The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-12-24
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT;
A CHRISTMAS FANCY

II the great shops, heu ifoip 'he
market places aud from every
habitat Of man until be came to the
quiet little sunlit path that runs
through the deep wood
When he was yet afar Off the most
perfect Fir Tree in all the forest called
poyIv to the Great Oak AT her side.
christmas is coming"
Yes" answered the big oak. "bnt
there is something wrons. See how
he balts nj the end Of the path. stoop
ing as II the load OF the worlds sor
row Law upon his shoulders See how
he comes now. with all the gladness
gone from his step
1t was quite true. Christmas SPIRIT
came toward the most perfect Fir Tree
in the wood with ngging step. looking
away through the forest with sad ana
troubled eyes,
"Why, what is the matter. Christ
mas! CaIipu me y u INV
There was no answer The forlurh
figure sat down on fallen los nj The
foot OF the Fir Tree, but sill there was
no answer
Tell me about IL MI, Christmas, IN
yited the Fir Tree IN Il voire vibrant
with sympathy
II have been over the wide world.
have knocked ut the door 81 every
heart. and no one has opened to me
am forgotten. and there Is 10 one VINO
loves me-" he said
Every hearth questioned the f1r
Tree incredulously.
mo, but many. many hearts. ana
they are all alike" be compromised.
II have been In the home OF men and
stood so close to them that could lay
a finger on their naked hearts. but they
did not stir at my touch. They looked
me squarely in the eye. and these are
the things they said TO some woman In
their homes: Don't break me. ! shall
be months paying the bills you are
making. Christmas ~ a nuisance.
| .ConfOund this custom Of giving pres
ents anyway!
"These are the things they said while
they looked into my eyes. and all the
while my hands lay frozen against
their hearts.
~ went and stood beside the women
In many. many homes. and they looked
through me as though J was not. One
| beautiful lady ! think OF now In par
ticular. Oh, ! wanted a place In her
heart. and knocked iond and long. bn'
the door did not open so much AZ
| crack for me 10 enter. She looked into
my ewes and said: ] wonder what Mrs
Brown paid for that bag she gave me
! last year. II looked like cheap thing
and ] shall not spend much money on
her. And again. 1T is awful to just
have to make gifts to people yon Do
not care a thing about
| "No one loves me. and ] cannot i've
without love. and so ] shall die" sob
| bed Christmas Spirit to the Fir Tree
"Cbristmas has come to be just biz
exchange desk. where people give "a
those whom they know will give to
| them and grumbe In the giving.
Come closer" whispered the I'll
Tree. II have something to tell you.
"A woman came to the heart OF the
wood yesterday" said the Fir Tree
"and with her there was another wo'
man.
1--WE must find the most perfect tree
in all the forest, for none other Will
do said the first woman.
.'Yes.' said the second woman. for
the child has no one to bring Christ
mas Spirit TO her, no relatives, DO
friends. no one to care
..Tbey talked on and on until the
story Of the little crippled child for
whom they were preparing joyous
Christmas came out She was nothing
to them. but she was alone and not like
other children.
"A party of men were walking
through the wood last Sunday" went
on the Fir Tree. for Christmas Spirit
had stopped sobbing now and was lis
tening intently.
Zone Of these men was telling the
others about bis aged father. who
worked bis fingers almost to the bone
In years gone by to give bis boy an
education. Now be 10 very feeble, al
most down the western slope. and MS
soD-who win always be just little