The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-12-25

of these is giving presents you don't
want to give, that you actually grudge
and feel resentful about Don't do it.
You are mistaken in thinking you
must, no matter what the circum-
stances are.
Christmas presents are a beautiful
expression of affection and remem
brance, if you can make them and
give them sanely. When they are
given with the result of quarrels and
irritation and crosSness and nervous
explosions at home, the price is too
| high. When you find yourself faring
up Unexpectedly, go to bed a couple
/ of hours earlier instead of staying up
another hour to finish your embroid-
cry or whatever you are making. Get
| up an hour earlier in the morning and
/ work at it if you must You will be
rested and fresh then and your work
/ will go along easily. Very often we
| get twice as much done when We are
rested than when we drag along, too
| fatigued for self-control. -
Even more deadly to the Christmas
| spirit is being snappy and disagree
able to the people who serve you in
stores and markets. AS if they were
not quite as tired as you and prob
ably more in need of consideration
and help. Sometimes people who
wouldn't dare be snappy and disagree
able at home, because they know from
l hot hn
quences would be like, take it out on
the boy who delivers packages or the
I girl behind the counter Of course
they don't usually realize that that
is what they are doing. They don t
think about it at all. They just feel
that way and they let themselves go.
Now no one has a right to let herself
go. And what is more you can't afford
to do it. At least not if you want to
get even a modicum of peace and com
fort and happiness as you go along.
When you find yourself inclined to
be irritable relax your muscles; let
go the tension on your nerves; say a
little prayer inside and deliberately
say something pleasant to the nearest
person. 1t would make a wonderful
difference to ourselves as well as to
others, if we could fill ourselves SO
full of the real spirit of Christmas
that some of it would overflow into
our relations with others and make
us friendly and considerable to out
siders and more lovable to our own
iif only for the few weeks around the
holidays.
And just trying to do that goes a
long way towards making Christmas
what it should be. Give more thought
to it and don't fuss so much over
tangible presents, unless you know OF
some one who really needs the tan
gible things. the warm gloves and
stockings or other garments. The in
valids whose folks haven't the means
to buy the fine food that would tempt
their tagging appetites ought to have
substantial gifts Of chicken and jelly
and cream and packages of dainty
> cereals and the like. But to the 9th
ers give more Christmas spirit and
less Christmas work.
Let your mind run back over other
days. Think of the people, of whom
! you have not seen~or heard from and
to whom you have not written fol
years. Get some nice writing paper
and some nice Christmas seals and
sit down and write a long letter full
of kindly wishes and reminders OF
pleasant little details of your present
day doings. Such friendly little sur
prises add great deal to the pleas
ure Of the day. And if later you learn
that the old friend has had many sor
rows and was especially lonely on that
particular Christmas, it will add tc
your happiness to think that you have
remembered and wrote the letter.
II And surely no one could be so busy
at Christmas with mere tangible
gifts as to forget to write a letter tc
mother and father at the other side
of the country. The disappointment
: of parents over such lack of thought
fulness is often bitter, even when they
never mention il. Even the most I'm
. sentimental and outwardly rather
I. hard parent is secretly moved by 8
little letter full of genuine affection
But whatever you do when you write
home at Christmas time, don't put
your difficulties and trials and grum
. blings into your letter Instead Of
adding to Christmas joy that sort O.
letter throws a cloud over the spirits
of any one who receives it, If yor
!, must make a bid for sympathy anG
help instead of carrying your own
burdens, wait for another day.