Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-24
Tae gnteIItas. '.


| NUl lVuk dBOI 6Ot4O OAO 1hl0 " 10 WILL
Isuch glowing face and pleasant smile, at
the most childish believer in Christmas
fairy work might have worn in auticipa-
ton, "Christmas is comiugw Doubtless
he was one of the "grey haired bOys," for
the child-like natures do not outliye the
spirit of Christmas-snd the very thoughts
of it seemed to kindle and gladden. his
heart anew. It was the true spirit of
Christmas the heArt.Wsrming time of the
year, and the grand, good holiday time for
the best part of our human nature. For.
emblem of that reign of Love which men
say first began on this day,.itis specially
adapted to humanity, and the spiritual
meaning there isiu it, comes to us through
our human nature. So it was understood
in the earlier ages,-half heather, half
ChrisLian,-Wheu the loud wassail bowl,
and the solemn chsnted carol alike her
aided it's coming in-when the rudest feu.
dal time of nero seusuous enjoyment re-
coguized higher, mystic meaning, and
the ascetie forms Of ofFeligionrelaxed before
the broad human light and warmth which
Christmas shedthrough the hearts of men.
In the church, the mass was uplifted be-
side the consecrated, green holly, which
shone as bright aud fresh in the castle
hall, when
"The barons retainers wire bilthe and gay,
"Keeping their Christmas holiday.
What pictures of the old times those two
lines of themselves bring up OF the times
when faith was so easy and happy thing
to be bowed down to, reverently, in
church, and danced over, merrily, in the
hall. When ,"the wild bells" with their
herald chimes shook out gladuess over the
land-when the feasting and the heartsOme
mirth within, did not shut out the voices of
the "waits" and choristers without; gil
ding over the snow from house to house,
reminding them show Christ was on that
day born, and that while shepherds watch
ed their hoOks by night, the Angel of the
Lord descended, and proclaimed tidings of
peace and good will to all mankind"
sAlI hailed with uncontrolled delight
And general voice, the happy night
That to the cottage as the CROWN
Brought ttdtng1 OF salVau0n dOWn.
That was the Christmas of an age and q
faith which expressed itself by outward
tangible forms; and, in proportion, the
enjoyment was hearty, real, and sensuous,
The John Knox and English Puritan leaV.
en-, working strongly in the mass, did away
with as much of this old life as could be
found in Christmss superstttons and hlsy'
Day orgics-so that Christmas, we might
say, lost its incarnation with humanity,
aud became, we doubt not as severely
spiritualized and joyless as the sge it rep
resented. 1t is not to be forgotten Of this
age, however, that MiltOn's Hymn "On the
morning of Christ's Nativity" belongs to
it-au Offering ("laid lewly at His blessed
feet'') worthy to mingle with those "the
startled wizards" spread before "the In
faut Coda strain, high and pure enough
to join "the angelic symphony" which the
heavenly host sung over the plains of
Bethlehem.
This New World Of ours had no Christ
mas handed down to it from the ages-the
Pilgrims did uot bIiog it with them in the
MayAower, aud Plymouth rock hadno soil
for Christmas trees, and not nook or
Granny where Christmas tairies might
hide. The stern old Fathers left all that
Babylonish idolatry behind them-(relics
OF '.the mystery of iniquity,") and the
transoendental separatists, their descend
ants, with their assumed right OF individ-
ual Interpretation, have no use for the sym
bols of q universal faith. So itcomes that
New Euglaud knows little or nothing about
the old, simple, Christmas faith and spir-
1t; which, it has concluded, perhaps, had
its most fitting place among old-world
theories, and undermined institutions
For ourselves, we love to think of the YER.
liable, embodied Old Christmas, which
Southey represents seated "beside the
high .heaped hearth In his great armed
chair, Watching the children at their
sports, or pausing at times to stir the huge
ere. and every nov and than slipping the
bright brown ale" This is the same form
which Dickens, the master spirit of the
Christmss geuii, has invested anew, with
happy, heavenly radiance Of love and good
will. Miss Bremerin the frozen North has
hung the Christmas tree with magic splen-
dors, and shown US the hundred fairy, FROST
work elves aud legends, it has sheltered
from generations dosu. With US, old
things have passed away, it is true; old
forms We cannot transplant ind retain i'm
perisbable; but there il a meaning, spirit
behind names and forms, which may be
renewed when these wear out and drop
away. Is there such charm iu the old
yule-log ires. such magic warmth and
hsartiness in tue old Christmas cheer, such
miracles of love aud genie charities in the