The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-12-28
sMAN & HAPEMAN.
The Holidays.


trite. that the age we live in is little gwen to
romance and Imagination. Especially is there
little of either in our West, where all are new
beginners, and the acquisition of wealth and
position so largely absorbs every faculty as to
exclude about all that savors of sentiment or
tenderness. Yet there is season recurring
each year, when the warmth OF the heart seems
to thaw out the hard, cold exterior, ana the
countenance of every one is more or less IL
lumined by the glow of genialty and kindness.
1t is that season when the old year impercep
tbly glides into the new-the season OF short
days and long nights-meteoroiogically the
dreariest and gloomiest of the year-socially
the brightest and cheeriest.
But why of all seasons should this be made
peculiarly the one of geniaity, kindness and
good will Clouds and gloom, frost and sleet
and snow are not usually promotive of tender
ness and amiability The dying year natural
ly suggests somber thoughts-the new year
apprehension--doubt. The joyousness of the
season is ascribable to other and different asso-
Citations. 1t is the season of the holy days
the twelve days beginning with the festival OF
the Nativity of Christ on the 25th of December,
and ending with the Epiphany, or manifesto
ton of Christ to the Gentiles, on the 9th OF
January All serious-minded Christian people
rejoice because each return of Christmas
brings with it not only the remembrance but
u ,ok bor Il in,
the city OF David Savoir, which is Christ
the Lord" and the succeeding holidays are
peculiarly appropriate to thoughts of tender
ness, because they commemorate events con-
nected with the infancy Of the Savior-his
birth, his circumcision slaughter Of the
innocents for his sake, and his showing to
the gcntilcs Hence it is season Of gladstone
as we'll as tender associatiOns-of cheerful rec
reations, of kindly Offices of liberality and
salutary pleasures Especially appropriate at
such season are social reunions and home
festivities, when one is led to realize aresh the
rich source of earthly joys the Christian pc
culiarly possesses in family relationships, and
the precious tie between parents and children,
brothers and sisters
Though Christmas and the other holy day
observanccs peculiar to this season, have been
kept by the Christian world from the earliest
ages of the Church, and always been made
much of in the old world, the Calvinistic leaven
in the professionalism of the new world had
discouraged such festal cbservances by the
Church, and Christmas, for years, was among
us little else than secular holiday. People
kept the holidays because their fathers and
grandtathcrs in the old world had done 80,
paying little regard to their significance or the
appropriate religious observances that should
attend them. We think, however, there is
visible decided improvement in this regard
pish observancesp is giving way to a more lib.
eral and enlightened recognition of the mani
fest propriety, on the part Of all christian peo-
pie, to recognise, at stated periods and witlpe.
culiar and impressive ceremonials, the signifi-
canoe and Importance to sin-stricken humanity
of those great events that proclaim mans re-
demption from the fall and reconciliation with
his offended Maker, Christmas, at least, is no
longer the monopoly of the Roman Catholic
and Episcopal Churches. Methodists, Pres
byterians, seven Baphsts and Congregations
alists are beginning to soften to the influence Of
the many genial and tender kindnesses the
annual recurrence of Christmas-tidc brings
with it, and Santa Claus, and the phantom
slay and its JOY and mirth bringing freight are
no longer barred out as dabolical hobgoblins
from the sulphurous regions. G8H ia
Reinstatement OF Stanton. af'a