The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-12-25


But BUT now now begins; for from this happy day
The old Dragon, under ground
In straiter limits found
Not half so far casts his usurped sway
And, wroth to see his kingdom fail,
Swindges the scaly horrour of his folded tail
Millions Hymn Of the Nativity.
the progressive spirit that there is in
Christianity has greatly modified human con-
ceptions of the Christmas festival. The mys-
tic and supernatural conception, exemplfed
in the lines we have quoted from Millions Ia
nous poem, has given way to national and
especially to humane conception. Christ
mas is becoming more and more the holiday
of the poor, as it onght to be to accord with
the profoundly philanthropic spirit in which
the Saviour made benevolence, love and the
giving of aims the cardinal principles of the
Christian faith, though they are 50 often sub.
ordinated to the puerilites Of vain formal
ism. SO far have mankind progressed from
what may be called the Hydrologic ideas of
medieval Christianity that the cmbarrass
ments of "the old Dragon under ground" have
ceased to be the uppermost topics of Christ
mas contemplation. He may ''swinge the
scaly horrour of his taiP to his hearts con-
tent, if it so be that merry Christmas" is made
to mean something to all Gods creatures, and
if on that day the poor, as well as the rich, are
protected from cold and hunger.
But there is still room for further extern
sion OF the idea of Christmas benefactiops. or
at least for their diversion into more appro-
pirate channls. There would be no propriety
In robbing Christmas of its festal character,
its traditional rites, the ecstacies of ioy it
brings to youth, and the circumspect revelry
that belong to its due observance. But if the
rich fountains of benevolent and kindly feel
ing that are opened on that day were made
still more to flow in the direction of those
that live and those that suffer-if it were
brought about that in no Christian land on
that day there were need or sorrow that could
be relieved by Christian effort-if gifts were
given more to those from whom nothing is
expected in return, then would the festival
approximate more nearly than even now 10
the ideal Christmas.
Shakespeare, our great master in ethics as
we'll as in all else incites us to this better an.
probation of the significance of the Christ
mas festival. From the somber twilight and
awful gloom of King Lear there CLEAN out
bright gems of Christian thought and deep
Christian feeling, from which even the I'd
vanced philanthropy of the nineteenth centu-
ry may take lesson. Instead of some TO-
cund carol, then, let these Shaksperian lines
inspire our more sober Christmas thoughts:
Poor, naked wretches wheresoe'r you are,
hat do 10 mol nj hie mill
How shall your housess heads and unted sides,
Your looped and Widowed raggedness defend YOU
From seasons such as these9 q have ta'en
Expose myself to feel what wretches feel
That thou mays shake the superfux to them
And show the heavens more just.
Thus speaks the aged king when filiai in
gratitude and the treachery of friends had
left him houseless and unprotected to brave
the fury of the elements. And the blind old
Earl of Gloster, whose loyalty to his king had
cost him his eyes and all his estate, when he
is being led to Dover by an associate in mis-
fortune, exclaims:
Here, take this purse, thou whom the heavens
plagnes
Have humbled to all strokes: that am wretcbed
Makes thee happier Heavens, deal SO still!
Let the superfuous and Unsolicited man.
mat slaves your ordinance, that will not see
Because he doth not feel, feel your power quickly;
So distribution shall undo excess
And each man have enough.
When Gloster meets Edgar we have anoth-
er rendering of Virgil's famous
Non ignara mali, m,iseris succurrere disco.
Gloster asks, snow, good sir,what are you ?"
To which the reply is,
most poor man made tame by fortunes blows.
Who, by the art of known and feeling sorrows
Am pregnant to good pity.