, 1874-12-25

HHt tMEy 1HS 1I9AGCN EH1fAL FH9p
For they controlled 1.lo when hoy;
They bring 1no Hurrow touched with Joy,
Tho merry. merry bells OF Snlc~
So sings tho svootest Of all living poets, in
that wonderful memorial poem, wl,ch in no less
u worthy tribute to manly friendship tllat hon
ored both vnarcrs in it, tllan Iorcblo Testimony
to Tho consultations Of tho Christian religion.
70 tho heart that has learned to trust M well as
TO love, the ealdcst memories but bring "Hor-
row touched with toy." JOY that no earthly
blessing gives, ana Which no earthly loss Gnu
take nwny.
To most, especially tlosa who hayc pasacd tho
hoyday tmo Of their youth. all anniversaries
bring with them breath OF sadness marking,
as they do, special eras in life, thoy reu,ud us
anow Of tho cllangeful nnturo of all things tint
nurround lie, and Of oursclrcs also. As VIC pause
at cacl milestone, we note tho gaps IN tho circlo
Of friends, TINT aomo vanished ono las left since
the 1aat meeting, aud in pcriahod hopes, friendu,
delights, mud days. We find tho record to which
wo always wish to close our oycs,-that OF our
own individual mortality!
a truce to sentiment! Litt1o place has 1t in
tho morry-makiug Of this hollday-time, and llttlo
appropriateness to tho record Of q faw old ELL
porstitionB aud customs gathered from musty old
tones and muBtior traditions.
IHG O4sf1AfAaEE VI GAM1SIAA8
Mt the date nnd for the reason now assigned,
viz. to commemorate tho birth Of Christ, had
its origin III tho second century. For somo time
previous commemorative services llad been held
in tho various churches, but 10 uncertain waH
to dato of tho oycnt which, tl,oy celebrated thas
tloy were hold at various times within I. period
extending from tho CaleEt3s Of january to tho
1dcs Of May. Whom. howoser, the matter waH
tho Roman Consula osnsuinol, tho 25tl Of De-
cembcr was fixed upon; aud VIC may judge
TINT tho reaBons for tic choice Ind u
fair share of probability, for the date was. sub.
seouontly, universally ncconted. Tho name Of
the day was plainly CllriBt.masa originally, mass
being tho name thon used for ali religious Hor-
vices. But, turning from tho primitive Church
as 1t existed in tho Greek and Roman PROVINCES,
VIC find TINT, In Northern Europe. nlso, this day
was observed. There, however, 1t WIS
KNOWN Al ruI4E, on YuLE-rtDE,
OF this word tloro are na1ly etymologics given,
as different aB thoy arc numerous. Loarned
men have disputed much about it, some deriving
| 1t from o Danish word slgnifyng wheel, othors
from similar dialectio name OF the sun, and
still others from Julius Cmsar Tut tho 1nost
probable assertion il that it Ia derived from tho
Saxon "gool," meaning a featiylty.
However this may be, it IL certain TINT 1t s
rightly applied to tho Heason Of Christmas, mi.
also that 1t wps used to denote time Of festiylty
very auciently, mud bofoEo tho introduction Of
Christianity among tho northern nations. 10
this day. it is said, the 1co1andcrs dato the bo-
ginning OF their yeag from tue tlme OF Ynle, il,
accordance with very anclont custom which tho
laws OF their country oblIgo tl,cn to rotain, a
poraon's age they often reckon, also, by tAo
| number Of Yu}oB he l,as lived.
III tho Lntln Church Christmas was also calotl
tho FeaBt Of Iiglts. Bono llavo supposed tllat
! thin had reference to tho Scripture, which
call, nnr Saviour tho True Light, a1il from
tbut nlao lorlyad tho tlHo 0f Christmas candies
| an Christmas fires. 1t IL moro probable, Iluw-
oyug Tint lilo 1at,nr dato tI,eir origin hack to
l'ngat. customs. Ci',latn'ag, in tl0 primitive
Church, VIII observed like tho Sabhath Uny, and,
llko II, wAs preceded by n vigil. For lllH pllr'
poao. candles weso necessary, and it IL probab>e,
| ti.sco candles woro hardly procusablo by all, OF.
! nocialiy the poor, that t!reB wcro used in their
stead. But In Northern Europe where fu!e-tida
was obaeryed far mora uniyorBalIy, and with far
moro Hpost and ,jol!ty than In tho South. tho
Yulo-log ana lighted Christmas tree were bor-