The Newark journal., 1919-12-11
+ FOR AN + IMPROVED Cbristmas
 By GRACE ARNOLD
By GRACE ARNOLD

of the window at the people
 hurrying through the falling snow with their Christmas bundles.
 You are thinking?" her husband suggested.
 About Christmas, that's all."
 "We have left undone the things that we"
 Not this time, my dear. Merely about everybody in the world"
 'No one could call you narrow minded!"
 People have the right spirit about it," she explained. "They are so full of good will toward men that they try to do too much-that's the trou- bic! You see, most of us and our good intentions are hampered by average salaries and modearte strength"
 'Ive noticed it."
 We want to give to everybody. We want our homes superscrupulously tidy. We plan festivities which require new party clothes for the whole fam fly, extra special cooking and prep aration for guests.
 Then we set about doing these things. At first it goes we'll and we enthuse. The common, everyday af- fairs interfere and complicate mat ters.
 At the beginning of Christmas week-with many frills deleted-we find ourselves growing tired, awful ly tired. But we see that it's impos- sible then to stop and rest That's where the strain begins. We feel compelled to finish what we've start ed and to carry the program through to the last item of buying, marking, packing and shipping.
 Unexpected demands interrupt. Then the strain begins to tell on our nerves. Perhaps we don't say any thing for fear of spelling Christmas for the others, but in our hearts we wish mankind had kept Christmas free from this sort of thing.
 When Christmas day comes we are too weary to bother about the true meaning of 1t all or take very keen pleasure in the results of our back-breaking work, much less go out and hear beautiful music and uplift- ing sermons"
 i've always wondered why women attempted so much"
 Because everybody does. And if one poor, lone, sensible woman sits down and flatly refuses to kill her self working for Christmas, her fam fly and friends will think she is g quitter-a social slacker." We'll suggested her husband, why not let the rich people have all the fuss and feathers 7, and let those In medium circumstances realize they can't keep up that paee?"
 You don't understand" said the woman with the brown eyes; "as long as rich folks do 1t, those less able will strain to do likewise That's why the wealthy people will have to see the l trend and institute a change
 In place of so many mere presents we must give such things as love courage, kindness and generous i'm pulses-things which our present phy- sieal and mental strain forbids Throughout the rest of the year, if anyone felt inclined to send a regular gift to friend or relative, that could be done very easily and the recipient would know it was voluntary, not a compulsory remembrance.
 Its great idea," said the brown eyed woman's husband, cheerfully. "A bit of real affection in place of some | of the monstrosities now exchanged would be a great improvement" "You can make fun if you want to, she replied, "but when the world wakes up to the real meaning of Christmas-and the war 1 believe has helped to wake it up--youll see the effect spread over the entire year Then the first of January won't be associated with bills and pills, but with the genuine eagerness to live the next 12 months better than those preceding"
 Tn the meantime" sighed her hus- band dramatically, I hope you haven't bought ne ar other smoking jacket"
 That ,remin4s me! said the woman with the brown eyes. q haven't time to be sitting here talking. And ii won't be any of your affair until to- morrow morning, anyway. ."-Chicago | n,.1,y No-,n