Show christmas the intensity of modem life and the deepening of consciousness through intelligence telli gence breed sadness we think too much and work too hard to have time for enjoyment enjoy meat and if we suddenly discover that we have need of it we take it in inordinate quantities rather than in a himple and alway we go out and buy pleasures so much the hour instead of somehow contriving to live a life close observers of ann dern society like walter besant have discover dis coved that a main lack in the lives of the poor is that of cheer and he urges that philanthropic plans should embrace measures for daily brightening the lives of the people by some simple ex feriance of a pleasurable sort it would la a bomber fact if the number of those who live through a day without a laugh or even a smile could aff ascertained a strange miscarriage of nature since man is the only being within her dominion who is capable of that action christmas has rendered the world this good service that biow for many centuries it has called men to sympathetic cheerfulness it comes indeed but once a year but for some days the cloud on the alrow of humanity lifts a little and the wail dies out of ita voice at times it has been too obstreperous in its mirth and called for check but for the most it baa been true to its origin and stirred the human heart to sympathetic gladness and hope we shall soon hear the growls of tb pessimistic critic over the wastefulness of christmas mirth heed him not hs does not know that the keynote key note of the universe is joy and that christmas laughter is only a stray echo of an eternal hymn and nearly the only one that has reached us and that it is well worthy of iffe would ever hear the whole therefore fathers give gifts to your children even if you have to lessen the daily portion remembering mem bering the wisdom of Mn hommel who said thai if he had two loaves of bread he would adi one and buy hyacinths dorthey would feed his soul and ye children stir up your fathers to mirth christinas conns but once a year and the years left to thiem may not be many december |