The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-12-25
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Christmas.
Christmas, Merry, happy Christmas, with all It's
remembrance of hoiydays and seigh-rides, noun
tains of cakes, dozens of tops and toys; its big /
blazing fires and happy laughing faces; with all Its
mirth-movng and joyous attendants, is here again.
We may not enjoy it as in the days of boyhood-
but the pleasure is no less in Witnessing the delight
of others younger and happier, whose hearts beat |
with the same delight that once we felt ourselves.
Chrisimas-it is a day on which no sad thought |
should enter the mind. Are you a Christian = |
bow your head in devotion and raise your voice in
praise Eighteen hundred and forty-eight years
ago the great Prophet, Priest and King came upon
the earth. Darkness fed from His presence-earth
smiled on His advent-the forests waved their
homage-the birds Of the air carolled forth their
praise, and the morning stars sang together for
ioy'' He came to teach love to God, peace and
good will to man. Be thankful, oh Christian for
the boom and strive this one day of all the year, at
least to feel and practice the love and goodwill He
taught But Christian not the return of this day
should mark in your life new era-old enmites,
and heart burnngs and prejudces and ill-feelng
should disappear, and give place to spirit of
forgiveness, love and rejoicing. To the young we
need not urge the necessity of making themselves
happy while they can. Nature has kindly implant-
ed in their hearts the requisites of happiness, the
elements of innocence and pleasure. From the
little prattler, whose eyes beam with unutterable
delight at the possession of a waxen doll or minia-
ture drum TO the brave youth and gay maiden who
minge their voices in song culver their toes in the
dance, they will all be as happy as they can with
out our telling them So
But Christmas with its pleasures does not come
unattended The loud laugh Of the joyous is not
unmingled with the wall of woe. And our old
friend-good, brisk, ruddy-faced, smiling Santa
Claus-is accompanied by dark, stern-lookng
phantom that peers over his shoulder, and with
his dull gassy-eye freezes the young hearts blood
that is bounding and dancing with joy. The Saint
walks the earth filling the stockings of good chill
dren with presents innumerable, scattering his
blessings upon the youths and maidens who throng
round his footsteps, but by his side, marching with
him. hand in hand, is the pestilenee cutting down
the Young and the old, the prince and the beggar,
the warrior in the pride of his victory, and the
dausel in the radiance of her beauty. The smile
and the grave, the dance and the funeral, appear
together; The deaths head peers through the gar
land Of flowers and the same church bells, within
an hour ring forth the merry chimes and the dole
full knell In the midst of life we are in death, and
in our happiest hours we but feast on our collins
or gather nosegays from the grave.
This unfortunate conjunction of pleasure and mis-
err will not be without its use-its benefcent moral
effects. When we pour out the cup, or break the
bead of rejoicing for ourselves, let our mirth be
moderated by the reflection that in the next street,
perhaps in the next house, our fellow-worm, our
brother is suffering from want, or writhing be-
meath the fangs of disease. So shall cur hearts
expand into generous sympathy, and others be
made to share the bounties which heaven has laid
at our doors. We ought not, such day, to
close our hearts to any benevolent emotion, nor
festrain the hand from the work which the heart
bids it perform Yield to the gentle impulses Of
nature, and this Christmas win not only prove a
time Of present rejoicing, but in the far-eoming
years, will bring with it the remembrance of day
well spent, and the cheering consolation arising
from good deeds, well and timely done. The note G
sorrow which mngles with ur song of hilarity, pro
duces no iscord to the ear we'll atuned to The music
of Nature Pain andpeasure are always found side
by side the sunshine and the shadow go ever to
gether. Let not, then, the presence Of misery pre-
vent the temperate appreciation of the good thing
of fe-but let it afford additional source of en-
ioyment, by opening before us those pure fountain
of pleasure from which all may drink for ever, VIII
will practice the virtues of humble and disnter
ested benevolence.
Reader keep your Christmas as happily as yol
can--as merriy as you may-sat and drink, AM
laugh, and dance, and sing-salute friends and re
lations-make love to the fair girl before you-pre
sents to the smiling children around you-mak
peace with your enemy, and cement anew tn
bonds which bind you to your friends. Then see
out some poor, forsaken son of want, lodged in
howell, covered with rags, and pinng in sickness
give to him of the abundance which God has give
TO you; smooth his pillow-clothe his nakedness-
feed his hunger-and alleviate, if possible, hi
pain. Then return thanks to the Giver of all goot
and go contented and happy to your slumbers.-
This is the way to keep Christmas here and to-da,