The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-27
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

| What are you going to do about Christmas this year? You say you don't know; you haven't thought anything about it. We'll. it's high time you are, for it's less than a month away.
 
 My friend, "Lige" Chanler, has pointed the way by putting his friends on mo- tice who have heretofore been sending ever smoked, and to take the money and send 1t to some worthy charity, Please remember he is not waging an anti-tobacco war.
 The real pleasure of Christmas is in giving without the hope of getting any thing in return. It cheapens the beau- tiful custom to make it a mere matter of swapping presents, or seeing how light you can get off in sending gifts to people you really do not care any thing about, but do so for some other motive than the spirit which is behind holiday giving.
 In spite of the fact that the war rages, and the Christ spirit seems to be for the season in eclipse; yet, it Is true in this twentieth century after the com ing of Jesus of Nazareth whom many of US call Lord. that the real pleasure of Christmas is the pleasure of giving without any hope of reward other than to give pleasure to someone who needs to be made happy.
 Thank God, 1t is still true that 1t Is more blessed to give than 1t Is to re- ceive. He gave, therefore we give. The gladness of receiving often ends with the thing received; while the gladness of giving has no end. This is more true of service than it is of gifts. He gave himself. How can we have tho heart for Christmas cheer and Christi mas gayety and gift-giving. while over in France our home boys are giving their supreme gift-their very lives-to keep us free, unless we freely give to them?
 I am trying to drive it home, and make it personal. What am I. what are you, the average man and woman who reads this column. to do about Christmas this year while the war clouds hang low, and the moan of men, our own precious blood and kin, comes signing across the seas? I am not try Ing to dip my pen too deep into inky blackness, but as I write there is ever before me the red blood of American lads trickling on the snow-covered fields of Europe I can't shut out the picture just because here in Birmingham we have not felt the smashing arm of the Hun, who wields the hammer Of Thor with maniacal fury and tramples underfoot the spirit of the Master, which alone gives us our Christmas.
 I know I want to do my part to carry Christmas to the men on the other side who are standing in my place to stop the onward sweep of Prussanism be- fore it destroys our Christian civiliza- ton. I know, too, what a few good women here are already doing. Perhaps you have passed idly by on Third ave- nue and seen few society women sit. ting in window, in which various ar ticles of merchandise are displayed. You saw candies games, pipes, tobacco, cigarettes and other things and went your way saying: "Oh. it's just another church bazar to sell trinkets''
 Now the next time you pass down Third avenue want you to stop and take a close inventory of the goods shown, and then take off your hats to the work being done by Mrs. Ross Smith, Mrs. M. V. Joseph, Mrs Webb Crawford. Mrs. Sam Adler and others. They have not hesitated to decide what they were going to do about Christmas. They got a vision of lonesome men in trenches and on the firing lines and made up their minds that they were going to send Christmas packages and boxes to remind the lonesome ones of home and to let them know that while they sat around the fireside with the holly and the evergreen, their thoughts were with their brave defenders on the other side of the world
 Their Red Cross unit is going to see to 1t that at least 17o0 Christmas pack ages will leave this city for the sol dier boys. They have gone about it in most practical way. If you want to send present and do not know what to send or how to do it, they will save you the trouble if you will drop in and give them 50 cents. They can put diff ferent things in the kits. You can leave it to them or select articles of your own choosing. The amount you put in package is not limited. You can spend more than 50 cents if you wish Be sure and pay them visit at once, as it is going to be tremendous job to pack nearly 2ooo packages and get them mailed or in the express office.
 I was in Loveman, Joseph & Loeb's on Saturday and saw two French off, cers shopping. They looked mighty handsome and debonair. I was glad to know that the descendants of LaFay- cite were once more on Alabama soil, and I took pride that Alabama boys were already on the soil of France. Guess what they bought? I wouldn't have believed it if hadn't seen it with my own eyes, but they purchased two big fruit cakes to send to Paris. The card of one bore a distinguished name, but beneath the soldiers uniform there beat the heart of a proud father, for on the back of his card he had scrubbed the loving words From papa Now each one of us has chance to either be papa" or mama" to