The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-12-26

oHi3 SootoII, III once Oh MS cps Ties, states
that julius, on the solicitation of CyliI
of Jerusalem, caused strict INQUIRIES 70
be made on this subject, and
thereafter, following what seemed
to be the best authenticated tradition
settled authoritatiYely the 18th of De-
cember as the anniversary of Christ's
birth, making it, in Chrysostom's
phrase, Fest0run1 On1niuln netr0Dolis
the metropolis of all feasts-and this
distinction it has since maintained.
Other authority, of doubtful value,
however, represents the fixing Of the
day to have been accomplished two
hundred years previously by Tele-
phOrus, Who was Bishop of Rome 12S-
139 4. ID. And towards the close of the
second century, in the reign OF the EN-
perOr COmm0dus, a reference has been
found to the observance of Christmas.
4 century later, in the time of Diocle-
tian, the celebration of the Nativ ty bv
Christians in Nicomedia was made the
occasion of an atrociOus act of cruelty
on the part of that infamous ruler. In
that he caused the church in which
the festival occurred to be
set on fire, and, by barring
every means of egress from the
building, caused the agonizing death
of every wOrshlpper. 1t will be seen
from the statements made that, whileno
record exists whereby to fix with GER
tainty the date of the Saviours birth
the day we now call Christmas has for
at least fifteen hundred years been uni
formly observed by all the nations of
Christendom as the anniversary of the
/ Nativity. And it would he a libel on
humanity to doubt chat, unless future
research shall stamp upon some other
day the certainty of being the true an
niversary of the Saviour's birth, the
/ world and the church viii always con-
| tInue to hold consecrate the 25th of De
cember as commemorative of that mo
mentous event.
PRESENT GIVING.
Presents, says gentle, quaint and
genial Ella, ''endear absents." True
enough SO far as it goes, but only half
a truth, IN that it does not go half far
enough. Both those at home and those
! at distance become endeared through
/ the medium of timely and iudicious
/ gifts. At this annual festival season,
which is peculiarly a time Of manifest
ing affection and good will no thoughts
are more profitable than those which
carry the heart beyond the narrow Gil
Gle of self, and permit il to twine the
tendrils OF love, sympathy and liberal
! ity around our fellows,
TIE heart hat feels another's woes
Shall fad each selfish sorrow less;
| The mind that happiness bestows
reflected happiness VIII bless.
/ And Christmas is emphatically a sea-
4 son full of blessing, in just the degree
! that we believe and act upon the assur-
ance Of Him whose birthday we com
memorate, and who said, cit is more
/ blessed to give than to receive" just
as home is where the heart is, so Is
/ gift that which the heart makes it,
whether the heart be that Of the donor
or the recipient. Il need not be q thing
of cost, or even OF beauty, to make it Il
! JOY, temporarily il not forever. Thou
sands of simple and inexpensive pres
ents will pass between sympathetic
/ hearts during the coming week, and
/ bear III their train incalculable
pleasures; while, on the other hand.
many costly gem and golden gift viii
utterly fail to bless either the giver or
the receiver. Moreover, gifts, even
! Christmas gifts, are not necessarily ma
terial or tangible, for a word, ii smile, Il
kindly act, may prove, in many an IN
stance, the most acceptable of presents,
and become OF itself the benson most
craved and most welcome. Even the
crumbs of comfort which, III the alb
! sence OF some more preteltious or cost
| ~ gift, even the poorest of rs may be
stow upon some saddened ueighbor, may
come i'll for recognition from Him who
said "Inasmuch as we have done it
1 unto one of the least of these, my breth-
rem, we have done it INTO me" And
/ this word Crumbs brings to mind
/ those suggestive and prettily turned
! lines of the English artist-author, whose
good advice most APPLY reinforces what
/ has already been said above
SCATTER YOUR CRUMBS.
BY ALFRED cRowQUuL.
Amidst the freezing sleet and SNOW,
The timid robin comes:
In pity drive him not away,
But scatter out your crumbs.
And leave your door upon the latch
For whatsoever comes:
The poorer they more welcome give.
And scatter out your crumbs
All have to spare none are too poor
When want with winter comes:
The loaf is never all your own,
Then scatter out your crumbs
Soon winter falls upon your life,
The day of reckoning comes;
Against your Sins by high decree.
Are weighed those scattered crumbs.
A touching story is told 20 the effect
that once when one of the boys Of an
orphans refuge had said tn grace,
Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and
bless what thou has provided, a little
fellow looked around and said, 'Do
tell me why the Lord Jesus never
comes We ask him every day to sit
with US, and he never comes. | shall
set him n seat Just then there was
knock at the door. \ poor boy entered,
begging a nights LODGING He was
made welcome, tie char stood empty
for him; every child wanted him
to have his plate The stranger was
quite overcome with such I'M
common attentions. Then spoke up the
little fellow before referred to, saying:
"The Lord Jesus could not come, and
so he sent this poor boy III his place;
isn't that it?' Thus was child's faith
eyinced and rewarded. And similar
spirit, on the part of children OF
larger growth, has abundant field for its
manifestation, with all the more Ger
+ointv of raHpcfjnp haT,rinaua 11r1Dp its