Show r M C christmas w time I 1 bu 5 THOMAS A C 0 lost 1 feeters no F ALL the tb Ulu of childhood I 1 gave up with most inot reluctance luc tance those thos that clustered around christmas the old saint who climbed down the chimney into the fireplace in our sitting room and filled our stockings Bloc kings on christmas eve was wag as real to me m as moses hoses or george washington or my grandfather or any other person of 0 whom I 1 had heard beard but whom I 1 had never t personally met ile he to ie to me xeal real today when I 1 am in reminiscent moods perhaps because I 1 have always wanted him to tie be real long after I 1 recognized nil all the subterfuges which were being practiced on oil me as aa a child at christmas time I 1 never admitted them even to myself for I 1 was quite willing to submit to the deceptions I 1 was made happy by all the ceremonies and surprises I 1 have never in all my life been away from home at christmas time ii hope I 1 never shall be christmas joys are for me the most delightful christ 1 was mas memories the most precious everything about our holiday 1 eions at home was of the simp simplest lesti character but the season was full of possibilities and surprises the dinner lacked the conventional roast turkey instead there was a roast gooe or a huge joint of 0 roast beef following tho the english custom with which my mother was familiar with suet dump lings and gravy there was always too a loaf of spiced bread and plum pudding with a delightful sauce of drawn butter and there was mince pie followed with nuts and raisins and other good goodies les just as home always suggests to me sugar cookies hot from the oven with mother warning mo me not to eat so many as to make myself sick so christmas invariably brings to my mind the thought of raisins they were in the spiced bread which mother made the plum pudding was congested with them I 1 found them always on christmas morning in my stocking with other good things to eat cat and there was regularly on Christ christmas day a dish of them on the table to tie he eaten after dinner it was not altogether what we had to eat that gave christmas such a high place in my regard though that helped materially no doubt it was the mystery the anticipation the preparation and the surprise of it all the gathering together of all the family the games the roaring lire in the f fireplace and tho the general hilarity and good will prevailing that made christmas for me the best loved of all the holidays of the entire year we are rather outgrowing christmas a friend said to me a few days ago 1 I dont believe it Is ever going to be for any one again just as it used to be I 1 suppose not though there are some events connected with the celebration of christmas there Is the real christmas which I 1 am sure I 1 shall never outgrow it if I 1 should hang up my stocking by the fireplace now I 1 feel just as sure as I 1 ever did that old saint nick would get in some way before morning and fill it as he used to do when I 1 wasat was a child my falth faith in christmas has never waned and my need for it I 1 practice economy badly at any time but with the greatest difficulty at christmas time and especially since the prices of my own particular varieties of frankincense and myrrh have been so BO affected by the economic conditions dit ions it Is what Is in our hearts that makes christmas real tho song bong of the angels Is in the air if the christmas Is in our hearts christmas Is as great a reality as it ever was it if we nye will make it so and for us all the angels are again proclaiming as they did that night in palestine centuries ago glory to god in the highest and on earth peace good will toward men 1 I shall hang up my stocking at christmas eve there will be raisins ka in it in the morning I 1 have falth faith that the old christmas joys will be mine oice onca more |