The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-19
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT;
A CHRISTMAS FANCY

gayly to the Great Oak at her side, 4
Christmas is comingr'
"Yes." answered the big oak. 'bnt
he halts at the end of the path. stoop.
ing as if the load of the worlds sor
row lay upon his shoulders. See how |
he comes now, with all the gadness |
gone from his step"
1t was quite true. Christmas Spirit |
came toward the most perfect Fir Tree
in the wood with tagging step, looking |
away through the forest with sad and
troubled eyes.
"Why, what is the matter, Christ
mas?'' called the Fir Tree.
There was no answer. The forlorn
figure sat down on a fallen log at the
foot of the Fir Tree, but still there was
no answer. 4
Tell me about it all, Christmas In
vited the Fir Tree in voice vibrant
with sympathy.
az have been over the wide world.
have knocked at the door of every
heart. and no one has opened to me. ]
am forgotten. and there is no one who
loves me-" he said.
Every hearth questioned the Fir
Tree incredrlously.
$40. but many. many hearts. and
! they are all alike" he compromised.
81 have been in the home OF men and
| stood so close to them that could lay
a finger on their naked hearts. but they
| af cd
| me squarely in the eye. and these are
the things they said to some woman in
their homes: Don't break me- I shall
be months paying the bills you are
making Christmas is 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.
al went and stood beside the women
in many, many homes, and they looked
through me as though was not. One
beautiful lady / think of now in par
ticular. Oh, | wanted place In her
heart, and knocked loud and long. but
the door did not open so much as o
crack for me TO enter. She looked into
my eyes and said: I wonder what Mrs.
Brown paid for that bag she gave me
last year. 1t looked like a cheap thing,
and | shall not spend much money Oh
her. And again. 1t is awful to just
have to make gifts TO people you do
not care thing about
mo one loves me. and / cannot live
without love, and so l shall die sob
bed Christmas Spirit to the Fir Tree
Christmas has come TO be just a big
exchange desk. where people give TO
those whom they know will give to
them and grumble in the giving"
Come Closer whispered the FIJI
Tree. Il have something to tell you.
"A woman came TO the heart of the
wood yesterday" said the Fir Tree
land with her there was another wo
man. -,.-,.'
1--WE must find the most perfect tree
in all the forest, for none other viii
: do, said the first woman.
Yes said the second woman, 'fol
: the child has no one to bring Christ
} mas Spirit to her, no relatives, NJ
friends, no one to care
'"Ihey talked on and on until the
story of the little crippled child fol
whom they were preparing joyou:
Christmas came out She was nothing
to them. but she was alone and not lik,
other children.
"A party of men were walking
through the wood last Sunday wen
on the Fir Tree, for Christmas Spiri
had stopped sobbing now and was lis
tening intently.
Zone of these men was telling tn,
others about his. aged father. VIII,
worked his fingers almost TO the bont
in years gone by to give his boy al
education. Now he is very feeble, al
most down the western slope. and hi
son-who will always be. just littI,
boy to the old man-is going back T.
the little country village to spend
portion Of the holidays with him an,
lift the veil of loneliness from his soul
He has planned some wonderful sur
prses for the lonely old man ava,
back there in the country" ended tn
Fir Tree.
"Oh. has her, exclaimed Christmas
no longer a forlorn little figure. but
happy. happy spirit.
Il am going away next week to b
decked for the little crippled child.
laughed the Fir Tree when Christina
Spirit stopped mid his mad dance o
joy. And l am going across the Who'll
world and | shall knock so earnestl
at the heart Of every human being tina
no one can fail to open wide the inne
doors to Christmas Spirit" called tn
little figure of Christmas Joy as II
danced away toward the edge of tn
wood and the cities and towns beyond
Julia Chandler MANI in Buffalo ES
press