The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-12-23


and friendships.
This is sad world at best full of
crowding competitions. and bitter strug-
giles, iealousies, and meanesses;
the big fish are eating up the little ones;
the wolves are chasing the lambs;
''Pursuers and pursued, each others prey,
Till Death, that mighty hunter, earths them
ALL"
Then let us for a few hours call 4
truce,-''the truce of God, and bring
al the best emotions of the human heart
to the surface.
How many pleasant associations clus
ter around Christmas. The delight OF
the children in the beautiful superstition
of Santa Claus or kriss kingle: the
generous abundance and hospitality OF
the olden time the democratic leveling
OF social distinctions in presence of the
august birthday OF the founder OF our
religion
ton Christmas eve the bells were rung;
On Christmas eve the mass was sung;
That only night in all the year
Saw the stoled priests the chalice rear.
Then opened wide the baron's hall,
| To vassal. tenant, serf and all;
Power laid his rod of rule aside,
And ceremony doffed his pride.
| The heir with roses in his shoes,
That night might village partner choose.
England was merry England when
Old Christmas brought his sports again.
Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;
/ Twas Christmas brewed the mightiest ale;
Christmas ga1nbol oft would cheer !.
A poor mans heart through half the year. +"
In that olden time, as one writer de-
scribes it:
"a glowing fire, made of great logs, the
principal of which was called the yule log, OF
Christmas block, which might be burned till
candlemas eve, kept out the severity of the
weather; and the abundance was shared amid
music, conjuring, riddles, hot cookies, fool
plough, snap-dragon, jokes, laughter, repar-
tees, forfeits and dances"
We are reminded of the persistence oi
ideas. The dressing OF the houses al
Christmas time with evergreens isa relic
of that ancient and extinct religion,
Druidism. The Druids believed that
sylvan spirits f1ocked to the holly, mis-
tletoe, ivy, &C., and remained un.
nipped by frost until a. milder season :
and hus they exercised generous hos
pitality to these gentle and invisible crea
lures. The yule log is remnant of the
= SCIy ttuIlCuL ulc lCSllSdl VI tuC OGduUl
navians,. which for thousands-ot years
, before the time OF Christ was celebrated
with festivities and ieasting, about thu
:: same time OF the year as that to which
; we now assign Christmas; and Wher
, those nations were converted to Christ
ianity their pagan festival was insensibly
, transformed into Christmas. 1t is ever
, believed that the beautiful German Gus
tom OF adorning a tree with lights a
Christmas time, is another relic OF tha
tree-and-serpent worship, which was
perhaps, the oldest OF human supersti
! lions.
l.. We trust our readers will remembe
at this time rather the blessings they en-
Joy than their misfortunes; and vii
0 compare their condition with those be
J. low them rather than with those abov
t them; and will thus enter upon Chris
n mas time with bright and CHEEKY heart.
t and with good will toward all mankint
y Then let them adorn their homes wit
e evergreens, bring together family an
'' friends, and give free vent TO hospitali,
d and happiness; not forgetting the man
d in whose darkened home the sad spect,
r Want sits waiting.
). And the ANTI -MoNoPoLIsT to all i
e many thousand readers wishes with a
is earnestncss:
+ "A merry Christmas and Hipp
: New Year..