Middletown transcript., 1871-12-23

Christmas season wcrc rigilly but inaiiect-
ually prescribed. till finally tho Church |
began to take possession Of and adapt to
its own uses many Of the Pagan ccrcmo-
mics. IN Britain the Christmas fcsiiyi- |
ties were largely modified By old Bruiic /
rites anl supcrs,itons. and aiierward by
The customs Of the Saxous and Danes. In
cyilally the original Christmas celebration,
in Whatever cline il was observed, fell
under the influence of the great Pagan
festivals Of iha; same season. and The En-
glis.: Christmas festival bpcamc a medley
of both Christian and Pagan rites, Solemn
services Of worship represented the holy
lay ms originally, instituted and observed
while the Festivities OF the time represent,
ed those Pagan elements, from both the
South aud the North Of Eurepc. hy The
Introduction Of which the sacred day be-
came the frees. and rulest sort Of holiday
The eyeesses which marked the Christ
mas nf the Middle Ages. aud Of s1u.ewint
later ages also have disappeared; and our
prescn, festival is uonu the worss for what
Paraui,m did for il 50 many centuries
ago. i.oag before Julius Caesar haa ST
foot IN B,,oin, Or 81 Augustine bad
preached the t,osprl to the kcnii,h men,
the Druid. held their annual festival h
honor II the >;uil.Gol. The r2allc ~
bg ,hr priests, wtn; forth 10 gather the
sacred mislctnc /; was then distributed
among ibe panplc. who affixed hnughs Of
il 10 the entrances of their dwelliHg., ~ il
pr0piliaiion OF the ieijies dgrins tbs vim
ter frost, aud SHOWS The uses of this
s1inc bush nj Chris ;nas-tide in England
are wel known The burning ut the
lule. lag is certnauy derived from tl4u
Oh SrluiinayiauS. who were wont q; iheit
trs,ita,, 10 lndls huge h6uiireg in honor
If ihor gr biin. The fetching it, Il ih.'
lnlr.lug anl NJ va,i tire thereon in the
capaviaa. eld iige.lalc wcfe grcn, event.
IL ently English days Thr !geEd M,
rngcinly preserved. with which 10 liell
4 ;he n-Si Christmas fire; uea il seas Ia
7 Il ge tlitt tii brand bal = mari" power
IL protect H. lis .,jhe wl.as .ait NJ pte.
served flnf Gre ~ mi .uiel' au Gh',t-
p,:.. +. tnc .,t,i If all Chtislim pra.
! de we're l. lievel L. f4ll ~ III il t;uees ii
+ alteration evcn n the eSHA d.i Il IL
man.ar II sttblhen q sana n tint
iaaf in i'lsif hiYs..: hfell l#tks#l 81 tint
ste n@pef moulded; t6e yrs ef evil
a,i.fa Isl ia#if sr5- aa.zI re n Ills h..
Is s,aza.l m Mza ~. II from al Ha.
IN iaile "
y ~ In Ilaal# ,as.:
5saa.t s5z thu e,tF saia#i tlsss siz.a seHs5
II bs6ze an sssI8#f=s hit;1 ts ssaei#fessl
Ite=t3E5 - ll&Iia staseis 5 HiH4' aa
Ansi tI.pa. tHet sFfa M 45fIi sstu Na5s UlJual
Fie u. II ttt 0ifai#zse5 aas ea ri4nei sts.l.ss
*a155f, ,es, nor aitI b.tt5. Ipster IN fu.ttat
30 b4s;taei a4id .fit.oas i t!sH lin.
II. liz essisai n4nasfef ksefin, Christ
mas ihefe wus much that night stir the
ire of tealeus faf.'5ie II whom
.flna.hfa.I' l,aiis.s MI MN :.Iss-
Oh lait Ms la itaast,
T6.s ettfe5lly aheatiHate.l :, lie ,,aa.
eaaBai.ln a..istilttsses. Which, theg aes
elatesi @efe aalh the ,.afe or is.naa ofihe
ssaanuaia i.hes hal Ia patience viii
iar,ls oi mi ruiz, dancing, m1s4nerade-.
namnttit+, ieep falaliaas, AMI mighty
i.asline. I'm Waltrr Seafi. III lis raeta
!" Narnian. silaas H. tiitlt#t st.e u
liz eieiatt
England Nj a,ef.s l,aelln.l s..a4
til Eifs=lHas Ef6H-a II h5. iatt sia.
\ Iaglsiiziis sait,izszE Ill e.al.l5. Eies5
The poor man beifi lI0asf. - liz feaF
Gaa.f the me.t eliafmiae d. II ehtis,.
ii.s sas:ants W. iIla SINGING # tda;siHas
eaiis LING may il eatiinne u. Ill.
tie bishop. anl ihr eletey wefe want 4
sine ldea,. .letea.p Taylpf snns. shere
thus retsrs II tie Giu.ia - i.,tefziS
a. ,onu as these ilessed l9nsel ellofi.
trls hai sung their Christmas eafal. an9
taught the church 4 hymn II fui inse hsi
aiiires forever i'll the anniversary 81 Til
ies'siiy the angels returned into lleas
cn =
II on tiae it was customary in fns
lan1. an Christmas Day. especially ut tn
aIfcgn5a service. 10 sing carols in tn
{ churches. instead Of the usual psalms ant
hymns: AMI at the el,sa Of srrvicn ih,
, clerk in u lanfl soiee wished all tie eea-
| erl.faiinn " Merty Christmas aud
: llappy Sew Year. :
. Many OF these carols are exrrcdin.
sweet and beautiful. md when sung h,
The fre-h soices ef children come 10 III
, heart like echoes from the nneeis song
, Besides writing the mosi stately Of NIL ole
on lhe Nativity, John Milton, the Pugi
: tan pae,, thus allnaes, in the l2lll Bool
! Of = Paradise Lost TO the first Christina
carroll
"iiis paco ot birth a solemn angel tells
! To simple shepherds keeping wat,h hy night
T They gladly thihcr haste, aud hy qnirc
!. IN sqnndroned angels heard his carol sang.
| In Germany. Christmas Eve is the el,il
,ifen's festival Then the Ghris,mas.irep
i laarn with gifts aud gi,,erns with Ggh,
n Cd ,apers. is unveiled Il is, as one litl
: chil has expressed ii, " Jesus bishda,
: party p And in our own country the es
. If Christmas is very generally devoted I
tho chliren. uni ou Christmas morain
: their stockings bulge and overflow vii,
! the tokens Of good old Santa Claus mys
! terions yisitations.
y In The time Of tho Commonwealth Par