The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-12-25

pears to have beep-the- act q Jaius l.,
who presided as pope o. bishop 81 Rome
from SS7 to 1852 A. d. Chrysostom in one
OF his eplstles states that julius, on solicit
tation Of Cyril Of Jerusalem, caused
strict inquiries to 10 made on this sub
Jet and thereafter, following what seem.
cd to be the best authenticated tradition,
settled authOFitatively the 25th Of Deem.
Der as the anniversary OF Christ's birth,
making it, in ChrysOstoms phrase, Fsst.
Drum OmRium metropolis, the metropolis Of
the feasts-and this distinction 1t has
since maintained,
Other authority, oil doubtful value how
ever, represents the fixing Of the day to
have been accomplished two hundred
years previously BY Telephorus, who was
Bishop Of Rome l2s.l20 A. D. And to-
wards the clOse Of thesecVnd century, ipi
the reign pf the Emperor CommOdpa D
reference has been found TO the observ.
ance Of Christmas. 4 century later, in
the time Of Diocletian, the celebration Of
the Nativity BY Christians in Gieomedia
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 meaus Of egress
from the building, causing thu agOhiEiDg
death OF every worshippeF. 1t will be
seen from the statements made, that
while no record exists whereby to fix with
certainty the date Of the sAyior's birth,
the day we now call Christmas, has for at
least fifteen hundred years been uniform
ly observed by all the nations OF Chris.
tendon as the anniversary OF the Nativ-
ity, And it would be libel upon human.
ity to doubt that, unless future research
shall stamp upon some other day the Ger.
tainty OF being the true anniversary Of
the savior's birth, the world and the
church will always continue 10 hold con.
secrate the 25th Of December as common.
orAtiveof that momentous event.
PRESENT GIVING.
presents" says gentle, quaint and &c.
NAL Ella, "endear absentS." True enough
so far as 1t goes, but only half truth, In
that II does not go half far enough. Both
those at home and those at distance, be-
come endeared through the medium Of
timely and iudiCious gifts. At this an.
nual festival season, which Is peculiarlya
time OF manifesting affection and good
will, no thoughts are more profitable
than those which carry the heart beyond
the narrow circle Of self and permit II to
Irvine the tendrils Of love, sympathy and
liberality around our fellows.
The heart that feels ahblhf'O woes #
Shall find each selfish sorrow lesS;
The mind that happiness beslOVs, gI,
Reflected happiness will beaS,
And Christmas is emphatically sea.
son full Of blessing, in just the degree
that we believe and act upon the as
surance Of Him whose birthday. we com.
memorate, and who said, ut Ia more
blessed to give than to receive" Just as
home Is where the heart Il, 30 Il n gift
that which the heart makes II, whether
the heart DO that OF the donor alOr the
recipient. II need not DO d thing OF cost,
or even thing Of beauty, to make It
Joy, temporarily, II not forever. Thou.
sands ofsinple and inexpensive presents
will pass between sympathetic hearts
during the coming week and bear In their
train incalculable pleasure; while on the
other hand, many costly gem and golden
gift will utterly fail to bless either the
giver or the receiver. Moreover gifts,
even Christmas gifts, are not necessarily
material or tangible, for n word, a 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, in the absence
Of Some more pretentious or costly gift,
even the poorest Of lis mny bestow upon
some saddencd neighbOr may come In for
recognition from Him who said, "lnas,
much IA ye have done il unto one Of the
least of these my brethren, yc have done
1t unto me" And this word "crumbs"
brings to mind those suggestive and
pretlily turned,lines Of the English artist.
author, whose good advice aptly rein
forces what has already been said above'
SCATTER YOUR CRUMBS