St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-12-20
ST. Charles City, Iowa, Dec. 90, 1860.
Christmas Day.

The twenty-fifth OF December Is de- q
nominated Christmas day, from Christ |
mass, the suifix mass, meaning the Of |
flee of prayers. This day was first ,
observed as a festival in the Christian {
church, in the year %. Pope Teles-
phorus, about the year 1877, ordered it
to be kept as solemn feast day, and
that divine service should be held.
In the primitive eastern church, the
festival lasted till the Epiphany,
twelve days after, and the two were
generally accounted one festival. The
tenth persecution of the Christians &;
commenced on Christmas day, "A. ID.
3O3. The Roman Emperor Dioclctian,
then keeping his court at Nicomedia,
being informed that the Christians
were assembled in great numbers to
celebrate Christ's nativity. ordered
the doors of the church to be shut,
and the building set on fire. Six hun
dred worshipcrs persisted in the flames.
Epiphany, above alluded to, was in
stituted as feast, A. D. SIS, to cele-
brate the arrival of the Wise Men of
the East, and the manifestation of the
Savior of mankind. Being twelve
days after Christmas, it was vulgarly |
called Twelfth day"
Christmas week is a season of fes.
tivity among all classes aud ranks of
people, if we except the Jews who
do not believe Christ to have been the
promised Messiah The middling
classes, who are for the most part i'm
mcrsed in the cares of business
throughout the year, welcome and cell
CITRATE Christmas as a holiday enjoy
meut while at the tables of the opu-
lent aud aristocratic in the cities, the
refnements Of foreign invention are
for once superseded by the simpler
products of old cookery-roast beef
aud plum pudding, turkeys, ham, fowl,
sausages, saddles and launches Of
mutton, with a profusion of custards
and pies, and among them that char
actcristic luxury, the mince-pie.
''Glad Christmas comes, and every hearth
Makes room to give him welcome now,
Zen want will dry its tears in mirth,
And crown him with holly bough;
Though tramring meath a wintry sky,
Der snowy paths and rimy stiles,
The housewife sets her spinning by
To bid him welcome with her smiles.
Each house is swept the day before,
And windows stuck with evergreens,
The snow is bcsomcd from the door,
And comfort crowns the cottage scenes
Gilt holly, with its thorny pricks,
And yew and box, with berries small,
These deck the unused candlcsticks,
And pictures hanging by the wall
To shelter the houscless, clothe the
nokoa, food tho hungry, to avert tn.
rigors of the season from the needy
and make the hearts of the destitute
leap for joy, is a recipe for a merr.
Christmas. What method more ap
propriatc than this for celebrating TIN
festival in memory of that great Brit
Day which was proclaimed wit
"Glory to God in the highest am
on earth peace good will toward
men !"
Wherefore that light-that joy
that thanksgiving? "a child i
born !" A child! In the hour {
night, in lowly manager, He ha
been born-and angels have also sun,
-" Peace on earth !" This is tn
festival which shall be celebrated
and well may We, dear children, sounc
forth your cries of joy! Welcome
even though unconsciously, the ami
vcrsary of that period when this friend
this brother-this Savior-was born
to you-who shall guide you through
life-who shall tighten to you the
hour of dcath-who one day shall veri
fly the dreams of your childhood-whe
shall stand beside you in necessity
and care, and shall help to answer the
great questions of life.
Grand, soul inspiring theme THIS
advent of a Savior was then, is now
the hope of the world What more
fitting event for the celebration of hu
man mortals 1t speaks well for the
citizens of St. Charles that prepare
tons are now going on for celebrating
the approaching Christmas anniversa
ry in an appropriate and becoming
manner. More than hundred Of our
Sunday School children, not to men,
ton adults, are to be made immeas-
urably happy on that occasion, as they
commemorate the birthday of Jesus
Christ.
Rejoice, ye happy children, whom
lie blessed Rejoice and follow Him
He is come to lead you and all Of us
to God
These arc incxhaustible, love in.
spring, wonderful and enhancing
thoughts, in which man is never wea-
ry of plungng. The sick soul bathes
in them as in Bethesda, and is made
wholc-and in them the healthy find
an everlasting life's refreshment
We acknowledge the receipt of a
complimentary ticket to the Christmas
Festival at Cedar Falls. The arrange
mcnts there for celebrating Christmas
appear to be very extensive and COM
plete, and we should be happy to at
tend but, our own people propose to
celebrate the occasion, and we must