Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-12-17
The Christmas Tree
What Shall We Get From It?

NNE other shadow thatmght be banishedfrom
~ the Christmas Tree if the light of Love was
turned upon it is that always there are some out
side the circle of its light, some who, like all
other human beings want happiness, but seem un-
able to find it; for some reason or other there IS
no Christmas tree for them. They may be very
poor, they may be ignorant, they may be outside
your church or mine, outside the circle of society
IN which you move; they may even be very sin
ful from your point of view mine but their ab-
sence from the Christmas Tree makes one of the
shadows. Christ came into the world for all men,
there is no caste, no rank none excluded from the
Infinite love Of God. All have right to happiness
The shadow may be banished when we who have
stood in the light of the Christmas Tree bring
these others to stand with us in the same light
or II they cannot or will not come, take the light
of Christmas to them by helping them to find some
JOY some comfort, some real happiness in life
We can never get happiness by taking it away
from someone else, but we do get it by giving it
and the more we give of happiness the more we
have. Perhaps this is one of the Life Lessons that
The Christmas Tree is set to teach us.
The symbolism of the Christmas Tree extends
to the gifts which it bears. Do you remember
back in the days when you were boy-or a girl
how you used to wonder beforehand what would
Ut on the Christmas Tree for you? Perhaps you
went so far as to make judcious suggestions, when
and where you thought it would do the most good,
in regard to what you wished "Santa Claus would
bring yOu;" but there was never any certainty
about what you were going to get You kept right
on wondering until Christmas and sometimes you
may have guessed right and sometimes you may
have been very much disappointed.
In those days we got some things that we never
expected and we didn't get some things that we
did expect, but there were not many things that
we did get that didn't want; every thing seem
ed good to u.s. that came on the Christmas tree,
and we look back we are led to believe that
large part of our real happiness lay in anticipa-
tion, wondering what would be on the Christmas
tree for us.
It is to be hoped that none of us have grown so
old that we cease to wonder what we shall get
from the Christmas Tree: for when we cease to
wonder or care what the Christmas tree bears for
u.s. then the light has gone out of our lives and
we are only derelicts the sea of life, carried
about at the will of wind and wave. That is one
of the great truths in regard to the Christmas
Tree, that it bears fruit for every one. We may
have come into the darkness and dspair of evil
days may have wandered far from the "King's
Highway and have become lost in the by-ways of
life; may have struck the down hill side of the
journey, feeble and infirm in body the friends
we loved gone from us and the only light to cheer
that light that steals through the twilight from
the days Of "Auld Lang Syne;' yet the Christmas
Tree bears fruit for us, whoever, whatever, wher-
ever we may be.
What does Christmas bring for us? In the
midst of the glory of the lights and the mysteries
of the shadows, what gift awaits our acceptance?
AS sure as there's a God of Love above and
around and among mankind there's gift for you,
for me for everyone; but that does not answer the
question what any one of us shall get from the
Christmas Tree Certain it is that shall re-
ceive nothing if We take nothing; we must seek
if would find, its the immutable law of the
Universe.
The first important thing is that we shall be
looking for something for ourselves from the
Christmas Tree and next we need to remember
that, not all the gifts that the Christmas Tree
bears material nor are the material gifts the
most valuable.
The greatest gift that Christmas brings for
all is Life and abundant life, life enlarged and
full and broad, capable of receiving and holding
the sunshine of JOY and the beauty of happiness,
are we looking for such gift? Money cannot
buy this gift, no power of place or influence or
force can compel it, but it is free to those who
want it and will seek it. 1t comes to US as we look
out from the open windows of our selves in all
directions, our interest in our fellow men, what
they are doing, what they need and how they
may be helped, is awakened Look for the good
and every good thing will start in your direction
Let your Love predominant rather than your hate
Love the good more than you hate the bad and
the Christmas Tree will bring to you the richest
gifts.