Transcriber’s Note Italic text displayed as: _italic_ Christmas Builders BOOKS BY DR. JEFFERSON THE CHARACTER OF JESUS DOCTRINE AND DEED THE MINISTER AS PROPHET THE NEW CRUSADE QUIET HINTS TO GROWING PREACHERS QUIET TALKS WITH EARNEST PEOPLE THINGS FUNDAMENTAL MY FATHER’S BUSINESS * * * * * CHRISTMAS BUILDERS FAITH AND LIFE THE OLD YEAR AND THE NEW THE WORLD’S CHRISTMAS TREE THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO. NEW YORK [Illustration: To him undoubtedly has God committed the secret of Christmas] [Illustration: _Christmas Builders_ BY CHARLES EDWARD JEFFERSON [Illustration: Decoration] _New York_ _Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Publishers_ ] COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO. PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER, 1909 D. B. UPDIKE, THE MERRYMOUNT PRESS, BOSTON Christmas Builders There was trouble in the land, all on account of Christmas. Men stood bewildered and women were distracted, not knowing what to do. The trouble was that Christmas had become too small. Once there was room enough in it and to spare. Only a few of the inhabitants of the earth brought their treasures into it. But little by little the world learned of the beauty of Christmas until everybody, almost, wanted to get into it, and not only into it himself, but he wanted to bring all his relatives and friends, every one of them laden with packages and bundles, until at last Christmas became crowded to suffocation. There was not room to turn round. Everybody was so huddled and jostled, and there was so much scrambling and pushing, that some people quite lost their temper, and even in the palace of Christmas looked sour. It seems strange that the world should be embarrassed and really injured by a desire of people to be loving and to manifest their love by giving gifts, and yet that is the very thing which happened. Christmas became a breeder and disseminator of dark and ugly feelings. It is well enough when only a few people make up their mind to be affectionate and generous; but when everybody decides to put on the Christmas graces on the same day of the year, the world cannot stand the strain of so much goodness all at once expressed, and the result is a tragedy almost as deep and dark for many hearts as if there were no Christmas at all. For in their eagerness to keep Christmas, men forgot the claims of brotherhood. They were so zealous to get into the enchanted palace themselves that they forgot all about their neighbors, who wanted to get in also. [Illustration: Men forgot the claims of brotherhood]