Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-12-16
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT;
A CHRISTMAS FANCY

~ RIvEN from. che heart Of the
people, Christmas Spirit left
IL the great shops, fed from the
market places and from every
hH6itat OF man until he came to the
quiet little sunlit path that runs
through the deep wood
When he was yet afar OF the most
perfect Fir Tree in ali the forest called
gayly to the Great Oak at her side.
christmas is comingT'
YES" answered the big oak, ''but
there is something wrong. See how
he halts at the end Of the path, stoop
ing as II the load of the worlds sor-
row lay 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 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 fallen log at the
foot of the Fir Tree, but still there was
| no answer
"Tell me about 1t all, Christmas" in
vited the Fir Tree in voice vibrant
| with sympathy.
II have been over the wide world. ]
have knocked at the door of every
heart, and no one has opened to me. l
am forgotten, and there is no one who
| loves me-" he said
"Every hearth questioned the Fir
| Tree incredulously
'No, 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
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- I shall
be months paying the bills you are
| making Christmas Is q nuisance.
tConfound 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.
81 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
Il ticular. Oh. wanted place in hel
heart. and knocked loud and long, but
the door did not open so much as a
crack for me to enter. She looked into
my eyes and said: Il wonder what Mrs
Brown paid for that bag she gave me
last year 1t looked like cheap thing
and shall not spend much money or
her. And again. 1t is awful to JUS
have to make gifts to people you dc
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 biz
exchange desk. where people give tt
those whom they know will give tt
them and grumble In the giving"
"Come coser.'' whispered the FL
Tree. II haye something to tell you.
"a woman came to the heart Of thu
wood yesterday said the Fir Tree
, land with her there was another wo
man.
"'We must find the most perfect tret
in all the forest, for none other vii
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, M
friends, no one to care.
.aThey talked on and on until tn,
story of the little crippled child fol
whom they were preparing joyous
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.
"One of these men was telling tn,
others about his aged father, VIII
worked his fingers almost to the BON
! 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 littl'
boy to the old mnn-is going back t
the little country village to spend
portion of the holidays with him ant
lift the veil Of loneliness from his soul
He has planned some wonderful sur
prises for the lonely old man ava,
back there in the country" ended tn
Fir Tree.
"Oh, has her exclaimed Christmas
no longer forlorn little figure, but |
happy, happy spirit
II 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 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 b
danced away toward the edge of til
wood and the cities and towns beyond
Julia Chandler MANI in Buffalo Ell
press