The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-24


earthly career has been described by no other
such fervent eloquence and glo wing imagery as
we find in
MIItOn's Hymn on the Nativity,
1t was the winter wild,
While the heaven-DOrn child
All mean!y wrapt IN the rude manger lies;
IA ,5etf uFe n !, ave we 70 t,ahiiH him trim,
with her great Master so to sympal lhlze
1t was then Tor her
TO wanton with the sun, her lusty paramour.
"Only with speeches fair
She woos the gent air
And on her naked shame,
Polute with sntu blame,
Inc ConfoGnGed So that her Makers ir eyes
Should look so near upon her oul deiormities.
But He, her fears to cease,
Sent down the meek-ey ed Peace;
She, crOwnd with Olives e green % cane softly sliding
His ready harbnger,
With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing;
And waving wide her mYrtle wand,
She strikes an universal peace through sea and and.
mo war or battles sound
The idle spear and shield were high up hung;
The hooked chariot stood,
Tho trumpet spake not to the armed throng;
And kings sat still with awful eye,
AS If they surely knew their sovran Lord was byn
The poet then describes the CONSERVATION OF
the elements on beholdng the advent of the
Creators Son, and that of the shepherds who
''sat simply chatting in rustic row.
Their hearts ana did greet,
DivineIy warbled voice
As all their souls IN bilssfaI rtptaTs took
This air. such pleasure 10Th to lose,
With thousand echoes stin prolougs each Heavenly
close.
sat last surrounds their sight
globe OF circular light,
That with long beams the shame-fao'd Night
And helmed Cherubim
in Sng ST aGd saks % mS wng displayed
With mex pressive TO Heavens newborn Helr "
And then comes the grand invocation, which
has ever found an answer in the heart of man,
and which, on this anniversary of the greatest
event of the ages, will still again find re.
sponsive echo in shouts of JOY and hymns of
praise:- "
Once bless our human ears
If ye have power to touch P,I! CEF our senses SO
Move in meodious time,
And lie, the bass of Heavens deep organ blow;
And with your nlnetOld harmony
Make up full consOrt TO the angelic symphony"
What Is the True Christmas-Day
Although this question has practically been
put at rest by the customs and traditions o
fourteen centuries, it is far from easy to ans wei
it in manner that is not open to doubt. AL
though it was anciently observed by some
churches in April, May, and other months a
we'll as in December, 1t has now for a long time
been restricted by every Christian denomination
to the latter month, and we presume the Gus
tom will never again be found to vary. Still
it may not be Improbable to glance at thu
authorities which dwell upon this subject.
When we do so we not only find that all th,
arguments concerning the true date are base,
upon mere tradition, but that they are confused
and contradictory to perplexing degree. A
the earliest period to which we can trace tn
observance of Christmas as professedly Chris
tian festival, we find that some of the Churche
celebrated 1t on the lst and others on the 6tl
of January. Others, again, made it coiucid
with the Jewish Passover, by fixing it ON tn
29th of March; while by others the Feast {
TabeTnacles, which occurs on the 29th Of Sci