The Ottawa free trader., 1876-12-23
N-NIaS.

For Chi istmaS rync ana CnflsIhas chIH'V'
DP' --Eli: Stoddard
CHRISTMAS, OF all days Of the days OF the cal
cndar which is like unto thee? With what glad
ness do the Young and the old, the rich and the
poor, hail thee, thou Prince of Holy Days. thou
most venerable and tremendous of all festivals
the metropolis and parent of them all" Old
though thou art, covered with the rosts of age,
thy presence is ever gracious, thy joys are ever
fresh And when seventy times seven" gener-
ations shall have become yesterday, thy com
ing shall still be sung with halleuahs of Joy
and gadncss, springing from the hearts OF the
myriads still 10 meet thee!
Christmas. How dear to all is this glorious
day. To the old, it comes fraught with the sa-
cred memories Of the past-laden with the
echoes OF Il lost youth, and hopes unfulflled. To
the mddle-aged, or those but beginning life in
earnest, il is still clothed in the garb of youth,
and brings happiness to the present. the bright
est OF hopes for the future. To the young it is
all rosy fingered; looked forward to with the
kcenest Of longing; hailed with the purest Of
pleasure when the deep, dark curtain Of the
might before christmas" is drawn aside and the
shouts Of a. Merry Christmas" break in upon the
stiffness of the early dawn; deeply enjoyed dur
ing its short but welcome passage, and sharply
regretted when gone. What a merry day 1T is,
to be sure. How everyone then glows with hap
pness. "Surely," as the kind and big-hearted
Irving exclaims surely happiness is reflective,
like the light Of heaven; and every countenance
bright with smiles and glowing with innocent
enjoyment, is a mirror transmitting to Others
the rays of a supreme and ever-shining beneyo-
lencc." How miserable the man who cannot find
happiness on Christmas Day!
But the old Christmas Of the early days-the
Christmas Of our fathcrs-has passed away. The
day still keeps its hold on human interest, but
the modes of its celebration have changed as So
ciety has changed. Even in 1916, little tract
called " The Hue and Cry after Christmas" was
published with quaint enquiry for " a very DID,
gray-headed gentleman called Christmas" who
in splendid attire at royal mansions or in modest
garb in humble homes, used to be frequent and
welcome guest everywhere. Whoever can tell
what has become of him or where he may be
found" says the queer old tract :" let them bring
him back again into England" Irving, too, in
his time laments that the holiday customs of
merry England are growing more and more
FAINT, being gradually worn away by time, but
still more by modern fashion"
Denuded of many of its quaint whimsicaitles
and graces, however, we can still hail it with un-
abated JOY as the day that commentaries the
dawn upon the world of the Sun of Righteous
ness, in awful reverence OF whom let eur enjoy
ments, though full, exuberant and unconfned,
be tempered with such moderation ard decency
rs beft the halowcd associations of so divinely
propitious a season.
AMCSEMENrs.
The New York Scrcnaders will give one Of
their entertainments at the Opera House in the
evening. See advertising columns.
There will also be hop at Willis's Academy
and at Turner Hall in the evening.