The Mena weekly star., 1921-12-22
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...<.... ;z A old institution. It v eustom whose roots are deeper ls *he zo;l # n;;ztory than the origin or .nv noou1ar festival. From the De- .,;.,.,,,,-y N fhis institution it has been \ ths - es.sto.., to make gifts. But Christ vmas giving has been carried to sucn AI T 'Isxtent thet t has become on eVl' vfsar. rather then blessing.
 K aur ulans for Christmas giving ,ye tao offen forget the fact that the hest Of ail e:tta is the gift of sell, m Lowell's '.Vision of Sir Launiah
 1,br;at E made to say, "He who gives h;nself with aims feeds three, him. sslf his hunrering neighbor and me
 It. Is not easy; shopping in crowded stores may De nerve racking; sewing an. knitting on presents may take time: and the purchase of gifts for all the circle may take great deal ot money. But to give yourself IS the | hardest. costliest gift of all. Your lime. your thouehts, your love-to p|give Of such treasures as these means to unlock the vaults of the soul and pour out the very riches of life. 1t IS | much easier to spend dollar on toy than to spend an hour in honest ef- Sfort t4 make sozneone happy.
 ' Once npon time everybody was n4irhborIy and interested in the well fare. even of the lowest. Christmas |opened aIl purses and larders. All lhnn1aIlifx served the brotherhood Tn Hove and charity. But that is all pass Iinp away. We have become selfish, mean and seIf-eentered. We seem to fcroef the meaning of Christ's birth Idav. and we lock our doors against the wavfarer. even when the holly IS !. wreafhed ita the window, and the ] ean.iiias ssr5 sEIaw in the fir tree.
 With Christmas only a few days of, the minds of all tfe children, and many Iof the er0Wn-lIps have turned to toys, IChristmas would be empty for the chil- Idren without them, and the windows of |fhe downtown stores would not look natu1al unless they were full of them. Il But, however much toys mean to the Il children, they have advanced so much in price that only the well-to-do can buy and enjoy them. Then what ot some 0f the poor children in the tene- meBts and novels? They will grow up | to be men and women thoroly con- vinced that Santa Claus does not exist I and that Christmas day is no more than any other day.
 Christmas brings many scenes. To | the child it means Santa Claus, tree, and q buI1ina atocking; to some it brings pictures of steep road, of a sky darkened to night, of little town set in little plain, of flock of timid sheep, of two lowly figures seeking shelter. and of a crowded inn which shut it's doors to the strangers who knocked and asked for warmth, light and comfort in the name of one who must be born h manager"
 The royal babe whose birth might have crowned t with splendor greater than any other earthly palace found a crowded inn sand there was no room for them In the inn" Is this the pie ture of Christmas -the manager? Are our hearts crowded inns on this Christmas day. or do we open wide the doors A light was kindled in the sweet hayAaeeHted shadow of the humble spot where patient oxen and mild-eyed sIleep made room--a light that will never go out. Alas! Christ mas day means to us a crowded inn rather than manager, because we close our doors against our neighbors.
 Finally, to get the most out of this festival we ought to celebrate it as nearly as possible like the children doby playing, laughter and whole hearted aninYfment of life.