Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-12-19
Christmas /!

Wednesday next is Christmas j
How sweetly it sounds; thrilling the
innermost part of our being with its
sacred, yet joyous melody. Years
come and go, yet every revolving pc
Rod of time brings the glad tidings I:
"Peace on earth, good will toward
men," Memory goes fitting back
ward Ger the sea of time, and gives
MS back for a few brief moments the
happy, careless days of childhood.
How slowly to our infant mind the
years seemed to roll around; and how
vainly we strived to grasp the idea of
the weeks and months that must in
tervene between the present and the
Ienged for time. Would Christmas
never come? Happy childhood =
Many years are added to the book of
Time since then. The SHOWS of Win
disturbed upon many new made
graves, and our locks are being thick
ly sprinkled with the frosts of years.
Often have the dark clouds of adver-
sity well nigh wrapped our little bark
in gloom and darkness, leaving US
without a beacon light to guide
fraiI craft DER life's troubled ocean;
but the star of Bethlehem yer shone
mantle of gloom from our pathway,
and casting its silver light with added
splendor DER the restless pillows, till
our own soul echoed back the blest
command, "Peace be STILL"
Christmas is herel with its throng-
ing associations, its clustering hopes,
its tender memories OF. home and
hearthstonel What a shadow would
fall upon the fircside memories if the
glowing light of the Christmas fire
was darkened? What a void would
be left in all our literature, if all that
Christmas has inspired with eloquence
and beauty were Withdrawn from it?
What would the whole year be with
ouS its most blessed and haIIowed of
Christian and social festivals? What
a loss would there be from u heart
store of thoughts, fancies, emotions,
loves, joys and friendships, if all that
cluster around Christmas were re-
moved?
Christmas is here! and though to
thousands ofmourning ,desolate hearts
its return Will be fraught with sug-
gestive sadness-wilI mock with bar
rem greetings many long cherished
remembrauccs OF former joy-its gen
eraI observance, catching the reckless
gaiety of the public spirit, will doubt
less be marked with greater ostenta-
ton of social glee, and with greater
liberality of friendly i~nterchanges
than for many years before. We are
glad that its welcome approach is thus
joyously accompanied. 1t is scarcely
possib1etiat in the social enjoyments,
and the generous min~istrations of the
season, its fraternal sentiment can be
wholly forgotten or resisted-and few
are the hearts, we joy to think, which
will not respond to its eloquent ap-
peals for mutual charity and brother1y
kindness, or which will fail to expand
with some degree of "good will to-
ward men,"
1t is well hat we should be happy
at this time. And it is doubly desi-
rable that the blissful decisions, the
ecstatic anticipations of childhood,
should be darkened with no tinge of
sadness. Let us endeavor at least to
preserve for their future smiles, the
undarkened memory Of the kindling
fancies, the happy realities, and the
gushing gladness which surrounds
the "Merry Christmas" of childhood
with the golden halo of a perpetual
joy. If you would keep life's skies
always bright, let not the clouds of
disappointment or of sadness obscure
the roseate beams of its early dawn.
Let all contribute something to swell
thestide of Juvenile gratitude in this
season consecrated to peace and char
ity. So may we all properly celebrate
Christmas day, and so doing may rise
9 stepping stones of our dead selves,
"And deem the irrevocahle past
Not wholly wasted, wholly lost
'Ifrisiugo on its wreck at last,
To something noble we attain"
We therefore tender our readers,
Il and all, old and young, rich and
moor. hi1h and low. saint and sinner.