The Exeter Advocate, 1923-12-20, Page 6Different"
Christthas
l LYDIA LION ROBERTS.
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"Weil, my dear family," said. Ro
alio cheerfully, "Cleristmass: ie-" sh
paused.
"Corning! groaned a chorus
voices around her,
"Therefore,'"' continued Rosalie with
a reproving glance at her family, "thi
Christmas which is coming must be
different!"
It was a Sunday evening in Decem-
ber. . n& aenton family had been to
church and was now gathered in the.
big living -room, talking and listening
to Rosalie as she played dreamy, rest-
ful chords on the piano. The married
sister, Alice, and her husband, Jack,
had come over from their home on the
next street, and Nan, the college girl,
was spending the week -end at home,
The fourteen -year-old son, Clarke, had
just filled his hands and pockets with
refreshments, and sprawled on the
bearskin rug, was finishing an ad-
venture yarn,
Father Benton leaned his shaggy
gray head back in his old Morris chair,
his blue eyes twinkling as he listened
to his lively family. "Say on," he
urged, surveying his youngest Baugh -
ter with quiet pride as he watched her
earnest brown eyes, and vivid, eager
face.
Rosalie nodded gayly to him, sure of
his understanding, and continued:
"Just think; we groan because Christ-
mas is coming, and shout relief when
it is gone. Isn't that rather awful
when you think of the meaning of
Christmas?"
"Any remedy?" asked Jack, who
was the kind of a brother-in-law that
fitted snugly into the family circle.
"Yes," promptly replied Rosalie.
"Christmas should be a satisfying of
those little dear desires and fancies
eve all have tucked away in our hearts
and are so ashamed to show. If we
did that, it would make lots of fun and
riot be a burden either."
"I believe I Itow what Rosalie
means," suddenly laughed Alice, "I
,like things in half -dozens. I would
get a half-dozen at a time of almost
everything I buy if I could afford it
Zt is silly, I realize, but it is true. I
had rather have six medium quality
handkerchiefs than one very nice one,
that isn't a bit correct, but I have
elways felt that way."
"There," triumphantly cried her
sister, "that is just what I mean.,,
"Pll give you six toothpicks," ,offer -
ad Jack.
"Here we are," laughed Rosalie, her
{:peeks hushed with the fun and ban-
ter and her dark hair rumpled above
her shining eyes, "an average Can-
adian family, the bulwark of the na-
#Ion, so the statesmen say—"
"Speech! Speech!" cried Father
Benton waving a sandwich at her.
"And yet we are ashamed to show
dur desires and dreams that go to
make up our most precious possession,
our own individuality. Why shouldn't
Alice have six hankies if she wants
them? Let's all confess and then have
Some fun for Christmas, instead of
wondering and worrying what on h
earth to give, thereby wrinkling our •
dispositions."
"Very good," approved Mother Ben- h
ton who was rocking contentedly in
front of the fireplace. an
"All right, I dare you," briskly said I
Jack. "I don't like neckties for a D
Christmas present, but I would like the
!money to go on a real necktie spree en
all by myself. Also," and he sighed
plaintively, "I adore chocolates—but co
'who ever heard of such a silly man?"
His pathetic expression made them
laugh a,nd then Nan said thought-
fully: "If we had plenty of money we
might buy such things for ourselves,
but every one of us is saving for some-
hing bigger and better and so we
ave to count our pennies. I think it
a nice idea, Rose."
"Christmas certainly should be a
time to help people realize their little
dreams," smiled Alice.
"Very well," replied Rosalie, "we
will have a: Benton Box Benefit for
Christmas."
"Sounds good, what is it?" smiled
her father.
"Let's take each one's special likes
land longings and make up a whole Ch
box of them, as. fancy or jokey or
aretty .as possible. We will decide
mong ourselves on some one subject
for each one when that one is absent,
and then we -will ' all know what to
buy."
"I need a regular tool -box,"' an-
nounced Clarke raising his tousled
head from the rug.. "That kid one of I be
nine is no good. Club together and get: ot some tools and a box and some op
wood, that's what I have to say!" B.
"Use your head, sonny," suggested of
Jack softly, and ducked the paper ch
Clarke flung"at him. Th
"Rosalie is the musical one, and ir.
Nan is the college one, and Alice is ba
the half-dozen one," murmuredI' d
mother, "and Clarke---" r,;
"Stop, mother, you'll be giving all ve
'ports of secrets away," warned Rosalie co
I�{{uickly. "What about yourself of
though?" in
"Well," hesitated Mother Benton du
ternoothing her white apron, "as long, fo
as we are talking about foolish tillage, hel
and it isn't expensive—I really' don't'
need it, but --well, ,'there if you must
know, I am 'very fond'' of .Japanese
things, only'I never could indulge; my
Whims, Your ideas are attractive,
but you must tetn'ember that anything
bxpensive ie forbidden."
"That's ,fine," teased• father,. as het tic
rose to say good -night, 9'UU have, two in
s=" tlozenebooke, ars •ani;omobile, and scene
e
big leather chairs; piease. Nothing ex-
pensive, y'ou understand, just a trifle."
of "Yes, we'll order' them all right
away and put thein. in your box," as-
sured Rosalie in the'same gay spirit.
s "You deserve every one of them. What
do you really want, daddy? You're
dreadfully hard .to give presents to;.
you never seem to need anything."
"Yes I do,"protested father, "I
really do, girls. I need some shoe-
strings badly. Give me a box of shoe
strings and save= me biting my tongue
every time mine break," and he went
upstairs chuckling at their disgusted
looks.
"Such a dad," smiled Rosalie, as.the
young folks settled for a last few min-
utes' chat. "He never gets a thing
for himself, and he doesn't want us to
spend anything on him. He never gets
much for Christmas but a few hand-
kerchiefs and some neckties. He will
not tell us any of his dreams, and says
his family is the best thing he could
have."
"Yes," added Nan, waving her hand
and mocking her father's jelly tone,
"spend your money for your pretty
trinkets, girls, don't waste it on an old
codger like me.' "
"He's the best dad there ever was,
,1
Said Alice, "He always tells Jack and
me: 'Now you young nest builders
save your money to make the nest
cozy, and put a ,vay my gift money
for the nestlings.' "
"It's about time - we got even with
him," frowned Rosalie as she thought-
fully gazed into the firelight.
At last, after days of whispered
consultations, of hiding mysterious
packages, of smothered giggles and
happy plans, it was Christmas morn-
ing. The Benton family had filled a
box for an unfortunate family, had
made toys for some sick children,
taken part in the church concert and
had a Christmas tree for some little
tots who lived near them. Therefore,
they woke with that glad, thrilly feel-
ing so indispensable to Christmas Day.
"Box Benefit after breakfast," Rose',
alie called as she hurried to the kit-
chen to help her another.
A little later she drew back the
curtains and let the family file into
the living -room where the sunlight
danced on the red and gold decorations
and the tree sparkled and twinkled
like a loving and joyous spirit all
over. Across one corner was a big
placard which read, "The Bright Ben -
ton's Boxed Christmas," and under-
neath was a pile of boxes big and
small.
"Mother first" decided Rosalie, so
Jack brought a large box to her wrap-
ped in matting with labels of Japan
over it. Mother actually blushed with
delight as she found the kimono from
father, the picture of the sacred moun-
tain, the tray with iris decoration,
Japanese silk for a waist, and a book
of quaint stories about Japan.
"You bad children," she said softly
with tears shining brightly in her
appy eyes, "you shouldn't have done
It, but it is very sweet,"
Already Nan was exclaiming over
her shirt -waist box which Jack and
Clarke had made for her college room
d had lined with the delft blue she
iked best A Dutch flower scene, odd
elft dishes for fudge parties and a
table -cover, with quaint Dutch maid-
s strolling around the edge, showed
that some of her fancies had been dis-
vered and gratified.
A deep groan made them all turn
hastily and look at Jack. He was
curled up on the floor against a chair,
hugging his brown collar -box in one
arm and waving an envelope with his
0
m
a
th
a
on
au
ther hand. "I am overcome," he
caned in mock faintiness. "Think of
measly little envelope hiding such
rills. A bill that is big enough for
mighty necktie hunt and an order
a store for a scarf -pin."
"What have you got behind you?"
ddenly asked Clarke.
"Go away, little one," loftily replied
Jack, shoving something out of sight,
but the family' gave him no peace until
he sheepishly produced several boxes
of fudge and chocolates. "Let's have
ristmas every month," he beaming;
ly suggested.
"0 boy!" shouted Clarke a moment
later. "Some tool -box this family has
donated me, and plenty of good wood
ready to work on. Hurry up with the
other presents, I . want to go ;'down
cellar."
Alice leaned against the piano and ,
gan to laugh so heartily that the
tlhers turned to'look at her as ,she
erred the long- package ,that. Father
Be handed her. Out came" a set
six hollow building-blocks such as
ildree use, and each held a package.
ere were six postagestamps, six
on -holders, six handkerchiefs, six
rs of chocolate, and six bright- heli-
ollars, The paper around the money
ad, "'.t{o be spent in answering ad-
rtisements," for Rosalie had dis-
vered that Alice loved . to get. some
the things' so attractively displayed
magazine pages, bet • would not in,
Ige herself, In, the biggest lox -she
and an envelope from Jack which
d money and .said,; "For my self-
deiying wife -to' buy six pairs .-of .;
gloves • at; one time." As she looked
up Jack smiled at her. apd whispered,I
"Let's go on our-sprees'together,,'
"Mine is .a :music -lox," laughed
Rosalie happily and held up a; silk
pera hag;` uew ;pieces c', .music; and .
lodes ,dor, s �veral: cor.:erts in -the coma!
g year. `fWhat' Creats°I, have in stork'
for my music -loving ears. My lessons
are costing so much I .didn't suppose
I could go to such wonderful concerts."
"I'm next, pass up forward piease,"
called father, who had insisted on be-
ing the last.
"We got you just a little joke,
daddy," Rosalie said, coming over to
him with her hands behied her. "You
never seem to want us to' spend any
money on you."
"I should say not," agreed father,
taking the tiny box from her hand, "I
like a good joke about as well as any-
thing, and you girls need pretty things
and must not spend any of your money
on an old fellow like me. Well, well,
that's pretty good," and chuckling and
twinkling he pulled out of the small
box an auto, several dozen books and
two leather chairs—all little pictures
cut from magazines,
"I got everything I asked for," he
grinned broadly.
"Did you look under the tissue -
paper?" asked Rosalie, "maybe the
shoe -strings are under there."
"Is there' another joke on me?" and
father wonderingly took out a thin flat
parcel from the bottom of the box. The
family crowded around as he opened
the paper. "What's this!"—anal he
stared in amazement at a cheque for
a generous amount and a slip which
read, "For the Big, Bouncing Better
Chair Father has dreamed of having,
with enough left over for Bully
Books."
For once Father Benton was speech-
less. He coughed, then he choked, then
he blew a resounding blast into his
handkerchief. Finally he cleared his
throat and turned to mother. • "You
told," he said reproachfully.
"I did," mother placidly answered.
"They kept coming to me and asking
what you wanted, and I told them
your Morris chair was all worn out
and lumpy, and you had wanted a big
leather chair ever since they were lit-
tle tots. Rosalie said that when a
man had wanted something for twenty
years it was time he got it."
"Especially a man like our dad,"
murmured Rosalie.
"What's the matter with dad?"
shouted Clarke who was grinning on
the edge of the circle.
"He's all right!" shouted the family
in unison and they gently and firmIe
led Father Benton to a chair and
choked his protests with loving hands
and bear hugs until he promised to. go
down town the next day on a shopping
trip of his awn.
Inspiration.
There is nothing too high to aspire to,
0 woman, a -thrill with your dreams,
There is nothing too great to require
you
To further creation, it seems.
The man may go faithless and fearful,
With doubts what the future may
hold;
But woman is right to .,e cheerful,
Adventurous, hopeful and bold.
At Christmas turn over the pages
To the story so tenderly true --
The dear little Son of the Ages
Was born of a woman like you.
—Clare Shipman:
Christmas carols are really the old-
est hymns of the Christian Church.
"Carol" is from the Latin "cantare,"
'to sing, and "rola," a joyful inter-
jection.
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Christmas Music Fills.
-the Night.
A Christm'as -carol, to the Mane "St.
Kevin," by Sir Arthur Sullivan,
Chrietnias music fills the night,
Christmas stars are gleaming,
Souls .in darkness hail the light
From a manger streaming.
Though the inn is full, the beast
Greets the world's sweet leaven;
Bethlehem, thou art not least,
Thine the Bread from, Heaven.
Dark and silent was tide' land
Where the shepherds guarded,
Till there shone the Angel -band,
And their hearts. rewarded,
Chant so lovely sang they then,
We too hear with gladness—
"Peace on earth, - good will toward
men,"
Jesus ends your sadness.
If the shepherds leave the sheep,
Who will. watch and .tend them?
Faithful guardians must not sleep,
EIse the wolf will rend them!
Yet the angel bids them go,
Seek the sign so lowly; -
He will keep their flocks,, they know,
Shepherd bright and holy.
When they found the Child of God,
AU that heard it wondered;
But these things, made known abroad,
Mary kept and pondered.
Babe of Christmas, grant us part
In their adoration,
And the grace that filled her heart—
Raptured contemplation.
Why shouldst Thou have blessed us so,
Sought the love of mortals,
Coming down to earth below,
Far from Heaven's portals?
Dost Thou know, 0 Saviour dear,
How this world will scorn Thee?
Men will hate Thee,. though they fea
Thy poor Mother riourn Thee!
Can it be Thou still 'wilt stay,
Shrinking not from danger?
Can we too see Thee this day,
In the holy Manger?
0 for all Thy tender love,
Happy is our singing,
Hymns to poin the Hosts above,
Bells of Christmas ringing.
—Eliot White.
' The Horse Factory.
Betty, taken to the country fo
Christmas, had been having a ru
round the village.
She saw many things that . we
strange to her, but a passing glimps
of the blacksmith's shop filled her wi
wonder.
When she got back to the cottag
she burst into the parlor in a state o
great excitement.
"Daddy," she said, "I've just seen a
man who makes horses!" ,
"Nonsense," said daddy "-you've
made a mistake."
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T SUNDAY Sd OL LLQ
DECEMBER 23
The Universal Reis of Christ—Christmas Lesson--Isaial '
9: 6, 7; 11: 1-10; Psalm- 2: 1-12. Golden Text—Ask
of me, and I shall give the the- heathen for thine ,inherit-
ance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy' pos.
session. --Psalm 2: 8.
LessoN saerriNc--In the last few, to finish his work." There': are no
lessons we have been following the.] motives in his heart. ` He has
growth of the missionary spirit and one. . supreme motive: ' He shall not
the extension of missionary operations
in the early Christian church. In prin-
ciple it became universal, and in op-
eration it became everywhere age
gressive, In our lesson to -day we turn
judge after the siglct'of,.his eyes. The
Messiah is to see the unseen fact and
hear the unuttered reason that are all
important in .true, judgment, With.
righteoicsness, the poor . , and smite
back to the pages of the Old Testa- the. earth with the rod .of his mouth.
ment, where the propshet gives us a
For the poor he , shall speak. justice,
vivid picture of the Messiah and the but he shall smite: the wrciced of the
manifest results of his reign,
I. THE CHARACTER OF THE MESSIAH,
ISA. 11: 1-5.
earth with words as with e rod.
II. THE cerei,RACTret OF. THE MESSIAH'S
anxaw, ISA. 11: 6-10; PS. 2': 8.'
Vs. 6, 7. The wolf also shall dwelt
with the lamb. The pro'phet's; vision
Vs. 1, 2, There shall come forth a
rod. Widen Assyria falls it falls like does not end with a regenerated so -
a cedar of Lebanon which sends no ciety. He sees a new spirit in the and,
fresh sprout from its broken stump,' mal kingdom, just as other, prophets
but Judea is like an oak which, though see nature itself at its best when man
hewn to the stump, sends forth new is at his best. There is first to be
growth. A shoot shall spring from the ' peace among the beasts themselves.
stock, and a fruit -bearing branch shall The savage beast of prey that lives on
grow from the root. When Christ was the weaker, is a companion with the
born we see how low the fortunes of herb and grass -eating animal. 1. little
God's people had fallen, and from 'child shall lead them, George Adam
what we know of the earthly circum- Smith -calls attention to the dread of
stances of Joseph and Mary, we see the ancient people in regard' to the
how humble had become the circum- wild beast. They were a real menace.
stances of the family of Jesse and Nevertheless the prophet looks for
David. The'spirit of the Lord shall- reconciliation and not for externuna-
rest upon him. The spiritual endow- tion.
ment of the Messiah is to be in mark -1 Vs. 8-10. The lion shall eat straw
ed contrast to his material circum with the ox. Nature is to be no longer
stances, The sprit o wisdom and red in tooth and claw• The fierce spirit
understanding. The fruit of the Spirit of man and beast is to pass eway.
which rested upon the Messiah is now Isaiah sees the possibility of co -opera -
described in a threefold way. First, tion of the whole of life. Peace and
he has wisdom and understanding, or harmony is'the deepest truth of life.
what we might call insight, and fore- The suckling child shall play . . asp.
sight. He sees through, and sees be- The spirit of peace extends even to
neath, and sees beyond.The spirit of the creeping things that sting and
counsel and might. Second, he has the poison. We may Interpret the dwell -
spirit of action. He acts with wisdom ing of the wolf with the lamb in a
and power. He has "moral decision figurative sense as applying to human -
and heroic energy." The spirit of ity. Then it means the subduing of
knowledge and of the 'ear of the Lord. all the fierce and selfish instincts bee
Hiswisdom and action spring from a tween man and man. The earth shall
✓ knowledge of, and reverence for, the be full of the knowledge of the Lord.
n will of God. It -was a divine program Isaiah believes in the reformation or
for human need that he carried out, ! transformation of the world, not by
Vs. 3-6. Shall make him of quick organization, but by inspiration. A
re understanding; translate rather, "And • peace -filled earth comes in'a God-
o he shall draw breath in the fear of the filled earth. It is the advent of Christ
th Lord." Love of God is to be the very to the human heart that alone will do
atmosphere of his soul. Jesus ex- this. To it shall the Gentiles seek..
o pressed the same truth,—"My meat is The prophet sees the Gentile world
to do the will of him that sent me, and flocking to Christ.
An Ideal Christmas
"No, I haven't," she persisted. "I By Kather
saw him. He had one nearly finished. Just a year ago I was invited into a
He was just nailing on its back feet." neighbor's house "to see the children's
Christmas" and went under the mis-
taken impression that it would be a
pleasurable experience. It wasn't. To
old Bert received a Christmas box see what should have been the crown -
from farmer Bull. This was for drive ing occasion of the year to this chile
ing a cow half a mile to pasture twice dren turned into a confused complex -
a day.
He was just as happy as a boy
could be, for he could spend the money
Interest in His Work.
It was Christmas Day, and six-year=
i_ty of excitement was a positive grief.
The room was small, the too large
tree was decorated in a most hap -
Just as he pleased. hazard and inartistic way; yards of
That night he came home cracking clot i on which Santa Claus pictures
a whip, and his mother exclaimed: had been printed for the Christmas
"Bort, did you spend your Christ- trade were stretched along the wales;
mas box on that whip?" various paper bells, wreaths and fes -
"Yes, I bought it off one of the farm toons were hung on available pieces
hands," Bert replied proudly. "you of furniture, and a profusion of rifts
can't expect a fellow to work if he
don't have the tools to work with,"
ti
People born on Christmas Day are,
according to an .old superstition,
lucky all their lives.
Pictures of robins, holly, and so
came into use on Ch`ristrhas cards
1862. .
on
in
littered the floor, chairs and tables. I
took stock of these as I gaged, sup-
posedly spell -bound with interest and
delight. I saw at once that quantity,
not quality, had been the dominant
idea and that a group of grown people
had been enjoying themselves with
little consideration of the children's
real needs or desires.
- There were breakable dolls in im-
HOW BLESSED ARE THE YEARS OF PEACE
THAT FOLLOW WAR'S LONG • STRAIN,
HOW SURELY DOES THEIR PASSING HEAL
'THE HEART STRINGS TORN WITH PAIN,
UNTIL THE BURDEN OF OUR GRIEF
FOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED,
IS LIGHTENED BY THE MEMORIES
s THAT COME WITH ,CHRISTMAS 'TIDO,
rr"
FOR THEIR DEAR SAKES WE LOVED AND LOST
IN SILENCE LET US STAND,
FOR ONE BRIEF MOMENT,.WHILE WE PLEDGE
TO THIS BELOVED LAND,
A FAITH"A3 STEADFAST AND AS DEEP
AS `THEIRS WHO DIED THAT WE,
MIGHT KNOW THROUGH ALL THE YEARS TO COME
,s;
THE JOY OF LIBERTY:
ine Beebe
practicable pinks and blues; there
were numberless toys having. neither
play value nor educational content. •"
Handkerchiefs, hair ribbons, dish tow-
els, socks and neckties had all been
given a part in the scheme of decor a,
tions. It was chaos conte again and
the children seemed fairly bewildered
with excitement.
In contrast to this reckless festival
it is a joy to recall the Christmas
which stands out in my experience of
many as the one most nearly ap-
proaching the ideal. -
On the twenty-fourth a small tree
had been beautifully trimmed in white
and silver by mother and children to-
gether. Father was the one who was
to receive"the traditional shock of sine
prise in this case. The living room
was made lovely and fragrant with
boughs of Norway spruce and as five
o'clock drew near all was in order and
the tree lighted for a Christmas greet-
ing to passer-by. Then the whole fam-
ily went to a "Candlelight Service" in
a nearby church, stopping on the way
home to see a wonderful creche set
up with loving thought and care by
a friend and neighbor. After dinner
there were Christmas stories, Christ
mas songs and Christmas music on
the victrola, and then came, bedtime
with its excitements and anticipations
and the hanging of the stockings.
In the early morning Father. slip-
ped quietly downstairs while the rest
of us waited for the music which was
the signal that all was ready. ' Then,
not with. a rush,. b,ut with deliberate
intention not to Iose a single thrill, we
descended the staircase together. On
the landing it burst upon us, and Oh,
the beauty of it all! There was our
tree, sparkling and beautiful" in .the
firelight which filled the room! .There
were the stockings,' bulging! Therein
the chosen' places were the gifts! And
what were these? For each child one
special 'and long -desired. treasure, an
electric train, a sled, a tricycle, books,
three games full of promise of .future
fun, and for the- use of the. children
together a box of the biggest blocks
that could be found: In each stocking
was a' lovely cornucopia. full. of good -
es, candies, nuts and raisins, while
under these were,»several little: toys
chosen as jokes or for the foolishness
without which:there can be no re2$'
Christmas in . this. family. "' The' chil-
dren's efts to Father and Mother and;
heirs to each other were.', given at the
reakfas-t table, a time-honored cus-
The aftermath'_' of this Christmas '
was' a matter of great interest to the '-
ortunate guest. By fear o'clock in
the afternoon the neighborhood' chil-.
ren began to drop in until there were
t least a --dozen df. thein,; one of • whom • ,
onfided to me that "at ; Christmas
time - the B— children always got.
resents you could do things with."
ndeed for weeks -afterwards the house
f `iny friend was "a rendezvous` for
that compellinij, reason.: Surely this
as an ideal Christmas '
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