The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-21

to me. q never saw a store so badly managed. No one knows anything about these tickets
 l suggested to her that this was Q rush season-very hard on the clerks and as the tickets were doubtless on sale here only to accommodate some one else. it was hardly fair to blame the store. She seemed somewhat mol llfled, but said: "At least they should have a sign up at the entrance, say ing where the tickets could be found ''
 That" I said, ''is up to the people in charge of the concert. They can't expect store to give much atten- tlon to this sort of thing at Christmas ttne.' She had not thought of this be- fore. My blank book now arrived and We went downstairs together.
 Here l encountered one of the man. agers of the store, friend of mine, and stopped to tell him of a certain lecture in which I knew he would be interested. He smiled rather sadily Wish I might" he said, "but we're here every night up till Il o'clock and have been for two weeks. It's abso- lutely impossible
 Let's do away with Christmas" I suggested facetiously, and then won- dered if had not shocked him. for he was a very earnest Christian.
 STORES LIVE ON XMAS TRADE
 But he replied quite seriously: NO, we have to have the Christmas trade only scatter that trade through the whole year instead! In June and July, for instance, there is practically noth- ing doing at all. It's terrible having everything concentrated like this"
 Then we discussed my friend who had searched for tickets, and I told him what I had said to her He seemed fefII1 o1,o nj inr, oh in 'c these new holiday clerks he said. "Of course, they can't know it all right away. and yet we have to have them"
 And he told me of overhearing an irate gentleman customer "lambaste' a young girl, one of the new clerks "She had been a little careless ad- mitted the manager, but so very lit tie. No more so than We all are at times"
 With my usual contrariety I now took the other side. Of course,' said i've customers have good deal to try our patience in the stores now adays, too.'
 'Yes" he agreed readily, "I know that. It's just nerves against nerves" Nerves against nervesi What prep aration for the season of peace on earth, goodwill toward men And this Was only December 5!
 The Consumers league has made 2 protest against certain symptoms of the great strain, but it does not touch the core of the situation Christmas has become commercialized, and Santa Claus drives up the main street of my city to advertise large new restau- rant
 There are people here and there who say that Christmas should be for the poor and for children. We have too much patience, I believe, with the sort of mind that contents itself in donat- ing Christmas dinner to some poor family. carefully Ignoring the ques- tior of that same family's dinners for the remaining 364 days of the year. and the far more serious question of why some folks should have dinners to give away and others not even have them to eat.
 SPONTANIETY IN GIFTS
 There can be no possible objection to a simple Christmas celebration for children and the giving of presents to ones family and friends on this very day may be beautiful, provided that there is spontaneity and reality in the gifts and the giving of pleasure to our own circle does not entail hardship on others But so far is the Christmas season from this standard that it has actually become a nightmare for thou- sands of men, women and children in our land.
 That same evening before going to sleep I tried to picture to myself the radiant figure of Jesrr in the midst of all this sordid preparation for his anniversary. I tried to see Him in the crowded shops. huying things to give pleasure to. someonc--but failed Some suggestion of Him had caught during the morning in the suffering face of a man behind the counter. but even here the idea did not fit.
 And then came memory to aid imag- nation There flashed into my mind the vision of a crowded place-where men were buying and selling their wares and bright wrathful personality in the midst-with whip of a small cords in his hand
 My coming was for peace and joy and more abundant life" rang the Voice. land We have made it season of merchandiseY'
 There are few of us who are go- ins to distribute our giving over the whole year in the future,