The New York herald., 1873-12-25
What Was The First Great Christmas
Gift on Record?
SST. NlcAOLAAS, GOOD HElLlG MANI"
Old England's 'Wassail Bowl and Young
Americas Egg Nogg.
HOW THE DAY WILL BE OBSERVED,

=
landscape, no human creature in sight nothing to
be seen but blue mountains and green valleys mel
low and radiant in the sunlight nothing TO be
heard but the cool wash OF the river and the
momentary rustic OF the forest a peaceful sadness
creeps over him. and he is suddenly confronted
with m apparition--hmself as he used TO be. His
vanished and forgotten youth comes back TO him,
comes stealing toward him from the lonely glen
and the dark ravine, as though in that obscure
resting place it had lain and waited for him many
\ year. And so. for one sacred resurrectionary
hour, he holds communion with the boyhood that
has passed away forever, with the dreams OF youth
that never have been realized.
holiday will occasionally bring about similar
state of feeling. The demands oil practical life so
quickly and thoroughly brush away mere senti-
ment that some special occasion or event is
needed to reach the little that may be left in a
mature mind. But holiday brings about touch
ing contrasts between old ana young, and 1t is
these contrasts which probe the adult heart and
cause it to yearn toward the green pastures OF
YOUTH Christmas is king OF holidays in this re-
epect. He proves that II youth and Grabbed age
cannot live together, they can, at least, be very
good company ior each other one day in the year.
Santa Claus is the champion paciacator. "Merry
Christmas means 'Iet us have peace" kriss
Kringle is diplomatist-in-chief in reconciling the
differences between infancy and age. Just now we
called him King, but is he not rather Chief Magis-
trate in the Republic of Good Hlmor7 No White
House vies with his which the snow has conse-
Grated. Let call him Chief Justice, t0o with no
spot upon his faky ermine. He is not hero,
this magnanimous and jovial myth. Still
less is he cynic turned saint. He
never uttered proverb or gave bad advice about
the training of children There Is a tradition in
ctrnoc Eya hn tc in had
childrens stockings; but we are inclined to regard
this as piece Of parental regeneration, wholly
unsupported by iact II there is any one thing that
Kriss Krnge especially respects it is the sentiment
of the occasion, and 1t is this trait that has won
for him the fidelity OF his young friends. Children
have liveier faith in him than most ADULTS seem
to have in the Creator Krss Kringle dwells within
the Arctic circle, with the North Pole for his fiag
stan. He has his pick Of reindeer and drives
sleigh that would make him millionaire II he only
chose TO patent it. His religion is the belief that
the 25th OF December s the time par eJceReace for
books and toys and sweetmcats. he presides over
the inventive genius Of toydom, quickens the
brains Of Caleb Plummer and inspires the Hartz
Brothers with new tricks. He hates stingy
people. He puts 1t into the hearts OF the rich
" be generous, and Of the poor not to expect
much more than they get Many people
Christmas and Christmas in state of torpor and
Inactivity like the snake. But this is a piece Of
ignorance which does gross injustice TO his in
dustry and sympathy with human nature, espe-
cially child nature. He visits often, though we
recognize him not Many o time he Is the angel
whom we are entertaining unawares. At every
festival in which children largely share this tute
larry deity OF childhood is present in spirit On the
Fourth OF July ne is behind every pinwheel. On
Thanksgiving Day he ordains two pieces Of mince
pie to the bairnies who would else get only one;
on the 1st OF April he replenishes the world with
April fools, and st. Valentines Day gives double
duty to the postman. In short. the Kriss Kringle
spirit, Of which Christmas Day js the essence,
makes Itself felt ID Hnr6c6gnized instalments ct
certain intervals throughout the year.
HUMANIrYs CHRISTMAS GIFT.
Gods Christmas GIFT to humanity was Christ.
The theology and dogma OF the subject we leave
70 the commentators. Few indeed are the wor-
shippers who win not agree with us when, with
out sectarian sentiment, we point to the life Of
Christ on earth as the most valuable gift humanity
has yet received. Why the gift was not made
sooner twere vain to speculate. 1t came in the
fullness Of time Humanity has had noble gifts
from the same source from time to tme-gitts which
It has despised, ignored and rejected. But 1t is
intention not to preach sermon, but to indicate
t..e strange manner in which the Christmas senti-
ment has grown. Christ was spiritual gift. Un-
happily mankind cannot initiate their Creator in
this 1t is as much as the best Of can do TO OBJ
tain spiritual gifts for ourselves, without attempt
ing to get them for our neghbors. Hence, perhaps,
the interchange OF material presents. They are
the only refuge for the expression OF love and good
WILL II we cannot give our neigbbor the orna-
ment Of Q meek and quiet spirit (and sometimes
We suspect, he wishes he were able to bestow that
ornament on us), we give him an earthly gem in
stead, and, we are sorry to say, probably please
him great deal more.
CHRISTMAS IN A BROWN STONE FRONT.
Rich people are never much reverenced as at
Christmas time. Then all Of us who cannot live in
brown stone fronts bow down before the brown
stone element Humanity thirsts for comfort as
the pores OF a sponge for water. The good, the
beautiful ana the true are all very wel but what
the average man prefers is the luxurious, and the
luxurious is represented by the brown stone 'front.'
The Christmas OF the rich is a solid fairy land
which our senses tell us exists, though not per-
haps for rs. The dog has more humanity in him
than we have, for the dog hangs over Lazarus,
whlle all our eyes are given TO Dives Rags are
inviting in pictures, but purple and fine linen will
DO for every day. And 80 we dream OF dainty
saloons dedicated TO graceful games and embel-
lishmcnts Of holly and evergreen. Nothing un-
pleasant shall enter the voluptous and innocent
little heaven, with its armament OF gas jets, its
noor wadded with carpets softer than clover, ts
delicate curtains, it's brilliant tapestries, its
Illuminated Christmas tree aname ike the
burning bush, It's music and laughter
and dancing, its warmth, Its fcrvor, its
fepartees and Its firtations. This is the
kind OF Christmas found by the hundred In all
large cities Its antithesis is found by the thou
sand little way in the back ground. What are
the componcnts OF this unique bit OF actual happi-
ness Have we reached 1t when we mention the
sentiment OF homer No. Family anection9 No.
Good health, good humor, animal spirits9 No. All
these, doubtless. have ething to DO with It, but
by no means everything. What theni We know ouI
carnal minded reader win not dissent when VIC
reply, plenty Of money. The sentiment Of home
and family anection, exquisite attributes both
Let II not for one moment be imagined that w