The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-12-25

or else nav Squire Ke.ch catch EN-"
Poor ,Rodin.
CHRISTMAS! How the hesrt swells With emo
ion at the echoes awakened by the seuno Oh
that JOYOUS word! How tlre memories 81 chlla'
hood and youth crowd upoa US! Howteliclous-
Y sad to lean back in cur deep armfc hair and
hink over the past--of the days that are gone
and of the friends that are gone with them who
will never retura 20 us again at Christmas; and
low happy we feel at we think ef the many
lear to us who are stin 3nft to feas. and make
merry with as on this 'eHcr gladstone day
Everything combines 20 make this the most
oyous festival of the ycar. The services Of the
hurch are especially beautiful For the last
,ew weeks she has beer preparing us for this day
she has bces repeating the sweet story OF
Christ's coming, and daily increasing iu the
beauty and spirit of her service until Day she
yursts forth ia all he. beauty ami grandeur with
"nallelujah, Glory TO God in the highest,
Peace on eartsI, ,GoDl will toward meum IKE
Grand old, Old words that have cheered the
aearts Of Vaen from generation to generstton for
ages past The season, too, gives charm TO
The day. st either times the eut-do world IN
yites U.S. xae SANDER through tie woods and eNel
alone in flowers and sunshine, and derive our
chief pleasures from nature IN all her besnty.
But now the desolsteness & winter has driven
hose pleasures awsy andwe come to the more
exquisite beys of ,ikc home Hearth and tire So
ciety of frieads, ana "draw our pleasures from
he deep wells of lowing kielness, wairh lie in
The quiet pscesses Of our hearts ChrIstmas,
The sweet season when t,e walderer retunns,
hrnk N and pxrr nod
gain unitsa under the dear old roof s.satt sbcA-
,ered them during hong hsrpy days ir taac past,
when old friends, neet, thankful that i&ey again
see those they iOTe, Fegrstful that some are
gone. W@at @onder the poet Should consider
luis specially 'baHswed and gracjeas tinpe' "
Some say that ever 'gainst that seasua comes,
Wherein 0slr tSaviaur's bisth is celebrated,
This bird Of aawusag the csckl singeth all Edsht
long;
ind then, they stss, no spirit dares str abraad;
The nights aHe whoess8nc--then az islsQsts
strike,
No fairy takes, nc giteh hs5h power 10 eharu,
80 hallow6 and so gracious is the time"
It matters little whether abe 25th of Deeember
De the actual dag of our Saviors birth no, The
,arly church, believing that 30 momentOus an
event should be celebrated in a suitable IN nBer
tExed upon ttis Gey, and ithas been kept throu gh
IL time since. i. was the custom of early uais
.s.onaries, in their eontsf. with hcathenism, to
seep the many fessts ,cfrshose they wished to
.Dnvert, (for they could snat wipe out days as
dear to the heataisn heats Christmas is to
ou-s,) but chanSo2 the meaning of them Al
most all heather aatioHe regarded the winter
so stice as the most impcrt2nt epoch Of the year
as the beginning of the renewed life and activity
r s,att and nf rods
.he;- personifcatiGR: and the old Germans be
ieved that during the twelve nights, reacr
ing from the 2sth Of December to the 9th
,af .Ianuary, they coad trace the personal move
menis and lnterfereCees o. earth OF their great
eitics Odin, Berelta, etc, end il is easy to see
bow4 eadly this time heacred feast could be
hanged from heathen toe christian festival
and &c purify the heathen feast II devised a
.;randJ beautiful liturgy, Christmas carols, aud
hymno and dramas and the beautiful practice OF
.1iSingagfts, thus making it "a universal social
festiyslfor old and young, rick and poor, such as
10 othe- festival ever could have or ever can
become
Asd tO.day, at least 1900 years since the first
authorized Christmas day, le. Us, too, celebrate
and thank, in spirit, our forefethers who insti
tuted 50 gladsome season, let the gifts oil
iove and friendship be exchanged; don't get
ross II the children do soil your clothes with
andy, remezi bering that 'of suat is the king.
dom Of Heaven" Go to church AID give thanks
Tor what you have, and grumbie not that you
lave no more; be sure to eat llrat breakfast
thereby gaining, greater capacity fa- dinner; eat
..our I'LL Of turkey and plumb uGdi2g tceera-
can't forget the etceterGs, and neve. mind the
night marc. If you cannot partale'9f the tradi'
,iozai wassail BsSl Of merry old England, you
Liable able to fins Tomandjerry-7as Poor Rob.
rs almanac said:
The brown bowie,
the merry brosn bowie
- il goes roune about--a; ...... ..
Fill
Still,
Lea the world say what il will,
fall p,t-.