New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-24
oaR1srMAs IN VARIOUS ASPECTS.

It is the destiny OF commemorative Gays
to change their character with the course
of time, and perhaps no day Of this sort
has suffered greater mutations from this
cause than Christmas. In the olden tune
when the world was younger and less
busy than now, when illusions reigned
and faith was implicit, this was the great
est of the many festivals with which
Mother Church stimulated the piety and
pratified the taste of her obedient child
ren-the holiday of all holidays most
eagerly anticipated and most thoroughly
enjoyed. It was. moreover. as it is in
measure still, q day sacred. to home de-
lights and freside festivities. In ''Merrie
England" in the days Of feudalism, it
was regarded as sort of sacred saturnalia,
wherein old and young, lord and serf,
recognized practically, if temporarily,
their common brotherhood as followers OF
Christ and children of the same Heavenly
Father, and as such rejoiced in ephemeral
equality over the birth of Him who
brought life and Immortality to light.
But, alas! in these prosaic times Christ
mas is to most of us only legal holiday
wherein the banks are closed, toys are
distributed and turkeys are eaten (by those
who can afford the luxury, and it requires
a strong effort of retrospective imagination
to illumine the faded festival with even a
faint reflection of its former brightness.
To childhood alone it is still the bliss
fully enhancing day that stands out from
every other unequaled in happiness and
JOY. The Christmas of childhood sacred to
Santa Claus, that bountiful deity of early
youth, whose visits are known only by their
delightful effects-what child sleeps
soundly on its exciting eve, or bounds
not eagerly from bed full of hope and ex-
pectation on its longed for morn? If
such there be, the stolid creature has
missed pleasure that can be enjoyed but
once. Too soon, alas the knowledge
comes that there is no Santa Claus; that
the toys and sugar plums were bought by
papa and mamma during the week at the
fancy stores for filthy lucre, and kept
concealed ever since. That melancholy
wisdom is the first taste of the forbidden
fruit; stripping life Of its earliest illusion
and helping to turn Paradise into market
place.
Yet even after that there comes another
light from heaven upon the Christmas
day. It is the ray of faith beaming from
the inspired page Of the Evangelist. By
its soft glow we see, as in beautiful
vision, the favored shepherds, tending
their Aocks by night under the starlit
curtain of that Syrian sky; we hear with
them the joyous chant Of the angels pro-
claiming glory to God and peace to men.
Bathed in its heavenly light, we follow
the bright star in the east until it rests
over the place where the young child is;
and there, with those inspired seekers
whether wise men or shepherds what
matters tive fall PROSTATE before the
God. To our ecstatic vision the
humble asylum Of the holy family is
filed with celestial light radiating from
the brows of the blessed mother and the
divine babe. The noisome stable is the
outer court of heaven; the swaddling
clothes in which the child is wrapped
shine like the skies of the morning; the
very straw pressed by its adorable form
glistens like FURNISHED gold. Everything
testiies to the overpowering influence of
the divine presence. Even the senseless
brutes feel it, and bend their stubborn
knees in worship. With emotions of min
gled tenderness and awe we long to clasp
the child-God in our arms, but venture
only to kiss the robe that covers Him.
But again we pass on to new experiences.
and the Christmas of st. Luke, like that
Of Santa Claus, is left behind. We have
ascended through the rosy valley of
childish trust to the mountain-top OF
ecstatic faith, only to turn again on the
other side and descend toward the dreary
desert of rationalism. There We come
upon the leaden Christmas of Renan to
find again the same family, but all the
glory gone. No radiant star, no heavenly
music, no PROSTATE worshipers, no halo
around mother or child. Only an ordina-
~ Jewish woman, only common, black
eyed babe, wrapped in rags and subject
to all the humiliating details incident to
We turn from the dreary,
disorderly, squalid scene without one
thought of its significance or one hope
from its promise.
And must it be indeed so? Is there no
place between the misty noun
tain heights CT all-exaggerating faith and
the arid plain of all-degrading disbelief;
20 table land of truth where the sunlight
Of reverential reason shows the Christmas
scene in its real colors, its just proper
tons, its intrinsic beauty? If such there
be, oh, let US find that favored spot and
there erect our altar, exclaiming in ac-
cents of heartfelt gratitude, sit is good
for US to be here!'
DENIAL AND ABRIDGMENT OF SUI