Evening star., 1931-12-20

Scrooge as he was then, I am not surs
that Ebenezer Scrooge is not much
more dangerous now. For very much
lear that Mr. Scrooge has been corr
Vlnced without being converted, 7 very
much fsar that he has learned to an
preciate Christmas. though not 10 an
preclate Christianity. He has djscov-
cred that 1t Is perfectly easy to 20 on
being devoted TO his business, and Moth
ing else except his business. and vet TO
recognize that Christmas Is quite a good
business proposition.
NOW 1t VIII be noted that most of the
festivities described In The ChristmaS
Carol" as the type Of the old tradi-
tlonsl Christmas, did not require any
particular apparatus from outside The
company played blind mans buff, for
instance which does not REQUIRE any
apparatus except handkerchief And
even the rather mixed COMPANY We
meet In those very vulgar novels by
MI DICKENS were commonly pgo,Iacd
with hanokerchlcfS. even down u the
>oda! stratum Of the Artful Dojgcr,
VINO was provided with a se!e-tlcn Of
other peoples. Therefore there W.; no
particular opening for Scroogc TO s7u
nandkerchlefs, any more than for
Fagln to steal handkerchiefs.
TYPICAL MO1crn Discovery,
But 1t would be entirely in the spirit
OF the age, 1t would be altogether IN
accordance with push and punlicity
ana professional sport and all that
makes our own epoch SO truly charm
ing, II somebody did begin to sell a
special sort OF handkerchief that could
De used only for blind mans buff. Sup
pose q man could only invent q more
1flEv1 inia
Kerchlel. With which 1t would be
possible for man TO bind his ewes but
quite impossible for man to blow his
Ao.t The inventor of this exiguouS rag
would probably become a modern mil
IlOndNt. tie WOl>d have made q typical
modern disCON cry. he would have made
something that can be used only for one
purpose, as golf club can be used onIy
Tor golf or billiard cue for billiards.
AND as the universal handkerchief
that is useful for many purposes)
would be fairly cheap, but the special
handkerchief (that was useless for all
purposes but one) would be frjghttJIlv
dear. those trading in II would do very
well. And the new combined firm Of
Scrooge and Fagln, turned into Christ
mas phllanthrOpistS, would look an
benevolent as the Cheeryble brothers.
CHRISTMAS, IN short, has become too
commercial, because people depend too
much on things that have to be bought.
and too little on things that could easilv
be made. They are taken in BY those
VINO tell them that conuring cannot
be done with any old hat, but only with
Maggs magicians hat. price three
guineas; that plllow-fght cannot be
conducted with the pillows from the
beds. but only with special pillows from
the boxing in the boudoir emporium;
that hunt the slipper is impossible ex-
ctpt With the specially constructed
slipper recommended BY the leading
professional athletes in that sport. and
IN short, that the new generation can
not enlov itself without spending an
enormous amount Of money outside the
house, instead Of taking a little trouble
inside
This Is perhaps a more deep ard
subtle treason 10 the tue spl!t Of the
domestic festival OF our fathers than
even the black blast Of Puritan Der
Secution or the intellectual ice-age Of
the Unitarian economists Il NAV be
good for trade but il is not good for
Christmas or for ChriStendom, or for
the survival of the healthy popular
instincts Of our culture And il allows
other interests to tower over and over
shadow the human hone a. rho verv
moment when the home should b es-
serting its human and even is divine
dignity