The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-12-25
GREETING.

Most cordially and sincerely we extend t
all readers Of the BULLETIN the greeting o
the morning hour. To young and old, t.
gay and grave, to romping childhood, to rosy
youth, to the female charm and manly
strength Of mature years, to the silver gray
Of middle age, and to those whose pleasure II
is to promote the happiness Of the young, We
wish MERRY CHRISTMAS. Nor Is this oui
wish and salutaton limited to this transient
holiday; but it is wish for such good fortune
as will make their lives happy and contented
through all the coming year and until 1t
pleases the Master of Life to close their earthly
career. We wish that this holy tide OF spe-
cial ioy may be merry in the sense of supreme
and pervadipg gladness rather than IN mere
| spasmodic and boisterous merriment. Let
the time be innocently merry through the
action OF happy thoughts and kind emotions,
expressed in loving words and quiet tones, in
timely gifts, such as are fit for those who give
and those who receive, and in the warm, true
and hearty salutations to which this very old
holiday is consecrated.
halle wed era in its religious aspect nor to tell
here why in the train of. many centuries each
returning anniversary is celebrated by the
always swelling millions of Christendom in
all chimes and ATTITUDES. In the notions Of
frolicksome childhood and buoyant youth, in
the thought of the joyous and gay, around
the loaded tables of festive mirth, in the
marts where holiday gifts are bought and
sold, on the crowded streets where all seek
pleasure, the deep and solemn meaning of the
day may be, for the time, forgotten. The
people of all Christian lands to-day rejoice
and as the rolling sphere brings back the era
from year to year, century after century, and
until " time shall be no more" the day will
be celebrated by millions who do, and by
many more millions who do not know why it
should be hallowed. 1t is we'll that it should
be so, and that simple childhood and un-
thinking ignorance should be impressed with
a reflected sense of the JOY experienced by
those mature in years and knowledge. 1t is
well that childhood should carol, sing and
dance around the Christmas tree, while igno-
rant of the holy legend of which it is a
symbol.
Let all forms of harmless merriment be
tolerated and encouraged. Let there BIO no
interference with infantle or youthful pleas
ure. Let those who have outgrown emotions
of jollity be patient to-day with youths I'M
refined merriment, remembering that they
many among us who struggle with poverty
aud many others bending under loads of sor
row, but let those who are poor and those
who must mourn still be glad that there are
many thousands happy, even if they can not
be so themselves.
This is a very appropriate season for THOSE
blessed with ample comforts to look about
them and find the distressed and the unfortu-
nate, and to give to such some small taste Of
the pleasures appropriate to the day. A few
gifts from their ample stores will make glad the
hearts of those who know nothing Of happi.
ness, except as they witness the enjoyment Of
Others For this one Christmas day even the
unshod, ragged children Of the very poor
ought to be made happy; for this one night
none should go to bed hungry, and envious Of
the children of the rich. As the great occasion
which we celebrate relates to the welfare Of
the race at large, SO ought its celebration to be
an occasion of general and not of partial re-
joicing. Let those whom fortune has favored
be mindful Of those upon whom adversely has
fallen, rem embering that what is given in good
time, in due proportion and in proper spirit,
is double benefit, blessing to the giver
and to the receiver.
At some future return of this hallowed era
we hope to be able to extend our greeting to
a municipal community free from political
thraldom and on the high road of prosperity.
But even then, our earnest wishes for the
well-being and happy destiny of the good
people of New Orleans and Louisiana could
be no more cordial or hearty than those we
OFF