The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-12-24
A KERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

again" when the cares of business, the
falsehood of friends and the 6ckleness of
the fair that ossi6es the heart, making us
Indifferent to the sorrows of the unfortunate
are forgotten in family reunions, generous
hospitality, secret charities and the banquet
board. 1t is the day of "good will to all
men," and comes closely homo to all hearts,
drawing the church and the home nearer
together, leveling the distinctions of birth,
rank and riches, and calculated 70 awaken
better thoughts, nobler resolves and truer
manhood for all. il il hsilowed BY the
bright memories Of childhood and held
s.crad nv the sender associations of matur-
9. age. Under its kindly impulses, the mind
sof,ens with sympathy and makes oil more
heedful of the wants of the less fortunate,
as they are brought to remember the bless
ings that fall to their lot. The keynote of
this day is charity, and we hope no reader Of
| the ARGUS IS he goes home with his Christ
mas presents to make his little ones glad,
will forget tho little ones whose fathers
diminished purse, will not permit him to
make his home glad. Let US remember
that the sudden change from . mild Indian
Summer to the severe rigors of winter may
have found many unprepared for "Merry
Christmas" tomorrow. The churches may
be decked with holly, ivy and ever0reens, but
what if in the next door there be the dreary
incidents of the sick room, there be one
whom failure of work. lack of food, fuel and
clothing prevents from joining you? We
would not ask that the sturdy beggar, able
but unwilling to work, the pretended sick,
the simulated cripple, and ell of that vile
horde which defraud compassion shoold be
made the recipients of your Christmas
charities but let not the poor widow ssrug-
Cling, as many do, more bravely for her
little ones than any frey soldier for glory
in the breach, the honest laborer unable to
End work or temporarily disabled from toll,
the shop girl half tempted because wholly
poor,-in one word the deserving poor. and
1--WE have them with us always" look in vain
for q Merry Christmas when you can make
their hearts glad so easily. The ministers
may tell you how the shepherds watched
their focks BY night, but let him not forget
to add word for weary care and dark des-
pair. AS good deeds seem co-existent with
this day, let no hand be restrained from re-
lieving, or no heart be prevented from sym
pa.hizing with Gods poor, the bereaved, the
unfortunate and the distressed. There is
more of Christ in letting your Christmas
charity cover all of these, asking no ques-
tions, but wreathing their faces with smiles
anu decking tneir nunrys wpu KarInnus
good deeds than in making beautiful your
places of worship, and il filing those sisles
with rustling sick, and that the most sacred
music roll through that lofty edifce with its
tessooned svergreens.
The observance of Christmas is OF most
ancient origin. Long before Christ was
born, the Feast of the SOL was celebrated.
The Scsndinavians watched the declining
rays of the sun from early spring even to
December, with great anxiety, and erected
alanting dolmsns to detect the FIRST certainty
of its approaching return and when in
formed that its face was once more turned
towards their hsbitations, over which their
enemy, the snow, had already usurped his
authority, they brought the Yule log to the
fire, and danced, and sung, and shouted,
and drsnk-the grand carouse of all the
year making the frozen air jubilsnt with
their Christmas carols under the mistletoe.
Many, many years before Christ was born,
or mass had ever been sung in honor of
the "Sun of Righteousness" the "Fesst of
the Sol" was celebrated.
Selden informs Us that the Christian
church, DESTROYS of abolishing the Saturnalia
of the Romans, q festival instituted in honor
of Saturn, appointed q festival in honor of
her Divine master to supsscede it. But the
observance of the day did not become gene
eral until about the year 500. By some of
our ancestors it was viewed in the double
light of a religious and joyful season of fes
tivities. The midnight preceding Christmas
day, everybody went to mass, and on Christ
mas day three different masses were sung
with much pomp and solemnity. Others
celebrated it with great splendor and hospi-
tally.
Within the hall are song and laughter
The cheeks of Christmas glow red and Jolly |
And sprouting in every corbel and rsfter
With the lightsome green of ivy and holly
Through the deep gulf Of the chimney wide
"allows the Yule logs roaring tide.
Business was superseded by hospitality
and merriment the most csreworn counte-
nance frightened on the occasion the poor
est hearth rejoiced in tie blaze of the Yule
log +; and all tables partook of the Christ
mas cheer. Ii
From the Germans we have borrowed I
The pretty custom of the christmas Tree" 7
Destud with glittering gifts, with blazing ia. v
pers and with golden apples. Never tree v
bore richer or more brilliant Fruit Few f
villages, even the most remote from the e
centres OF civilization, but boast of their d
christmas tree, oft times lighted and fruited re
or the benefit of the Sunday school and a b
rec more productive Of pleasure and fun, 70
7as never before planted We deck our bl
ouses and churches with evergreens be- v,
euse at this sacred time the earth, then
rapt III darkness, was as it we're, clothed -
living green" by the birth of the God
IAN. Fit emblems are they Of the never n
TIng spirit of our Lord and Master q.
Christmas is day forever sacred to chill
EN-, and its coming is anticipated with 60,
eat Joy. We pity tine child who has never h.
ing his stocking by the chimney's side
ID gone to bed fully pursuaded that Santa y,
aus would come down the chimney and ",
1t to the Overlooking with rosy checked III
pies, nuts, figs and candies. We always VI
,ced chair by the side of our stocking nj
catch the articles that it could not con- IN
a, and went to bed determined to keen orr