The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-12-12

SS3 ~ toys, without ask
ing the why and
wherefore. We fol-
low like sheep the leadership of some
foolish friend who either has more
cents and less sense than the average,
because we are the slaves Of custom.
Christmas is the season for the Christ
Child-when simplicity and sincerity
should dominate love of ostentation
and all pretense. 1t Is hard In this
day Of luxury to experience a new SEN
sation; for children are stated on the
threshold of life with gifts that would
have astonished George Washington
and taken away the breath of little
backwoods Abraham Lincoln. 1t is no
use telling your child to eat his red
apple and suck his stick of candy with
! thankful heart If little Bobbie next
! door owns motorcycle and a real pig
skin. Precious poor fun will your lit
tie Mary Jane find in her rag baby n
lnez Dorris has bisQue French doll
that can talk. And so we are happy or
miserable, poor or rich by contrast;
those comparisons that are obvious IL
| odiouS.
YuIe Log Is Gone.
The old-fashioned season of fun and
frolic has been replaced by a meaning
less, mirthleSs celebration. The Yule
log has gone out, and there is no fire.
place for old Santa Claus to scramble
down and leave his gifts OF simple
| Joys for unsuSpecting childhood. The
steam-heated home, the sterilized ur-
chin, the pure-food laws all forbid the
painted sugar cats and dogs whose
green backs would have put any par
| rot to shame.
| Yet how beautiful in retrospect Is
the memory Of some Christmas Of the
long ago. when, like Tiny Tim. who
gathered around the simple table and
looked forward with JOY to the home
coming Of all the family, the wonder
full dinner of goose and the loving
greeting. God bless us ali !' That
was wealth such as no Scrooge could
possibly buy That was the spirit
which prompted Dickens to say,
Though IL has never put a scrap of
gold or silver in my pocket, believe
1t has done me good, and 1 say, God
bless itv"
We Should Hang GarIands.
The singing Of carols in English vii.
lagos was good old custom and ought
to be revived, as well as the lighting
OF the Yule log on Christmas eve. for
the memory of the English Christmas
lingers ever In the British heart, wher-
ever he may be. In the early days at
jamestown, Va, the cradle Of English
civilization on this western continent,
John Smith says: 1.-The extreme cold.
frost, rain and snow caused US to keen
Christmas among the savages, where
! we were never more merry nor had
more good oysters. fish, flesh, wild fowl
and good bread nor ever had bet
ter fires in England" Kpling, too,
refers to the memory of Yuletide in his
BLACK Sheep" with the couplet, "At
home they are making merry, twixt
the white and scarlet berry" And so
we should garland the house with trail
ing pine, hang the wreaths of holly in
the window and the mistletoe meath
the chandelier. 1t helps others II 1t
does not help you.
Boston's Fine Example.
Last Christmas In Boston the mayor
requested everyone in the city to leave
their window shades up on Christmas
eve to help light the city. Such a
cheerful glow as 1t gave to old Bea-
con street aud Commonwealth avenue
Down In the Public gardens the city
was enjoying Its municipal Christmas
tree. stately fir, bedecked with myri-
ad colored electric bulbs. while the
band played old familiar carols that
veered into popular street songs be-
fore the crowd scattered. The scene
was significant OF Christmas now be-
Ing cosmopolitan festival holding
the heart Of Puritan New England,
whose holy of holies has heretofore
been Thanksgiving. This is right, and
as 1t should be. since ours Is a land
OF religious liberty and Christmas Is
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