The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-12-25

OStSSteA-AJ 80 A~SW 4oAA teho I tuuSyltd-
mia, the Germans have dotted the land
with their happy homes, and have
brought their Santa Claus, their Krish-
kinkle-a corruption Of Christkinklein,
or the Infant Christ-their Christmas
tree; and with the German and English
and the Roman ceremonies, customs and
ideas, the result is q day of days, with q
central idea, but with many converging
associations widespread, rendering the
day rioh in composite symbols, central
lied upon the one great thought, Mes
siah-God with as!
Hanging up the stocking, for Santa
Claus to fill with good things for good.
and rods for the bad, is of German ORR
gin; and when the doors of the parlor
are opened, and the bright eyes and pal
pitating hearts of the little ones come in
to see what the Christmas tree bears for
them, who can estimate the joys of the
Christian world, on this great anniversu-
ry of the year?
Many of the grotesque ceremonies of
ancient times have been laid aside, but
all that was sweet and rich has been
cherished, and ripened-bringing light
to tho dark corners Of the world, awak-
ening Joy in thousands of hearts, whose
sorrows had made them feel estranged
from men aud forgotten OF God. AS in
old Pagan times, when Christianity was
III its infancy, Christmas had its abuses,
so at present it is, with many, tho occa-
sion of dissipation aud OWL. We have
sometimes been amazed, that men who
are celebrating Christmas with such liln-
rity and zeal, should so far forget
the commands of the Saviour, whose
birth they celebrate, as to violate all the
precepts OF the religion he came to es-
tablish, by drunkenness, wrangling and
other exccsses.
. THE BIRTH-P PLACE OF CHRIST.
Bethlohem Is where Jesus was born
1t was one of the nine most celebrated
cities of Judea, situated North of Idu.
m9a, with Dan and Simeon on the
West, and to the East the Dead sea. or
Sea OF the Plain. It is about six miles
South of Jerusalem, lying in the wav to
Hebron, which is fourteen miles still fur
ther South, and one of the oldest cities
in the world; where King David once
resided; the burial place of Abraham.
Isaac and Jacob; of Sarah, Rebekah and
Leah; and the birthplace, as is said, of
John the Baptist. Bethlehem, the house
of bread, was called Ephrath, or Ephra-
tah, because of its fruitfulness, its name
meaning house of bread, which it
emphatically was, for it first contained
the bread that came down fream Heaven.
1t Is on an ominence, along the sides of
which are cultivated the vines which
yield grapes of delicious flavor and
OF remarkable size. The flo. the
pomegranate and the olive abound.
Upon these luscious fruits the native.
mainly subsist. Below, in the valley.
corn is cultivated, and the entire vegeta-
tion is refreshed by the abundant dews
which fall in that region. And it was
called Bethlehem-Juda, to distinguish
it from another Bethlehem in the tribe
of Zebulon. Over the spot which was
tho supposed scene of the nativity, a
church has been erected in tho form of
cross. 1t contains the sacred crypts
or grotto of the nativity, and the man
ger is short distance from the altar,
having before it the altar of the Magi.
When Joseph and Mary reached Beth
iehem, they found the city so thronged
with people, who had resorted thithcr in
obedience to the decree Of Augustus, to
be taxed, that they were compelled 10
seek the only place prepared for the ac-
commodation of strangers by the Bethle-
hemites This was the public khan or
cararanserai. But even here they could
not De accommodated, the chambers hay-
ing boon already taken-so that literally,
there was no room for them in the
inn." Owing to the critical condition
OF the Virgin, place was necessary, and
no other offering, they repaired to the
stable. Not, however, stable like onrs,
as is commonly supposed, but like those
In the East. 1t was spacious building.
The eastern caravanserai looks like
fortress, in it's exterior. The grand
archway leads to an area, containing O
we'll in its centre. The sides are sur.
rounded by piazza and in the wall are
doors leading TO cells of an oblong form,
which were used as lodging rooms by
travellers, before the entrance of which
they tied their animals. In these apart
ments travellers were excluded from nil
observation. They are private apart
ments. It is one OF these recesses that
q distinguished biblicist and Eastern
traveller supposes that Joseph and Mary
occupied, who says this explanation to
his own mind, after actllnl observation in
Eastern travel, is far preferable to any he
was able to conceive of the circumstances,
before such opportunity occurred.