The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, December 21, 1910, Page PAGE FIFTEEN, Image 17
WILLIAM J. BRYAN ON CHRISTMAS.
"The Commonner."
This Is a timely topic.
Prior to Christmas day several years
ago, a Cleveland. Ohio, newspaper
printed the following:
"Christmas was forshadowed in the
county recorder's office last week. Day
after day it became more evident that |
December 2.* was pretty close at hand.
A glance at the office force and their
extra work told tho story. The num
ber of chattel mortgages increased in
proportion cs Christmas drew near.
Yesterday they came in by the score
This" week the number will probably
be greater still. The mortgages tell
the story of the way hundreds of fam
ilies are getting their money for
Christmas presents. They look upon
a few 'plasters' on household effects
as mere nothing, when balanced
against the Joy of giving. The amount
range all the way from $2r> to $'500 and
some are for even more. The practtco
1? an old one. but of late years the ob
servation is made that chattel mort
gages are becoming more and more
popular in these parts prior and dur
ing the holiday season. Toys must he
bought for the Children?there must
be turkey and real presents for the
older folks, regardless of the day of
reckoning."
The burdens of the Christmas sea
son are becoming well night unbeara
ble, Men and women are embarrassed
in the selection of gifts for friends,
and if one or two friends happen to
be poor, while the other is rich, it is
humiliating to the former not to ho
able to give to his friend a present
that shall equal In cost the one he
receives. As a result in all too many
oases, men and women plunge them
selves Into debt in order to keep up
with the mad pace set by some of
their wealthy acquaintances.
"To he remembered'' by ones friend
In particularly gratifying during the
Ohristmas season and the desired re
sult may be accomplished just as
well through some inexpensive token
as by a costly gift. Some progress
along this line has recently been made
by individuals who. having hereto
fore embarrassed themselves by the
distribution of expensive gifts to a
few of their friends, have made it pos
sible to remember practically all of
their friends by sending to each one
a pretty Christmas card engraved with
appropriate greetings, it would be
well If this custom could grow to the
end that the desired result may be
attained.
Nor is it necessary that the gifts
to the children be expensive ones. It
is well known by those having experi
ence in the child's world that the lit
tie one upon whom costly gifts are
lavished does not derive from the oc
casion m arly so much pleasure as the
child who receives a few inexpensive
toys and perhaps along with them a
pair of gloves, a warm cap. or some
otlier article which, while serving as
a "remembrance" and providing for
the child's pleasure, will at the same
time provide substantially for the
Child's necessities.
Unquestionably "the time is ripe
for an agitation along this line." Men
and women everywhere have felt the
heavy burdens consequent upon the
exchange of high-priced gifts, it re
quires considerable courage for men
and women to break away from cus
toms, hut if the press will agitate this
very essential reform, and if men and
women generally will resolve to re
store the Christmas celebration to its
real place, there Will be fewer debts
incurred through the demands of the
'Christmas season while that season
j will lose none of its pleasures. In
deed, the pleasures will he greatly in
creased heci.use while we are enjoy,
ing lhem the shadow of debts that
must be met will not be hanging over
us. Our contemplation of the season
will not he continually disturbed by
thoughts of the sacrifices we must
sooner or later make. We will not be
continually thinking of the day of
judgment to which our creditors will
I certainly summon us. There will not
he running continually through our
minds the strains of tile negro melody
Which serves well as a warning to
those who would thoughtlessly incur
obligations:
"What ye gwiue to do when the rent
conies around? What ye gwine to say,
how ye gwine to pay. what ye gwine
to do when the rent comes around "
There are many men and women
who so embarrass themselves in the
?^^^^^v^^^^^ / ? ,it',e b*be, ? Kon,'t" babe,
?Ktu^NCn^S. jV^'V? That In a manger lies,
^-gj^^nn^vyf? \ A-listening to the choral sweet
^^^\^*/A^J^Jj We, through the year, wh? on,y bear
^""C'-^^^t* /^c3a^~ Listen that we. dear babe, with thee,
y^*^ ^it^fiB^J ^* May hcaf tlu anKe,s 8,n8
. ' O little babe, O gentle babe,
*. . JT .11 s//J&-- I W ho lookcst toward tlu- star,
\.( ~^m Xr \j0r/f ! And seest when they bear their gifts,
V*'yet}? f // Those wise men from afar;
\\\^-^ f^SX' tj, /// From wandering wide, back to thy side,
!1 jnfilswv Si i Weary and worn we flee;
^mrSBy^l S/i// ,u>;uts 1,1 " bleed and bunds that ne ed,
A ////// ^re a" we 'iave *or thee,
?5 * vL>/{/IM ? Utt,C babc* ? ?ent,e babc?
'/ Sk7ff I Mm I Our hearts wore hard and cold;
^/jn\ It Hl H ///fit 1 The star we loved, the star of fame,
yjf/l A ll'rll The song, the song of gold,
7/11 1 u Mi At tne manger's side this Chrlstmastide,
//a^b5J\ \ y\ We listen and we long
/M ) -^"^vU To sec tbat 8,ar 8hine from a;far
j$7/^??>;f/AJ'-'i .\tj And hear the angels' song.
ij^^^^^^^^^^ ~R,charj F's<Mter'
purchase of gifts for their friends that]
thoy are unable to discharge their ob
ligations to the poor. If the customs
of the Christmas season were reform
od there need he no empty stockings
and no barren Christmas dinner ta-J
hies in all this land. The expendi
tures of the Christmas season could
be brought within that reasonable sum
that would avoid financial embarrass
ment yet at the same time leaving an
ample margin for the discharge of the
debt every one of us owes to those
of our fellows who, through sickness j
or other misfortune, must depend up
on outside assistance not only for
their Christmas chem- but for the ac
tual necessaries of life.
Men and women should strive to
reform some of the methods for the
celebration of the Christmas season to
the end that that season may he ob
served In the very spirit to which
that grand old man -Sontn Clans?
owes Iiis existence.
Tim grand old man for whom wo
B|>eak is not a walking delegate for
the chattel mortgage Bhop. It Is not
his mission to increase the burdens
of the weary mother, or to multiply
the embarrassments of the father, lie
gives not encouragement to the con
test hot ween friends in the effort to
see Which can give the costliest pres
ent. He is not the sponsor for empty
I stockings or barren larders, lie is
the missionary of love, the representa
tive of a perfect democracy where ev
ery human being having the right to
life, liberty and the pursuit of happi
ness is entitled, equal With every oth
er human being, to the joys and pleas
ures of the period which marks his
coming.
mi WHEN Christmas bellH are
Wrab*? ringing merrily on Christ?
ro^Wn mns eve It la pleasant to
itna< t!"' wholu world
"Yy* Ib celebrating, and that us
* ? long as the human family
has been on earth It has made
merry at a midwinter feast. The lit
tle children ill your house or mine,
and the little children across the
street, are just like other little chil
dren In llussia, In Norway, in France
and In Italy, or the German Father
land who have made ready for their
Christinns trees when the winter's sun
has set and the Christina- stars are
shining over head.
At the tune that the Holy Habe lay
in the manger in Bethlehem to b? the
Christinas Hube for the Christian
world the ltomans were celebrating
their Saturnalia and trimming wdlow
wands, as we trim Christmas treer., of
course with a difference. But Just the
same they were celebrating the mid
winter festival. They danced and
sang, gave gifts, and hung wreaths
while across the Alps to the north the
Wild Huntsman was chasing through
the woods to be the terror of all
naughty children.
The Christmas tree honored be
cause It was evergreen gained fresh
honors when udorued with tapers.
The evergreen was eternal, and the
lights shed glory around. How jolly
Is the raising of the Christmas 'roe!
How the children love to talk about
It before hand and to trim It, or to get
the gifts from Its overladen boughs.
In Germany tho winde household
goes to church, In many villages tho
church Is left in darkness, and the
worshipers curry lighted candles, coin
ing In one by one, u itil It is a bril
liant sight. When the season is over
the old hymns are sung. "Ks Ist der
Tag des Herrn," und Christmas greet
lugs are heard on every sldo.
The Julafred, or perv j of Christinas,
Is publicly proclaimed In Sweden and
Norway. The churches are decorated,
and the children are the first to enter
in the gray of the early morning. No
oi.e is forgotten. Tho poor are re
membered with food and clothing, ami
best of all tho llttlo brothers of the
air, tho birds, have a tree hung with
a sheaf of wheat for Christmas cheer.
In Holland feastiug prevails as It
does everywhere. Hut the children
?ct out their wooden shoes for gifts,
and not one Is forgotten. The prac
tloe of feeding pets and birds la gnu
oral.
Ill Sorvla and In Dulgarla no ona
crosses a strange threshold If it cau
bo avoided. Friends rejoice together,
the little children dance and sing and
gifts are exchanged. An ancient cero
niony has to bo performed by th*j
head ol every household, liefore a
mouthful of food Is eaten < ally In tho
morning, corn is placed In a stocking
and the chief of the family sprinkles
a little before the householder, saying
"Christ Is born; ' to which one of tho
family replies: ' He Ih bom Indeed."
Then tho house father has to "Wish"
and. advancing to the burning logs mi
the hearth, he strikes them until the
sparks My upward, with a good wish
for tho borsos, another for the cat
ties, the calves, and the goats, and 90
on through the entire band of stock
on tho farm, com hiding with a special
prayer and an oxtrn blow upon tho
embers of the logs for a plentiful bar
vest, in this manner the gods of na
ture aro appeased. Then the nsh^s
containing "the wish" are collected
and burled secretly. As for tho YulS
logs, they aro not penult ted to burn
entirely away, but tho fire being ex
tlngulshed the burnt ends are placed
in the clofts of fruit trees so us to
l'sure a bountiful crop.
In out of the way corners of tba
world, tho traveler has met proces
shms going about on Christmas eve
giving gifts to the earth, I?. the Btream,
to fruit trees, and the pi I? st with a
censor of incense Invoking blessing*
on the harvests which are to com*)
when the winter is over. (
The receiving of gifts seems to b?
the passing of a later day. At Lyon*
In France the Foundlings Home luu
u beautiful custom, a handsome cru
i die is placed id the door and (he for
I sakon Infant laid therein is afterwards
J treated with great consideration as
I tho gift of the Christ child at the
blessed season.
The more playful customs of put.
j ting huts a ho? I for presents as Fronen
'. children do, of baskets which Ital.'aa
children make, of gift boxen and tb?
j tour of St. Nick prevail everywhere.
; Kvun in the tropics Christmas is ob
j served, as If the cold snow lay round
about. Mexico bus iniiny beautiful
customs, and Catholic countries nov
er forgot the feust of the Habe in tin*
Manger in church. ?
1* M. McCAULKY.
m
A MERRY CHRISTMAS
TO ALL FROM
m
J. E. Minter
m
Christmas Present for Father and Brother f
Tailored Suits $10.00, 12.50, 15.00, 20.00 and 25.00
Overcoats - ? 10.00, 12.50, 15.00 and 20.00
Hats . , - 1.50, 3.00, 4.00 and 5.00
Gloves - - 50c, 1.00 and 1.50
Ties ... - 25c, 50c and 75cts
Silk Socks - - 50cts
Linen Handkerchiefs - lOcts, 15ctsand 25cts
Mufflers - - 25cts, 50cts, 75cts and $1.00
Don't Forget
THE BOYS
Suitable Christmas Girfts for Ladies
I Fine Linen Handkerchiefs
Silk Scarfs
25 cent,, i |%^3*
SOcts, 1.00 and 2.50 I |
1.00, 3.50 and 5.00 | I
25cts and 50 cents | Iwt^y
1.00 to 2.50 I l&V^j
25cts and 50 cents f
Good Suits from*
$2.50 to $8.50
Overcoats from
$3.00 to $7.00
Purses
Belts
Umbrellas .
?; Fancy Ties
:; Belts Pines
I! Furs
;; Coat Suits
0ur Store is complete with good things for the Holidays. Just what you want for a Xmas Present ||?j?|:
j^jjji for each member of the family.
M
m
m
25cts and 50 cents
$3.00 to $15.00
$.5.uu io q>ia.uu t b5$??
$10.00 to $25.00 i; 1 f?iof
Come to us for your Christmas Goods. Wishing all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
m
m
rm
J. E. MINTER & BROTHER
la^vif mtx?kia;vj^M.???u u.V., >nutts