, 1874-12-25
: >
TIE DAY WE CELEBRATE.

What will tho iconoclastH 1onve til aftor n
while? We aro even getting mixed up OIL
Tho aato Of Christmas, tho very day from
'slicllwo tlato NIL things else. An astrououlio-
nj saran, anxious to g1orify tho stars by as-
Eocia.ing them with tho homage paid to the
Savior, but unwilling to sacrifice his mathc-
natieal accuracy to ROMANCE, tradition, or
prejudice, recalls to us that tho tlay wo celo-
brato isut tho day nftor all. III point Of fnct,
it isn't within four years Of tho day. It WAS
not 1874 years ago that tho star shono it
Palestine, and the beasts of tic field gathered
from afar aud bowed down III reverence. It
was 1878 yearsago. In other words, tho Savior
was not born in tho year / A. D., but III
tho ycar X A. D. This isn't very cloar,
wo nelnit, but it Is rs ncnr rs wo can
get Mt. it md preserve tho mathematical
unitioa. The only parallel We can suggest is
in the form Of eonurdrun, with which
parents may start OF their children this
morning. Tho proposition mny DO statctl
thus, and it is q, truo ono Everybody be-
loves Christmas aud Now Years como on tho
sa1no day, or rather the corresponding day,
Of the week; but they do not in 1874 and
1915. Aftor the parents hayo fully 1naao this
out, md solved it to their own satisfaction.
it will 10 tin,o to explain to tho children about
this dreadful mistake wo ]layo boon making,
for the last 1874 yoara,-t]lis lnpso Of four
years. this pioils nnacllronisnl, this fearful
miscalculatiou Of the horologo.
Wo sincerely hope tint this difference Of
-four years will not bo counted up against the
lifotimo Of any persons now in existence. It
wouldn't DO fair. Il wc hnvo actually lost
four years in our computation of ti1uo, wo
shall insist TINT it shall DO takon away from
tho beginning Of tho Christian era; aud not
from tho middle or tho end. The disciples,
saints, aud martyrs Of those enrly days can
not reasonably object to such procedure,
which wo living folks may. Life ia shorter
now than it was in those days we can't
niford to admit the four years and charge it
Up to our account. Wo don't think Christian
ity ought to exact it Of us, and VIC tell the
astronomers and nlathe1naticians plainly that
it is none Of their aTnir, md we shall not
por,nit them to dictate in tho matter.
We also hope, and ore inclined to believe,
TINT tho children, to whom Christmas be-
longs, will havo just as many presents in
their stockings, just as many tapors on their
trees, just US much candy and plum pudding
III their Btomachs, just as litle caro- in their
heads, and just as much fun, as if tho ST.
vior had really como upon earth this day 1871
years ago, md not this day 1873 ycnrs ago.
-Four years to child OH Christmas Day is q
matter OF much less import than four
days to the man or woman who
has seen sooro or two Of Christ
Of hanging them up, who buys presents and
gets none, md who can't cat plum pudding
or Clristmns-pio without seeing maternal
ancestor all night long. If tho four years
difference in tino cau affect q child ut Christ
n,as, it will DO tho poor little follow who
doesn't get any presents, md who might have
been born under different aud happier star
| if this serious error had not been nude by the
| earlier Christians.
i. Il any Of III aye inclined to complain Of
| our lot on this tho lappiest day of all the
year, an cscellont discipline will be found in
looking about to SEQ how much worse of
somebody olso is. Though it appears to be Il
contradiction, it is practically true that no.
body is SO unhappy that ho cannot think OF
somebody olso who is infinitely more wretch.
| oil. This may bo called comparative consola-
ton, aud we commend it to those whom hard
times have struck harder then they expected.
10 all men, woI1ou and children, with Christ.
mas presents and without, in defiance Of nil
mathematical calculations, and with supreme
Indifference whether you celebrate day thet
started 1874 or 1878 years ago, VIC commend
the old saw:
/ ''At christnaa play, aud mako god cheer,
! For Christmas coMca but onco q year,"
|
THE SENATE FINANCE BILL.
The toxt of tho financial bill passed by
41,o Eo1anto mt tho llinl,,ocx.