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About The Dillon Tribune (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941 | View This Issue
The Dillon Tribune (Dillon, Mont.), 19 Dec. 1924, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn85053040/1924-12-19/ed-1/seq-20/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
18 S t THE DILLON TRIBUNE, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1924. have become entangled in the meshes of a system of barter by which both parties are common ly losers,'they say, and these an nual riots of competitive extrav agance result in tremendous eco nomic waste. It is no uncom mon thing for the authors of tlie overdone Christmas to spend .so freely upon every Tom, Dick and Harriet of their acquain tance that it is the middle of March in-fore the last of their holiday hills is paid. Those who have tried the Pay- as-You-Go Christmas declare And tile angel said onto them, “Fear not; for bo- VioUA I bring you good tidings of great joy, which fhall be to all people. “For unto you is born this day In tho city of David, a Savior, which la Christ the Lord.\ This, this Is Christ tho King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing; Haste, hasto to bring him laud, Tho Babe, tho Son of Mary! By JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN Ill'S the announcement on the first Christmas day—an announcement that changed the calendar of the world and started anew the making of history. To day all the world knows the message and many of its peoples celebrate the day, with Its “good tidings of great joy.\ While the day is primarily one of religious significance, it has come In America to he a holiday of manifold activities. It is the children’s day. It Is tho family day. It Is the day of giving. It is the day of \Peace on earth, good will toward men.” It is the day of good will, of Jollity, of feasting. As the old saw has it: At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christina» comes but once a year. The one new tiling about our celebnH+fm of Christmas these days Is a revival of tluCshiging of Christmas carols—or rather the beginning of it in this country. It 1ms boon a feature of the Eng- Mlsh celebrution of the duy from time immemorial. Now we Americans are taking It up In earnest. The carol, “What Child Is Tills?\ outlines ,in its simple verses the whole story of tlie Christ, begin ning with tlie humble birth and concluding with the tragedy of the crucifixion. Tlie harmony has no musical intricacies and Is especially well suited to singing in the home. Who has not loved a little child, ho knows not Christmas day— The wondered, breathless waking through flr- sweot morning gray, White tropic forests on the pane against the dawn-streaked skies, The awe of faith unhesltant In lifted childish eyes; The spluttered, spicy, teasing Joy of kitchen- fragrance. sweet, \ The sting of frost upon his face, the snow-creak 'neath his feet; The swish of runners, song of bells, the laughing- echoed call From drifted hilltops, sparkling white; the blue sky folding all; . The holly-berried table top, the feasting and the fun, With Christmas ribbons strewing all until the day Is done; The hush of candle-lighting time, the hearth-flame flickered red, The warm -soft clasp of clinging hands up shad owed stairs to bed; The crib-side talk that slacks and stills on stumbled drowsy note, The love that stings behind your eyes, and catches In your throat; the tenderness, the Mary- knows not The hope, the fears, prayer you pray—- Who has not Jjrfved a little child, he Christmas day. _ So sings Martha Haskell Clark in Scribner’s Magazine. And she Is right, of course, since Christmas Is in many respects pre-eminently a children’s festival and is certainly their Day of Days. That’s why Clement Clarke Moore’s poem —wTitten for the entertainment of his own chil dren and made public by accident—is sure of im mortality; It has probably done more than any^ thing to keep the Christmas tradition of Santa Clans safe for American children. ” ’Twas the Night Before Christmas\ will be repeated until this earth grows cold and the end of things Is come. Yet Christmas day Ims Its dangers for tin- chil dren and I)r. Frank .1. Monaghan, health commis sioner of Now York, gives out these timely “Don'is\ for parents: Don't allow children to lln only partly dressed and In cold rooms on Christmas morning. Many colds can ho avoided by heeding tills warning. Don't roll tho children of their proper amount of sleep during tho holiday week. Don't overdress them with their new sweaters or furs just because It Is Christmas. Don't overtax tin tr stomachs with too many goodies, and cwpaolally with food they are not used to and that Is too rich. Don't fall to bo sensible during' the holidays, thus saving the children much discomfort of body and considerable mental distress to the mothers. That Christmas, aside from its religious signifi cance means much to the American people, is shown by the unolUclal estimate that 'they will spend considerably more than $.\> in gifts this year. Tills was tlie figure put on the expenditures of 1023. Tlie increase In 1P23 over 11)112, as shown by tho December business of tho ■ I’ost Office department, was 10 per cent in amount of first-class mail handled, and an increase of IS per cent In parcel post. Tho Increases ranged from 5 to 0 per cent In 37 widely scattered cities. Some of tlie Increases reported were: Dallas, Texas, 20 per cent in first class and 27.5 per cent In parcel post mail; Kansas City, 5 and 1!) per cent; Louisville, 10 and 18.5 per cent; Chicago, 8.3 and 5.7 per cent; Milwaukee, 12 and 18 per cent; St. Louis, 8 and 18 per cent. Yes, tlie postman is a busy man at tlie Christ mas season. Ills pack is big and heavy.- Hut lie should feel repaid, in a way, for ids extra work, for lie carries much joy Into many a household and lie Is one man who knows to a certaitity 'Hint tlie American people are prosperous, it was a meni- hor of tlie Letter Curriers’ union who made this statement last year: There Is no group of workers In the world bet ter qualified to give actual testimony as to the standards of living among tho workers of the United States than the lotter carriers. The city letter carriers enter every homo. AVo are In lntl- mnto contact with every phase pCthe daily life of our people. And through our experience I can bring to you the absolute testimony that the work-, ers of tho United States, In the three great essen tials of life which are food and clothing and shel ter, are far hotter off now than ever before. Out of tills situation lias grown tlie Spugs—So ciety for tlie Prevention of Useless Giving—and many somewhat similar organizations. They speak strongly against tlie “.degradation of Christmas.\ Charlotte Perkins Gilman, for example, said In tlie Century Magazine that tlie descent from Jesus to Salnta Claus was one of tlie saddest in tlie his tory of mythology and that the cause of our gross observance of the sacred day Is our substitution j j f o r tne gracious and loving Teacher, the lover of ^\hll humanity, of this chimney-climbing distribu tor of presents, Santn Onus. In no other re ligion, she tells us, has there been so lovely n ’ vision as that presented by Christianity in its be ginnings—\divine love coming on earth ns a baby, a little child, that child growing up to teach of liumnn unity, of God In man, of worship In love and-service. It Is more than fitting that such a birthday should come to lie 'the children’s festi val.” ’ , But pre-Christian origins of the annual celebration have come to dominate It. Santa . Claus has replaced the memory of Christ. prevalent Idea of celebrating Christmas in our country, we are told, “is roast turkey and a Christmas tree, a banquet and the giving and re ceiving of presents.” The “Piy-as-You-Go Christmas” movement Is now under full headway. Its advocates hold that old-fashioned Christmas giving, the original pur pose of which was to Impress upon children the significance of the day, has degenerated Into pro miscuous Christmas trading. Unconsciously we Csi/'W oïsr/*>*••■»» **«*' ¿ r Grandma’s Christmas By Frank Herbert Sweel I V', 1 n2 I, Western Newspaper Union. ) D O N ’ T k n o w , ” s i g h e d g c n 1 1 0 Grandma Hurke. ‘T thought I was doin’ right In sell .the farm an’ tiring tlie children to town for school an' so ci al advantage'-); shows an’ dancin’— ©/boto 6y V that they will never again have any other kind. Their system Is to pay cash for every gift that they buy. As a result they make fewer purchases; but they have no hills. The substitution of tIn* Pay- as-You-Go Christinas works hardship to no one. It means w iser and more liberal expenditure within the Immediate home circle and greater generosity toward tin1 really needy and unfortunate. The merchant will not suffer by It, for his customers will buy more in January and Eel -nary. Christmas day has its humorous side of course nnd 1 Ho wits lire always taking their flings at the side-lights it throws on human nature. For ex- - ample, George E. I’hair, in the Chicago llorald and Examiner, very aptly sings; ’Tls tho day after Christmas nnd all through tho loop Th ' womenfolk hurry and scurry nnd swoop. They come by tho dozens, they come by tho scores, And boldly (hey bump their way Into tho stores. And they hatter the line like the famous \Bed\ 'Grange And each has an armful of gifts to exchango. And \Jtiq who -conducts a “eolyum\ In tho Chicago Evening Dost, liils off tlie day pretty suc cessfully with this (with a bow to Carl Sand burg) : This Is our prickly green wreath of holly tied with a how of scarlet ribbon. This Is our sprig of green mistletoe with tho white berries and their love message. Tills Is our full-page’advertisement in all the Sun day papers In old English typo hoping for a, continuance of your trade Thru the next ns , thru the last year that Is dying with Its “ • hoots on. This Is our water-color Xmas card with engraved sentiments to your wife and you from my . wife ■ nnd me. This Is our dawn-shivering ring at your front-door hell as tho boy hands yoii your newspaper and you blink fn pajamas and slippers and slip him a dollar. This Is our office hulldlng elevator with Its fes toons of frizzy green nnd red, .crepe paper and a box with a coin-wide slit In it. This Is our same to you nnd many of them of the package-laden commuter friend on tho Christ mas eve train to the snow-covered suburbs. This Is all thesfe, and then some. This Is the glail laughter of the tously-hatred lit tle hoy plwylng with his electric train of cars on the mooting of the Christ child, and you are the glad\boy's father and mother and sis ter and btoiifier and friend who gave him the electric trhln of cars. And he runs up and kisses you, and wishes you A Merry ChrlstTnas. In comparison with Hu^rtTigious ami economic significance of Sli&st«Tast|le the Christmas din ner may seem to many a /naterlallstic affair, un worthy of more than cnetfnl mention. But is It? It Is not. Long before Christmas day our mouths are watering from its eats. Humans and human nature are built that way. Nature—which is to say, Providence—has given us many material Joys nnd not the leas.t among them is the delight of satisfying a healthy appetite with appetizing food skillfully cooked. And the Christmas turkey— oh, wlint's the use* And In a very true sense the Christmas feast Is the crowning touch of Christmas day. For Christmas day Is the.; family celebration of the year. And the family, at its'best—and it is sure ly at its best at Christmas—is the outward and visible sign of the Inward and spiritual graces of kindness, chnrlty, gentleness, forgiveness, tol eration, good will, unselfishness, the desire to give joy to others—in short nil the qualities which are best in human nature and on which rest the hopes of mankind for the future. hut with 1 1 i(■uci l I don't know.\ She (‘leaned her wrinkled and capn- (de hands fnnn the dough and turned ( 0 sec I hat Hie fire and kettle of melt ed lard were just right. They were. Then with deft, experienced lingers she began to drop twisted hils of dough Into tlie hot lard, which in a few min utes changed them to crisp doughnuts. “Such appetites,” she nodded to her self happily. \Sue an’ Kate an’ May arc always just ns hungry .ns Tom an’ Win, or even big Sam who’s grown up an’ steadied down to regular work. Five will rush in from School, an’ Sam later, an’ all will grab up doughnuts. An’ how they will cat!” She giggled reminiscently. \I do wish daughter Nell could have lived to see ’em grow up so, even May fourteen, an’ her twin Win almost ns big’s ids brother. Nell would have doin' better by ’em, of course, but I’ve done my best.\ The outer door was flung open nnd n rush of many feet crowded into the hall. Grandma looked up expectantly. Hut the feet stopped at the parlor door, and a subdued hubbub of volcees arose. Grandma sighed ngaln, nnd bent lower over her work. “Thom flutter- budgets, Hose an’ Jenny, from across the way, an’ Tom’s chum, Andy Smith. Piannin’ nnothor dance, likely. I won der if any one of ’em remembers to morrow’s Christmas? I do wish the tint ter—” Grandma cut off what she wished by closing her lips tightly. But only for a minute, then her thoughts went on in a different key. “I won’t be a crosspafeh tlie day before Christ mas,” the moving lips emphasized the change of thought. “They’re just bubblin’, healthy children, an* Sam’s already quieted down from n lively boy, an’ the others will in time, an’ Hose an’ Jenny an’ Andy arc flutter- ers Just because they can’t hold In. ratin’, an’ ain’t give a thought to Christmas cornin’. I wish—no, they’re just high-spirited young folks maltin' ready for a good time. That’s all.\ Hut In spite of herself there was a shadow on Grandma’s face tlie rest of the day. She had hoped for a big surprise Christmas dinner, all to themselves, with no Intruders. She mixed and linked until after midnight, then slipped through the side door to her room. She was awakened by a slight step. “W-li-y, Grandma,” reproved the merry voice of Kate. “Niue o’clock! and you’re still in bed. Not 111, are you?” wl,th a sudden note of anxiety. \No apologized Grandma—“just overslept.” “All right. Merry Christinas! And come right into the hall when you’re dressed. You may look now.” Grandma rose hurriedly. She heard the void's of Hose and Jenny Cady, and even Ed’s. \Not even a family Christmas to gether,” her thought deplored. “And lien' so early means a lot mere livin' for tho dance. I’d like—for ’em to have a nice time, of course,” tlie thought finished loyally, “Young folks need pleasure.\ A h she opened the door to tlie ball there came lmv strains of music. Grandma looked startled for a mo ment, tlion a soft Hush of pleased sur prise enme to her face. It was a Christmas hymn they had been accus- \I Won’t Be a Crosspatch the Day Be fore Christmas.\ The hall door opened softly, and a fuzzy head and snapping eyes ap peared. It was Rose Cady. “What , does my nose smell?\ she questioned, sniffing. “It tells me I’m hungry. May I come In?” “Of course, dear.” Rose shot in, one hand outstretched. “May I?” she begged. “All you can carry,” beamed Grand ma. \They’re just right to eat now,\ while hot. I wonder, why the chil dren—’ • The key turned, and a few moment» later the sound of strained and heavy steps passed through the front door way and Into the parlor. “Gettln* ready for a'dance, an* that’s the Smith music box they’re bringin’ to- Likely tbey’reo p - t o a lot o’ deco- A Christmas Hymn They Had Been Accustomed to Sing. tomed to sing at home when she was a girl, and she had carried It on with her grandchildren. But aim never had heard It In music. In her eagerness she stepped to the parlor doorway, which was almost hid den In greenery. Suddenly two pairs of arms were Inclosing her neck, nnd one pair belonged to Hose. Other arms were reaching for her; and be yond, hesitating Sam, who was too big to kiss anybody, lifted Ids arms. “Why—why, my dears,\ murmured Grandma, looking bewildered. ‘Look up,\ laughed Sue. Grandma did, and there was a huge bunch of mistletoe over the door. “Lead the queen to her throne and render homage,” ordered Kate. There was a raised chair decorated with holly nnd mistletoe, near ono side of the fireplace. Grandma was con ducted to It deferentially, then the ushers sank to their knees with grave faces but snapping eyes. “Hall to the queen of love nnd the kitchen,” they chanted, and Jenny added, “including crl/sp doughnuts,” “Oh, my dears—my dears,” softly. “Now for the distribution of pres ents,” . cried May, springing up. Grandma had noticed rotund stock ings along the fireplace, with an extra large one near her end, and sundry packages on the floor underneath. The big stocking was laid on her lap, and packages began to follow. She recognized things she had wished, and books she had mentioned a desire to read. For Grandma, In spite of her perfect housekeeping, loved to read. \I—I thought it was for a dance,” she faltered, her hands caressing the gifts. \O-o-oh Grandma I” The ideal On this day I It’s for all of us, but most ly you.” Rose and Jenny were dancing about, as pleased as any of the ..family. Grandma’s tremulous hands reached out and drew them close. “Ydu must stay with us all day, dears,” she urged happily—“and Bill, too. There's plenty an’ te spare cooked. Christmas has began so won derful that yon most help os carry U tbroogb.\ •< ■ - - * ,
