The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-12-10
Christmas Giving Should Bel
Prompted by the Heart.
Relation in the Orthodox Sense Not
Necessary to Appreciate Finer
Qualities Of Great Christian
Holiday.
BY PRUDENCE sTANDlsH.

focks by night, are sore
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 I bring you tidings of
great Joy which shall be to ali 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 withhe1d-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 a moral obligation at this
tire-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 knewl
edge Of the helpful friends existence
Is necessary, and this may take the
form Of a 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
servitcr's gift an inexpensive trifie
when something better can be afford.
ed.
Then what woefu1 want of taste
II shows for us to defer buying a
friends or sisters present until we
have found out what she means to
j1~e us, and so make the exchange
f1:d pro quo The gift that goes to
Ind or relative il above all one for
love: and it is undoubtedly better
TASTE for the recipient of the simpler
%.Gt il the exchange to appear as
I.~2scd as if she had received some
ting zen times its value.
'ut, then, what matters the nature
q he gift after all? The spirit is
Il thing-and does not this silly pic
80 Or cushion so unbecom1ng to the
l:rior, mean that the friend Or sister
taS thought Of US?
IS for the little children, so much
i"e their feelings painfully strained
= this time that would like to write
book On the subject. | beg every
lao:sler not to threaten the poor little
1"@. toat misDehaves sometimes with
t@4 eternal word that Santa Claus
Won't come if you do that any more.
Tie dear kiddie who forgets to- be
good knows better after a year or two
OF this narrowing threat, which makes,
you cut a story teller. Meanwhile,
there is the little heart staying awake
at night with its dreadful anxieties:
there are the sudden storms of bitter
'Sc&A9, w I'LL LuS SIOIy VI SuI
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 a stable in the far East, because
the church choirs are singing Of
Deace 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
the inn that held no ROOM. Let us
send with each gift some Of the