The Pensacola journal., 1922-12-24

vval OF differences; Christian,
Hebrew, Moh e a n-all are
touched by day which shines with
human manifestations Of an inspired
good will, expressed in giving.
This age, so largely devoted to get SaN :.
ting, finds its reaction crystallized WS
once a year, at least in the beautiful
business OF letting go in place of rak-
ing IN. And 1t is grand thing that y
men and women who worry so much
about how to take things away from
others should reverse their systems
Of thought and cudgel their brains over
how and what and to whom to give
many at considerable sacrifice, all
with kindness in their hearts and peace in their
souls
That the day is set and unanimously accepted
is splendid, for the impulse thereby has given
point to which it may work up through the weeks
Of preparation and anticipation, and even the most
needless and careless may not forget. Newspapers
and other semipublic institutions start conspicuous
drives for mercy and relief The department stores
announce toy exhibits and circuses and they adver
tise widely their wares, especially displayed and
particularly purchased for the Christmas trade
Millions upon millions Of dollars worth of merchan-
disc are bought and sold the Christmas idea
alone proving that after all even banks and the
shrewdest merchants and canniest manufacturers
will stake heavily on their solid faith in such an i'm
practical thing as a national period OF generous
giving.
Nowhere in the flinty economics which deal in
the natural" laws Of supply and demand is there
made mention of such a contingency. Yet there
isn't sounder business hazard extant than invest
ing in goods on the presumption that the advent
of Christmas will clean the shelves. Prosperous or
pinched, America never. throws down it's Santa
Claus. Theatres may starve restaurants may feel
the pressure, but the whole populance will extend
itself where gifts can be bought. .-...
People who wouldn't recognize a solemn obliga-
ton to pay IS for value received to a brotherain-
law cousin will jocundly buy him SO present
and would feel like horsethieves If they didn't.
Crabs who wouldn't tell you the time of day at any
other time, send you cooling messages of affection
and shameless wishes Of happiness. Fat men crowd
through jammed streets and store aisles, digni-
fled nabobs carry bundles, stern autocrats plot
ahead surprise the help whom they bully all the
other weeks--it is letting down of many bars, all
around, and lot of otherwise suppressed human
ness effervesces to the surface.
Windows are lighted up with blazing frs, kids
are running about new skates and with amazing
toys tramps look sleeky overfed, lmousines are
drawing up before doors of hovels night letters
flying about the land with nothing to say in
a hurry than that this wishes Joy to that one,
men who have millions are beaming over 50 neckties
they will never use, wives who haven't kissed
their own husbands in months at 1t again, ele-
vator boys respond to the buzzer, gold fountain
pens flow glibly and the commonplace, mean,
compromising values of this evoluted and circum-
scrbed life don't count. 1t is period of reprieve,
moratorium, gush and love 1t is the best vacation
Americans get, far beneficial than the annual
Summer hegira of MISUNDERSTANDING and trying to
make a canoe go sidewise.
In no other land has Christmas taken such a
tight hold as it has in temperamental emotional
America. Surface observers regard US as phleg-
matte sensible rather stolid folks, but it takes
the Christmas season to prove that vocf
erous poetic children bubbling with beaific benef
icence and doggone good scouts when we get our
minds off the exactions of existence long enough
to turn toward making others happy with the same
irresistible zeal that put behind making our
selves efficient and successful
In show business" it is a foreseen factor that
the week-before- Christmas is the low peak of the
season There many off weeks, but there
three that may be anticipated reguary-Holy Week.
the Observation-Disclosures and the week in Louis
vile. Some troupes pay only half salaries;
clay off" if they can; others take the certain loss;
none plays to normal receipts. If Christmas falls
on a non-matinee day it means added perform
suce but that doesn't pull the gross to par Christ.
mas afternoon isn't bonanza, nor is that evening.
Citizens mostly occupied in trying to make
mechanical miniature railroads run or visiting
grandma or illuminating the tree or trying to smoke
the gift cigar while wearing the gift slippers, loung.
ing robe and cravat simultaneously
Papriqua the svelte danseuse, paid her com.
pany and Cancelled the week, making it a holiday
for all hands. Papriqua unusually committed
to Christmas as a glad and benign calendar de-
markation for she still peignanty recalled how
she used TO suffer In her earlier years the drudge
and patsy of a penurious and numerous truck.
farming family the outskirts OF Illinois third
rate town, when hanging up the stocking was of
no use for two reasons-no one ever put anything