The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-01-13
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All over the country people have
been reading little messages writ
ten on the insides or the backs of
Christmas cards.
These messages have told of the
things that most intimately inter
est and affect the lives Of the writ
ers-and that means most of the
population.
These messages read something
like this:
eve have moved to Keokuk be-
cause Joe was transferred here"
cousin Mary isn't doing so well
this year and we wonder if she
will ever get any better"
Bob is doing nicely in high
school and plans to enter State
University next year if all goes
we'll"
eve slaughtered two pigs just a
week ago and the meat is all put
down for the rest of the winter"
"Grandma is right pert for hel
age and wants us to wish you the
best for her"
"Joe broke a leg last week wher
he fell from a hay NOW but he's
getting along very we'll"
High prices worry us and jim
doesn't earn any more than a yeal
ago, but we'll make out somehow
wish you would write us a nice
long letter"
SO they go. Every family writes
such messages and gets them in
return. They bring the news from
others who are not quite close
enough for regular letters, but
close enough to cause concern for
their well-being.
Christmas time brings the desire
to exchange news. 1t isn't about
the United Nations that people
write at Holiday time. 1t isn't
about what Congress may do, OF
about the Committee on Un-Ameri-
can Activities. Nor is it about the
new governor, unless the writer is
deeply interested in local politics,
No, it is about the health and we'll
being of the individual persons.
Has the baby cut his first tooth ?
Does Bill like his new job? Isn't
Jane married yet? How about the
old neighbors?
To the big world these are small
things; but to families and friends
they are the biggest things in the
lives Of the writer's and the receiv-
ers of messages.
Most individuals are fortunate
enough to have many others con-
cerned for their happiness and
health. Some have none who are
interested. They are most unfor-
tunate. There are few things cal
culated to make life more bleak
than the utter absence of any other
interested person.
1t is good, indeed, that most in
dividuals have friends and that so
many have families who care about
the intimate affairs that make life
good or sad for each.
1t is a pretty dull business hav-
ing no man to call friend, having
none to. turn to, either for talk or
for active help, in time of truble.
Some know that complete lack and
them there are many who,
because of the vacuum which sur
rounds them, turn in need to wei
fare agencies, to governmental
and now and then to
churches.
There was a happy day, when
the world was much smaller, in
time of talk and transport, when
most families could ignore every
hing except the matters of i'm
mediate family concern and con-
,ern for friends.
But now that invention and dis
,overy have combined to make the
world little more than one COM
we have to give thought to
world affairs. 1t may be that we
10 not write about them in these
annual intimacies that we write on
,ur Christmas cards, but when that
S done we must, for our own larg-
n welfare and even for our own
arger safety, pay heed to what
goes on in such places as Berlin,
Korea, China, Africa and many
'ther places.
Forces are at work in the world