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Show f WALTon , S A DEW Yeartorv Y GREATEST wish for tu,a vk ? i back to some of the ways vJGSlif and times of the old years. i Nothing seems genuine and substantial as It used to be In the old days of neighborly visiting, families spending their evenings at home, when good times did not depend on the theater or spending money. Young people now spend more in one evening's even-ing's pleasure than we used to spend In a month. There was time to be at home, time '.o be kind, time to what are we coming to, these days?" Mrs, Long asked despairingly as we of th executive committee of the Missionary society were dispersing for our home the last afternoon of the year just at an end. "To our senses, we hope." Mrs. Reed broke in. "But there are some things genuln In these days," Mrs. Hannis began. "I heard such a beautiful thing yesterday. yester-day. Do you know that Mrs. Phillips in Japan writes every day to her frail mother here? As the wife of a noted American teacher, statesman and missionary, mis-sionary, Mrs. Phillips has a school foi girls in her own home and yet finds time to send love messages every day to her mother, who told me that she frequently received four or five missive! a day If the mails were irregular, Think what joyful anticipation that mother experiences each day I Here Is an example of a daughter's thoughtful thought-ful devotion that Is unchanged amid the new notions of the times. We feel sure the mother's love Is no less been because some mothers find more pleasure In a theater the-ater than In caring for the children at home. Perhaps It Is the Individual who is changing the times rather than times changing chang-ing th Individual. We mortals are the "changers." Cour tesy, kindness, patience, humility meekness, gentleness, contentment, mother-love, even happiness are ai stable In themselves us the sun, the wind, the rain, which vary as they are influenced by material elements. The sun Is always In Its place; time ia unchangeable, kindness, courtesy, etc., I repeat, are waiting to be of service to us. The same spirit that prompted prompt-ed the neighborly visiting In the olden old-en times we may have at any time this New Year. The spirit of Christmas, Christ-mas, through all the changing foibles of humanity, remains the same. We lose kindness by neglect in using It; we lose the spirit of Christinas tha thonghtfulness of Mrs. Phillips because be-cause we are not practicing their use," Mrs. Hannis emphasized In her charming way. "I'm going to write to my mother every day this year." "And 1!" "And I," various voices exclaimed. "If we would All our New Year calendars with red letter days, as Time for' Home day, Time for Visiting Visit-ing day. Courtesy day, Patience day. etc.. before we are aware there might be 'Perfect day,' and there might be." Mrs. Hannis lowered her voice "who knows but that some of 'ye olden time days' may be a part of the New Year." t(S. 1 328. Western Nwpper Union.) |