The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-12-22
CHRISTMAS.

the practice of law at Washington,
uxszaEEaEzEsSgEssSsS ss-zzEgEEsEgEEMIyE
fs CHRISTMAS.
Tho annual return Of the great Holiday
of the Christian worll is ncar at hand, 1t
comes as in centuries pnst--hajled with de.
light by young aud old With the young
il is a galidhy Of Joyous anticipntions real.
lied, of bright hopes fulfilled. With the
old, fond memories Of the past cluster
around it's hullowod name. Tradition has
chosen it as the birthday Of I" Him who
Bpake MS never man spake,'' as the anniyer-
sary Of that oriental morn, when those
memorable words sounded in the cars of tho
shepherds on Dcthlchcms stay-lit plains
"Pcace on earth and good will to men"
Let it be 80. We cannot dispute it if we
would, for tho contrary cannot he proven.
But the happy Influences and pleasing usso-
Citations of tho day have spread throughout
the Christian world, aud we hail is return,
with its festivities and reioicings, it's hopes
its pleasures, it's souvenirs OF friendship
and affection as we hail the return of no
other Quo day in the three hundred and
sixty.hve.
Last Christmas dawned upon our Great
Republic struggling with a gigantic rebel
lion, and although, the Union arms were tri-
umphaht wherever our illustrous banner
was uurmled yet the smoke and ruin of
hundreds of bottle.Hclds spoke fearruIy OF
the terrible havoc that war had inflicted on
our fair land. SuERMAN's iron legions had
completed their march to the sea, and the
invincible chieItain, one year ago to day,
triumphanty entered the proud city of Sa'
VaAnah This was SuERMANs Christmas
gut TO his country, The remnant of the
flower of tho Southern Army, under the
rebel llooD, was flying pollmell towards the
Gulf, crushed, broken and dismayed, before
the heroic army of heroic old THOMAS,
grant environed Richmond and held LEE
in his tenacious grip. Altogether the situa.
ton was promising aud the national sky
was Frightening The dawn Of peace was
evidently gildiug the horizon aud tho black
night of Treason and Rebellion was abou
being lifted from tie face of the land ii had
so long cnshrouded Such was the nationa
horoscope on Christmas of Eighteen Hun
dred aud Sixty-four
Christmas of Eighteen HUNDRED and Sixty
five viii dawn upon the Uaiou triumphan
ever Treason and Robellion-tho maiest,
o! tho Government vindic0ted--the tread o
armed legions, the thunder of cannon tn
crash OF musketry, the CLEAN of sabre am,
bayonet, aud all tho Formidable paraphernu
liza grim.visagod war, 10 longer ca>tiul
blight aud desolation over our fair lane
Peace reigns throughout the Republic, Tn
foul blot of Slavery, which SO taruishod til
fair fame of America, has passed away, ar,
the vital principles of Freedom and Pr,
sress are inscribed upon the boLncr of r,
public regeneratea and diseuthrolled fror
the barbarian feature Of a .by-gone age.
Christmas! What pleasing and happ
associations cluster around that word TIL
storehouso Of memory contains many brgl
pictures of tho past, blended with it's 10,
Gus influences. No homestead should /
without its Christmas delights, its Chris
mas frolics, its Christmas carols, its Chris
mas generosity, Let gount Care be la
ished from the Home Circle, and let old a,
young participate in it's festivities aud !
joicings Let MS all greet tho day wi
larger hearts, with generous impulse, WI
kindly influence and joyous zest. Let 4
tune honored legend Of Santa Claus, wi
his budget OF uexhaustible gifts aud Il
Jolly good Lumor, fll tho hearts Of the ch
dren with unbounded delight and thu
stockings with lavish abundance of go,
things.
We close our Christmas talk by repr
ducing
THE LEGEND or SANTA CLAUS.
This popular namo Of the saint who pr
sides over Christmas aud the toy gifts Of Ia
welcome season, ia derived from St, Mich
ti las. The legend of his FIRST appearance
Italian. According TO this, shoemak
named Giraldi, who lived IN Ferrara was
miseraely poor, that his labor from day
day barely kept his family from starvatio
and he was unable 10 give even a SIN,
dowry 10 his pretty daughters. II was n
thought proper TO marty without "A dowr
and thus the yonng girls thoAe euch n.
an admlrerr We're compelled 30 Il main sing
Their father however, went ever, tnor,6l
to tho shrine 10 pray To his patron saint
Nicholas, that he wonld work n miracle
relieve ham from his distress.
One OF his nearest reghbora u rich M
chi n, who claReed ono day to oyorll,
lis simple petition, ii iionled tho idea
his exDegtinu The Saiui ia fako N,ra nr