Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1914-12-25
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 sTANDlsH.

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 saks 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 tho |
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
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 giviIg-it is
thought bad taste for person of mod.
est means to give presents of value
to others of wealth and influence, for
this savors too much like currying tc
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 a pretty Christmas card with
an appropriate greeting; or a knot OF
flowers or winter berries may be sent
with a note expressing warm Christ
mas wishes.
That the servant who has given heI
bodily strength and hearts best inter
est to the home must not be forgot
ten. goes without saying; but ii is
certainly bad form to make the poor
servitors gift an inexpensive trihe
when something better can be afford
ed
Then what a woeful want of taste
il shows for us to defer buying a
friends or sisters present until we
have found out what she means tc
give us, and so make the exchange g
quid pre-, quo. The gift that goes tC
friend OF relative is above all one fol
love, and it is undoubtedly better
taste for the recipient of the simpler
gift in the exchange to appear al
pleased as if she had received some
thing ten times its value.
But, then, what matters the naturl
Of the gift after all? The spirit Il
the thing-and does not this silly pic
ture or cushion so unbecoming to tn
parlor, mean that the friend or siste
has thought of US?
AS for the little children, so mucl
are their feelings painfully straine
at this time that l would like to writ
a book on the subject. ! beg ever
mother not to threaten the poor littl
, heart that misbehaves sometimes wit
the eternal word that Santa Clau
. won't come If you do that any more.
! The dear kiddie who forgets to
. good knows better after year or tw
of this narrowing threat, which make
. you out a story teller. Meanwhile,
: there is the little heart staying awak
: at night with its dreadful anxieties
there are the sudden storms of bite
tears. with all the glory of Christina
!, sunk in the bottomless pit of absolut
sureness that Santy-dear, abuse'
!, good old fat gentleman-wont com'
We remember the poor and drop
few pennies gladly for the blind chi
dren.
But, why do we do it-why? II
because a wide, sweet star has stoppe
over a stable in the far East, becaus
the church choirs are singing
peace on earth and good will towai
men.
SO let us never lose sight of thi
fact with our gifts, whether our hanG
tender or receive them; for the hea
closed to the deeper significance
Christmas may truly be likened
o, the inn that held no room. Let I
d, send with each gift some of Il
n, hearts true gold and frankincense
d, bind It with the cord of some memo
TO Of Bethlehem. Let us receive ca,