The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1875-01-28
Highland County Ohio Thursday %, 1876
Correspondence of the News.
Letter from IOwa-A Novel
Cl,ristsnas Celebration.

10 Mr.. EDIToR:-In looking over las
] weeks ''News" I notice that Christ
mas was observed in some way, il
o many places in "old Highland" ant
am prompted to say something il
regard to its observance here. Ii
the NJ. E. Church the Sabbath
School gave us a Christmas Concert
! on Christmas Eve, entitled "Christ
0 mas Lights" with the following di
Z visions:
1. Primeval Lights and Darkness.
II. Prophetic Lights.
III. Daybreak.
". Sun of Righteousness.
Y. Eternal Day.
Embracing the condition of man,
and the different stages of mans
redemption, from the expulsion of
the first guilty pair from Paradise
ard the Tree of Life, to the Celestial
City, with the Tree of Life growing
on either side of the River of Life,
where "There shall be no night
there"
The great central thought of the
whole was Christ, the anniversary of
whose birth we had met to celebrate.
Every sentence except the singing
was taken from the Bible. Nearly
seventy persons gave Scripture pass
ges, each at the proper time, the di-
vision into parts assisting the memory
in regard to the time. In order to
teach by the eye, as well as the ear,
at an early period in the first part,
the singing of an appropriate solo
was abruptly brought to close by
the turning down suddenly of all the
lights about the pulpit and in that
part of the house. This was followed
by voices from the darkness, giving
darkness of the world without a Saw
Scripture passages, showing the moral
ior
The Prophetic Lights followed,
represented by number of boys,
each with lantern so yelled that the
light shone only in one direction,
toward the audience. They appear
ed in quick succession, each giving
a prophetic passage relating to
Christ, and then giving place to the
next.
At the proper times, the lights
were gradually raised, until, during
the last division of the Concert, they
shown out in full brilliancy, togeth-
er with seven others, that were not
lighted at the beginning. /
Appropriate songs were inter
spersed throughout the exercises.
The organists were taken from the
School; some of them were children,
each presiding during the singing OF
single song, then giving place to
the next. While new songs were not
discarded, the old Christmas hymns
were not forgotten. When these
were sung the whole audience was
invited to join heartily in singing.
The whole of the Concert exercises
including the Introductory remarks
in which the plan was explained to
the audience, occupied one hour and
ten minutes. Then followed the dis
tribution ofpresents from two Christ
mas trees, one on each side of the
pulpit, which groaned under their
weight of presents for both old and
young.
The only drawback of the evening
was the crowded condition of the au-
dience. Every foot of space assigned
to the audience was occupied.
Standing room was at premium.
Numbers went away, not being able
to obtain even that. Some fingered
about the windows outside.
A very small admittance fee-ten
cents for adults, S. S. Scholars and
workers free, brought something
over twenty dollars into the S. S.
treasury.
On Christmas night those who
wished to celebrate the anniversary
of the Savior's birth with revelry and
mirth, assembled at Odd Fellows
Hall, in order to have grand ball.
Not being present we are unprepared
to report proceedings, but learn that
little unpleasantness occurred,
which resulted in regular knock
down.
Our winter, upon the whole, has
thus far been very pleasant. After
some hard freezing, the mercury
stood for many days near the thaw-
ing point, sometimes above and some
times below, with the air as pleasant
as could be desired. But Monday
evening, Dec 2Sth, winter came in
earnest. The mercury sank to II be-
low zero, and last Saturday to "a be-
low. 1t is more pleasant now, and
the sleighing is about as good as 1
have ever seen. r. WOLFE.