and big brothers and the grown-ups. of the family generally were, in these jolly days, always will ing to abnegate their own pleasures for the sake of the little ones. Uncle dressed himself up as Father Christ mas, while father metamorphosed himself into a grizZley bear or some thing else equally full of dangerous delight to childish hearts.
 Now, highly paid professionals have taken the place of these families purveyors of jollity. Complicated con- jurors, are ushered into the center of the home circle.
 The funny man" of the party is ID longer friend of the family. He has probably been hired for consider able fee.
 The modern child, petted and pam pered. despises the 'home-made' entertainment. The antics of Uncle George or the horse-play of Uncle George bore him exceedingly. Noth- ing short of professional satis- fies him. Furthermore, the growing tendency to entertain large house. parties at Christmas, in which are included many who are outside the family circle, has also been lnstru- mental in diminishing the intimate ! home-feeling which was the promln- cut feature of the Christmas party or thirty or forty years ago. Then, again, the restless spirit of the age mas been unproductive of effect Many fly to the South in order to eat thelr Christmas pudding under summer skies.
 However. there is something to be said for the gradual change which has crept over our Christmas GUS toms. In some respects, the modern may be the excellent way. Philoso- phers have pointed out to us the mar row. selfish spirit which may under lie the typical happy" home. Many families. who are exceeding ly devoted to one another. have no interest or affection to spare for any one outside the bonds of blood re- lationship. At present there is every indication of the development Of a wider point of view. In any case. the breaking away from tradition may De taken as an index of the growth or a capacity for individual thinking.