Putnam County herald., December 24, 1914, Image 4

About Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922

Image provided by: University of Tennessee

                
HE SW OF DAY
Christmas Giving Should ' Bi
Prompted by the Heart.
Religion In the Orthodox Sens Not
Necessary to Appreciate Finer
Qualities of Great Christian
Holiday. .
By PRUDENCE 8TANDI8H.
rjNCE more the Cbristmastlda
I and Its beautiful meaning ia
win me wona. Again we
shepherds, watching their
flocks ' by night, are sore
afraid at the glory which shines about
thw. Clothed In blinding light, the
ail e speaks; the heavenly host that
e&wds suddenly about him sing of
glfty In the highest and peace and
gdud will. The wise men who have
egg his star in the Bast, kneel and
spread their gifts of gold and myrrh
antT frankincense without question..
Tbe miracle of 2,000 years ago la
atUJ ''new and glad' and lovely, for,
ioVJa all Christendom bells peal and
,awJt choirs sing the message given
by the blinding angel and the crowd
ing host: '
y Jot behold I bring you tidings of
arJit Joy which shall be to all people.
Olpyy to Ood In the highest, and on
An ti via am a yrnA will fsvnrCkti man "
S peace,
Is 1b the
de, yet '
the message of the Christ-
the bigger half of Chris
tendom makes the period the pagan
fcwval it once was at the Jime of
the winter solstice. We give gifts,
for sake of the gods of custom and
aaarriment, forgetting entirely that
are for sake of the great spiritual
"which shall .be to all people."
The gold and myrrh and frankincense
of the heart are withheld we give
gi0s because we've got to, and keep
tr hearts as much closed to the
dbdstmas child as was the inn. We
kaVe our own selfish ends to gain, the
Mch patron to cater to, the friend to
appease. . We heap little children with
tfaxEling toys, and light the starry
eafips of their fir trees because It is
she fashion, and we do our small
Christmas charities because It would
e"m mean not to do them.
Ja have forgotten the Joyous and
itfJme meaning of Christmas. One
does not need to be religious in the
orthodox sense to appreciate the finer
quality of this great festival, for what
to 'known as Christian feeling has
(ome to be a moral obligation at this
time a point of etiquette, in truth,
tor the heart and mind.
, It point of mere etiquette what
she social world thinks on the sub
ject of Christmas gift giving it is
thought bad taste for a person of mod
est means to give presents of value
to others of wealth and influence, for
this savors too much like currying to
continued favor if the giver Is already
under obligations. But some knowl
edge of the helpful friend's existence
to necessary, and this, may take the
form of a pretty Christmas cord with
an appropriate greeting; or a knot, of
Cowers or winter berries may be sent
with a note expressing warm Christ
mas wishes.
That the servant who has given her
bodily strength ard heart's best Inter
est to the home must not be forgot
ten, goes without saying; but It is
certainly bad form to make the poor
servitor's gift an inexpensive trifle
when something: better can be afford- '
Then what a woeful want of taste
It shews for us to defer buying a
friend's or sister's present until we
have found out what she means to
give us, and so make the exchange a
,fuld pro quo. The gift that goes to
friend or relative is above all one for
1ev.e, and it is undoubtedly better
taste for the recipient of the simpler
gift In the exchange to appear as
leased as if she had received some-'
thing ten times its value.
Bat, then, what matters the nature
f the gift after all? The spirit Is
the thing and does not this silly pic
ture or cushion, so unbecoming to the
arler, mean that the friend or sister
V
for the little children, so much
, are their feelings painfully strained
at this time that I would like to write
a book on the subject. I beg every
siother not to threaten the poor little
heart that misbehaves sometimes with
fee eternal word that "Santa Claus
won't come if you do that any more."
The dear kiddie who forgets to be
food knows better after a year or two
f this harrowing threat, which makes
yon out a story teller. Meanwhile,
Share is the little heart staying awake
at night with its dreadful anxieties;
tpwse are the sudden storms of bitter
tears, with all the glory of Christmas
txink In the bottomless pit of absolute
ewrenees that Santy dear, abused,
gorfA. old fat gentleman wont come.
SVo.remember the poor and drop a
few pennies gladly for the blind chil
dren. put, why do we do itwhy? It is
because a wide, sweet star has stopped
vef a stable in the far Bast, because
the church choirs are singing of
eaco on earth and good will toward
men. '
Be let us never lose sight of that
apct with our gifts, whether our hands
lender or receive them ; for the heart
I6sed to the deeper significance of
Qlrlstmas may truly be likened to
the Inn that held no room. Let us
end with each gift some of the
heart's true gold and frankincense
bind it with the cord of some memory
f Bethlehem. Let us receive each
and every one of-our gifts as tiding
t great Joy. '
A CHRISTMAS CONSPIRACY
How Grandmother's Heart Was Glad
dened by Remembrances From
the Children.
"Grandmother Jessupl"
Stella's tone was distinctly ac
cusing; it was evident that grand
mother had something to answer for.
Grandmother, from her invalid chair,
looked across at the girl who stood
at her bureau drawer. She had en
dured years of pain and weakness;
but they had not succeeded in quench
ing the spirit in theTrail figure; her
voice was as saucy as a girl's.
"Not guilty what is it?"
'It's your handkerchiefs. How
many dozen have you?"
"Seven or eight. You see, I have
seven of the dearest grandchildren in
the world. It's queer, isn't it, that
your nose should be so especially
honored when you grow old?"
i But Stella's gray eyes forgot to
laugh back at grandmother's. Some
thing had disconcerted her. She put
the handkerchiefs back, made some
trivial excuse, and ran up to her own
room, where her sister and cousins
were holding a Christmas conclave.
"I wonder," she burst out, "that
grandmother can endure Christmas at
all!"
"What under the sun do yon
mean?" Corlnne and Isabella ex
claimed together.
"Corinne, what did you give grand
mother for Christmas last year?"
"A box of handkerchiefs. Why?"
"And you, Isabella?"
"An embroidered handkerchief with
little weeny initials."
"Mollie?"
"Two handkerchiefs," Mollie con
fessed. "There didn't seem to be
anything else except slumber slip
pers, and Aunt Maria always knits
those."
"And Laurie and I gave her hand
kerchiefs. We always give her hand
kerchiefs because she's old, and
they're the easiest thing to think of!
Girls she Isn't old she's as young as
any of us down in her heart, and she
loves pretty things Just as much. as
ever. This year let's give her the
biggest surprise of her life a Christ
mas that will make her really happy."
"But how what " Corlnne stam
mered. '
"What do we like best each of
us?"
"TawAldl" Dwilrat "TTe.n.4 AmkM
ery!" "Candy!" "Silk stockings!" The
answers came in a laughing shower.
"Well, then, why not? Grandma'd
love a bit of Jewelry from us chosen
just for her. And books not
Thoughts or cneer,' as if she were i
melancholy, but love stories that end
well. And why not embroider her
something? And if not silk stockings,
then a pair of slippers with tiny vel
vet bows. As for candy, she'd love to
have it to pass round, even if she
couldn't eat much herself."
"And let Bob and Archie send her
their absurd Jokes as they do to the
rest of us? It doesn't seem respect
ful." "But grandma doesn't want to be
seemed-respectful-to," Stella declared.
"She'd just love to be counted in with
the rest of us, little vanities and Jokes
and all. O girls, try it once and
see!"
And that was the way the Christ
mas conspiracy started. Grand
mother's eyes on Christmas morning
were proof of its success. Youths'
Companion.
"Some generous person," said little
Socrates Bulglnbrow, of Boston, "has
been kind enough to send me a copy
of .Mother Goose's lyrics for Christ
mas. Do you know, the theory that
a representative of the bovine genus
at one time leaped over the chief
luminary of the night leads to some
interesting calulations as to the mus
cular development of the cows of that
time. I have ascertained that they
must, have been endowed with
strength proportionate to that of the
flea of the present day."
THE JOY OF 8H0PPINQ.
By Wilbur D. Nesblt
I love to go and shop for things
To send as Christmas sifts to friends.
For then my fancy girds on wings,
I feel the Joy that never ends. .
O, what a rapture 'tta to stand ' ' '
And be stepped upon, bumped into,
joggled, Jostled, pushed, squeezed,
shoved, frowned at, scowled upon,
trampled, bruised, slammed, rushed!
hurried, jolted, and Anally get up to
tte counter and discover that you are
St the wrong pre?'
SAID LITTLE 80C RATES.
9
1 A Vagrant
Christmas
Gift
By
ALBERT EDWARD CONVERSE
(Copyright 'by Frank A. Mousey Co.)
Ft. and Mrs. Jackson Smith
understood each ' other
perfectly on' the ChriBt
mas present proposition.
This satisfactory state of
affairs did not come about
the first year of their
wedded life, nor even the
second. The third Christ-
mas
was almost at hand before Mr.
Smith discovered accidentally, but to
his intense Joy, that Mrs. Smith rel
ished his selection of furs, gloves, cur
tains, rugs, and so on, no more than
did he her choice of smoking-Jackets,
cravats, mufflers, et cetera.
That their friends could not be
taken In on the. combination was,
however, a thorn in the flesh of each
of them. v
"The worst has happened," said
Mrs. Smith, interrupting Mr. Smith's
perusal of the paper Christmas morn
ing. "A messenger Just brought a pres
; ent from the Snlvelys, and I forgot to
' put them on my list. It's a book and
j we've got to send them something."
i "Well, what are we going to do
j about the Snlvelys?" growled Mr.
Smith.
"Jack," said she in a moment, "I've
' had an inspiration. Why couldn't we
j send the Snlvelys the book tha Cous
in Lucy sent us? Neither of them
will ever know it." J
I "By George! We'll do it," said Mr. j
! Smith, after considering the propo- i
sition. "Where is Cousin Lucy's !
book?"
! "It's on the desk," said Mrs. Smith.
"Just put our cards in the book and
1 wrap it up neatly. I'll call a messen
, ger boy." A, . ,
Half an hour later Mr. Smith hand
f d a Pkage, addressed to Mr. Snlye-
ly, to a messenger boy and saw him
depart with it He was luxuriously
stretched out on a davenport when
Mrs. Smith came into the room a few
minutes later.
"Jack," said Mrs. Smith, holding a
book in her hand, "I thought you
were going to wrap this book up."
"Great Scott!" exclaimed Mr.
I Smith, Jumping to his feet "I did
I wrap up some book. The messenger
has already been here and I gave It
I to him."
"How long has the boy been gone?"
demanded Mrs. Smith.
"About ten minutes."
"Get your things on. Be quick, and
maybe you can reach the Snlvelys'
before the boy and get that dreadful
book away from him! How could you
have been so careless?"
Mrs. Smith was almost frantic.
Down to the nearest street car tore
Mr. Smith, fairly consumed with rage.
He had arrived at the down town
district when, with a thrill of joy, he
spied the messenger boy. Without
waiting for the car to stop, Mr.
Smith jumped off and started on a run
for the boy.
At the same moment the messenger
boy saw him, and, without knowing
why he was being pursued, he obeyed
his first impulse and ran too.
In a moment a dozen had Joined
In the chase. Down the street came
the poor messenger boy, frantically
straining every muscle to get away
from the mob pursuing him. Bud-,
denly two men from a cross street
ran in front of the boy. One threw
his arms around the fugitive, bold-,
lng his fast; the other man seized the
package the boy was carrying.
"Why, Snively! This package is ad
dressed to you!" he exclaimed.
"Why, so it!" said the man who
had caught the boy.
In a moment they were surrounded
by a crowd. A policeman rushed up
and took charge of the boy. ,
"Hold on there, officer, the boy's
all right!" cried Mr. Smith,' who had
arrived upon the scene by this time.
"What do you know about this af
fair?" said the policeman respectfully,
as he recognized Mr. Smith.
But Mr. Smith was standing as one
dazed. He had cajight sight of Mr.
Snively with the book under bis arm.
"Hello, Smith," said Mr. Snively.
1 Just now caught this boy, and
found him carrying a package ad
dressed to me, so took charge of it
Do yon know anything about it?"
"Why why er yes,"'- stammered
Mr. Smith, trying to collect his wits.
"You see, I sent the package."
Well, why were you chasing the
boy?" asked the policeman, a little im
patiently. The perspiration stood oat on poor
Mr. Smith's forehead. , . ;
."I I was afraid I hadn't given the
boy the right address, and was trying
to stop him to find out," he blurted
in desperation.
The policeman looked at Mr. Smith
onriously. He was convinced that he
was lying, though with what object he
could not imagine.
; "The package has come to the right
fellow anyway," said Snively, laugh
ing. "I'm going right home, so I'll
take it along with me."
"Oh, I couldn't think of allowing
you to do that, old man!" cried Mr.
Smith. "Just give it back to the boy;
I
i f i
ball take it to the house for yon."
"Nonsense!" said Mr. Snively. "It's
a light package and I don't mind
carrying It a particle."
Mr. Smith ground his teeth with
rage. How was he to get that book
away from Snively?
"Snively," said he, my office la only
a few. doors down the street. Come
up and smoke a cigar with me. I've
got some good ones."
A few minutes later Mr. Smith ush
ered Mr. Snively into his office.
"Sit down here, Snively," said he,
offering his guest a chair. "Let me
havi your package; I'll put it over
here on my desk."
He took the book eagerly and put it
on his desk out of sight. As he
smoked and talked, he racked his
brain for a scheme to get Snively out
of the room without his book.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Merry
Christmas."
It was Smith's partner, Perkins,
who thus addressed them as he came
out of hiB private office. .
Suddenly a brilliant scheme took
shape in his mind. He proceeded im
mediately to put it into execution.
"By the way, Perkins, I have a
Christmas present for you." As he
spoke, he picked up Snively's package
and, holding it so that Snively could
not see it, walked over the Perkins
and handed it to him.
"But but" Perkins protested.
"Take it and keep your mouth shut.
or I'll choke you!" whispered Smith
fiercely.
"Oh, thank you very much," said
the astoni&hed Perkins. "Well, I must
be getting home. Good morning."
After talking a few moments longer,
Snively rose to go.
"Can I trouble you for my package,
now?" he said.
"Oh, yes," said Smith, going to his
Searching First Calmly and Then With
Apparent Annoyance.
desk and searching first calmly and
then with apparent annoyance. , ,
I , "By George! It Isn't here," he an
nounced in a surprised tone.
I Suddenly he sat down and began
laughing uproariously. .
"Do you know what I've done?" he
said as soon as he had his mirth some
what under control. "I gave Perkins
your package, I forgot that I took his
present home last night, and my wife
sent it over this mornins; with a pres
ent for Mrs. Perkins." ....
"Oh, that's all right," said Snively,
laughing. "It doesn't make a particle
of difference."
i They parted, laughing good-naturedly
over the blunder.
Smith arrived home soon after, con
gratulating himself on his generalship.
"Oh, Jack," cried Mrs. Smith, as
soon as he stepped into the house, 1
hope you haven't had any trouble!
"Well, I've bad Just about the most
strenuous time I've experienced in
many moons," said Smith. "I came
out all right though."
"I'm so sorry," said Mrs. Smith.
"Now I hope you won't be angry, Jack
but you hadn't been gone but a few
moments when I discovered that you
hadn't sent Mrs. Snively's book, after
all. I found her book lying on the
floor by the center-table, where, In
some way, it had been knocked off.
The only book that is missing is the
one that Mr. and Mrs. Perkins sent
us, so that must have been the one
that yon sent to the Snlvelys."
Mr. Smith collapsed into the near
est chair.
"Dlng-a-ling-a-ling," went the tele
phone. Mr. Smith, Still In a dazed condi
tion, rose and answered it.
"Hello, Is that you, Smith?" said a
voice. "This is Perkins."
Smith braced himself for the worst.
"I didn't quite understand about
that present you gave me down at
the office. When I got home I found
that it had Snively's name on it"
-Oh."
"I thought there must be some mis
take about it so I didnt open It"
"You say you didnt open itf
"No."
"Thank Heaven!"
"What do you say?"
"I said that you did right It was
Just a little Joke on Snively." ,
"Is that so? Well, IH bring the
package down to the office with me
In the morning." A
. "Thank you. Good-by."
"Thank heaven," said Smith as he
hung up the receiver and once more
settled himself in comfort, "Christ
mas comes but once a year!"
jSw To
You are nervous. You have "crying spells." You are
dejected You don't sleep well You have backache. You
have lost ambition for your work. You are beginning to
feel old and look old.
These symptoms, more than likely, are produced by some weakness,
derangement or irregularity peculiar to the feminine organism.
Dr.
Pierce's
, (In Tablet or Liquid Form)
will aid you in regaining youthful health and strength Just as it has been
doing for over forty years for women who have been in the same condition of
health you now find yourself. , It soothes and invigorates. It upbuilds and uplifts.
Your medicine dealer will supply you in tablet or liquid form, or send 50
one-cent stamps for trial box. Address Dr. R. V. Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y.
Dr. Pierce's Pleasant Pellets regulate Stomach, Liver and Bowels. Easy to tale.
Here's Where You Get
Tires, Tubes
And that means
the most for your money.
Most miles per dollar and most
comfort per mile.
Firestone quality has led the
world for fourteen years. There is
no argument about it.
But because they knve the largest and
best equipped tire factory, and only the top
notch ir.ca, the prices ara right.
Ca?i
Non-Skid Smooth Tread All Types All Sizes
G. N. GUTHRIE, Cookevillejehn.
ior
Horses dicest their feed iess thoroughly than
other farm animals. In order to insure thorough
digestion of all the food eaten, and to make your
horses readier for next day's work, add to their
evening feed a teaspoonful of
Bee Dee
STOCK
MEDICINE
It will lessen your feed bills.
It will Increase your profits.
s CHRISTMAS s
HOLIDAY RATES
Tennessee Central Railroad
; .TO
POINTS IN THE SOUTHEAST
Tickets on sale December 16th to 25th inclusive and December 81, 1914
and January 1, 1915. Return limit January 6, 1915. ' '
For rates and further information call on any ticket agent Tennessee
Central R. R. or write ' "' "
J. E. SHIPLEY, Assistant General Passenger Agent, Nashville.
HUSBAND RESCUED
DESPAIRING WIFE
Afiar Far Tears a! Discavafiag
CaiI!rs.WokCaTa
tyhDaepcbr. EatiaJ
Cam U
Catroa, Ky.-In aa MwmMmg latter
Ids alace. Mrs. Batta Bullae
writes as lottews : "I iialiril far four
jraaca, with womanly trottilaa, aad aVtag
thai Uaa, aould only tit ap tor Ittle
wkfla, aawl ceuM not waft atjwan at
afl. Atttaea.1 would lam yataaatoa
la Bay left side. .
TadoctowascalMlB,arkihlstreat-
mant ralierod m for a while, but I was
sooa confined to my bad agalo. After
that, nothing seemed to do me any good.
the Woman Who
Realizes She Needs Help
Favorite Prescription
and Accessories
that here you get
To - morrow ?
I am using Bee Dec
STOCK MEDICINE with
my horses regularly ana
find it a saving propotltioB
on feed. It also make
them health;, thriving aad
clean.
Ira Johnston,
R. F. D. No. 1.
O'NeO, Near.
25c, 50c and 1.
At your dealar.
V1A-
I had gotten so weak 1 could not stand,
aad I cave ap In despair.
At last, aty husband got ais a bottle (
GarcM, ke woman's tonic, aad I corn
BMoced taking k. From the very first
dasa, 1 could tel It was helping art.
caa bow walk two miles wMtsut ks
tiring sw, a' aaa doing all my work.
If you r all run down from wooatnly
troubles, doat arre up in despair. Try
Qudui.fliswowMui's tonic Mlatt helped
ore thaa a million women, ta lb SO
years of soatinuous success, and should '
surely help yon, too. Your druggist has
sold Cardial for years. Hs knows what
It win do. Ask him. Hs will recom
mend it Begin tsking Cardul today. ,
Writs fr CbaMuoosa MMchM Ca.1 La4W '
AfvlMry Dt., Qwtanoog. Tenn.. far Bpeotmi
InttrucionM m sr caw a r 1 64 -dm book.
Hoaa
ImuMM aar Win," : in plaia wr.BTM.
rl
a t a I
arau