Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-12-19
CHRIS TMAS.

CHRLST MAS.
The Christmas holidays are rapidly APP
preaching. The Weekly Journal printed
oday will bear our merry Christmas
greeting to its readers. May they all,
young and old. enjoy to the full the fes-
tivities of the season. May the tokens OF
friendship, given and received, be abund-
ant, expressive of warm and generous
hearts, and serve to kindle to bright and
more enduring fame the spark that glows
upon loves altar. May the emblems OF
Immortality that deck church, hall, man
sion or cot, whether of holly. mistletoe,
or the common evergreens OF our Name
forests, bear their glorious meaning to all.
clothing the world with hope and JOY, and
filling the soul with peace and good will
to all mankind
We could not il we would forget that
this is the Christmas time. Busy hands
in every household foreshadow it. The
columns of the papers tell of it. Win
dows and doors of places of business are
crowded with articles for all classes, ages
and conditions, suitable for gifts. Crowds
are upon the streets looking, examining.
and at last slyly purchasing the presents
that are to come down for the loved ones
mysteriously on Christmas night. either
through the agency of Santa Claus or
some equally invisible power. Christmas
never approaches unannounced. 1t new
err resigns its sceptre. When the holidays
are over the joyous recollection of them
lives. gliding the past and turning the eye
to the future where their pleasures are
to be repeated There is no other
season which the young remember
and enjoy as Christmas. 1t is great life
mark Youth looks forward to catch WIS.,
ions of it in the future, old age gazes back
ward at its blessings rendered Whoever
looks over the marriage notices in the pa
pers Immediately after Christmas, finds
that they increase largely about that time.
Hearts may have been interchanged before,
the house and housekeeping goods may
be all ready, but the sacred pledge, the
holy bond that should make two souls one
until death doth them part, is oftenest,
best and most appropriately given in the
Christmas time. How many happy hearts
are now in futter over the anticipated
nuptial ceremonies of the coming Christ
mas?
There are whispers already, but the pa
pers will tell the story by-and by. If mar
rage is to be joy forever, what season
can be better for its consummation than
when happiness floods the earth and the
symbols of love and life forever deck
eveay household in the landp Then as
years roll on, the anniversary of the mar
riage day is celebrated in the universal
gladness, awakening more clearly the
memories of the occasion, and filling with
deeper measure the cup of retrospective
felicity.
Leaving the strictly home thoughts con-
nected with Christmas, how wonderful it
seems that the great social and religious
festival of all the enlightened nations of
the earth, is in commemoration of the
birth of one born in manager. Over an
origin so humble as this, kings, princes
and people rejoice. Skeptics may sneer
at the story of the lowly birth of the
Savior, but the influence which it exerts,
and has exerted, is fact which they fail
to understand or answer. Over all the
Christian world the event is celebrated 1t
was first kept in 9S. About the year 1877
the nativity was ordered to be kept as
solemn feast, by Pope Telesphorus, since
which time it has been regularly observed
by all christian people, in some form. 1t
has been the occasion of massacre and
persecution, as when the emperor Diocle-
tan set church on fire in which it was
being kept, destroying 600 persons in the
burning pile, and commencing series of
prosecutions which continued ten years.
This year more than four hundred millions
of people will hail with Joy the anniver-
sary OF the biltirof Christ.
That time "when all shall know him.
from the least to the greatest cannot be
far distant. The progress of Christianity
from the manger to the control of the
world is miracle Of itself. Nothing like
it is known in history. The Roman en-
pire has gone down to the dust, kings and
conquerers have flonrished while and
sunk, but the march OF the doctrines OF
the son of Joseph, the carpenter, is r-
resistiblc.
Then, nail the merry Christmas season !.
Let all share its gayeties. Open the
heart and hand generously. Let the frosty
blood flow warmly again, and the i'm
pulses of youth run freely. Allow limo
cent mirth full rein. Remember the
poor in their need and relieve their wants
Merry, Merry Christmas TO all