Arizona citizen., 1878-12-21
THE CITIZEN.
LOCAL MATTERS
Christmas

! We believe we are ssylng nothing nsu
 when we say " old Christmas comes bv,
 once a year. buf as the elder ones rspeaa
 the line and think Of the cd Merry Christ.
 mas 0i their youthful days a feeling o,
 sadness and I7reclaimable loss will ac.
 company the words. The only way .o
 dull this feeling Of regret for past iovs
 tnst can never be recalled, is To recognize that fhere are children yet occupv1nF oB, |onee youthful places, and to strive 10 give them the happiness which we once t-lt on the annual return Of dear old Ch-5Sfr,ss : While We cannot have our stockings filled
 wlih anything but ungainly feet ploldinr
 the weary way CT maturer life. tbe-e are
 silil cnlldreu's stockings that we can nlI nom our surplus stores, and experience
 at least as much pleasure in giving As w- ever feIt in receiving.
 : WhLe Christmas IS a household word in
 sli the land. and in all Christian lands lthere Is a widespread misappre hension as ] Co it's exact origin. 1 Imost any one VIII Sell yo1 that Christnas IS the anniversary ] ol The birth of Christ II is now celebrated as the birthday 0fthe Saviour but fl ants- dates The Christian era and IS merely a child ot adoption A feast day to cele- urate the turning northward of the sun al
 tbe winter solstice was held bv tbe an 'eients long before the accepted birth of
 Christ; so long before, that Us origin or 1-st observance is lost iu pre-historie
 darkness Bui it has been asce-lained that some Persian sect gave the L5ecem Der sun-fsast 10 Pagan Rome. Then came
 in The early Christians and along with
 numerous customs which they adopted
 reacy mae from ancient Rome. was The
 Decem Der feast al The turning uo1h-wari
 Of the sun The feast 7f the sun was chang a ty them into The feast Of the birth of the Saviour, and dressed in it. new att.re it came suI as Christmas. So. he Deem Der celebration Is "Old Christmas fn- deed when we consider it's lineage.
 But unlike human life and like unto wine, Chr-stmss acquires only excellence oy age Each returning year seems 10 add zest 70 Its observance. T. IS customary in tais country 10 recall the observance Of Christmas in older times and countries as far superior 10 any present observance. But we are under the impression that this Idea only cones from our appreciation Of every thing past and lack Of appreciation Of The present We do not believe that on all me eighteen hundred or so Christ masses or the past there were ever happier O. more smiling faces or swester choruses or mo7e osautlf1I decorations or fuller stockings or worse headaches than there snail be on this Christmas snd its sueces- sors.
 Christmas has in it matsrlaI for pleas are that EllI always keep It in existence. ] T. IS The uniua around the family altar Of all iis kcattersd elements. Hearts that. have learned their own bitterness speak t0 and and refuge in uesr-s that are yet fresh with the drsf flush CT life. The rear that has been one of bright an and JOYS. orone oC beart-brsak- nE cares and disappointment. IS rouaded 7 lT with joy or smiling res iguaiiou al the Christmas board Tn better 90 thau thac he rear shoul d close In black despair to he disappointed and weary ones. Let. he yuIe log then burn or the grate fire .pR-k.s or the duIler stove gather The l0peiess and hopeful ID every home throughout the land: trim every lamp: oad the lss1aI board or put upon il al TOD can: dil high the Ezsssu bowl or ake ii straight or with sugar. or sip the .lp Ina cheers bat not Inebriates: hang .gu the evergreen anI m0-tos, and let be bells Of Merry Christmas ring through. .u' all the land. Let lls young feasf b igh nd fall W-th Joy, and let the cEreworn mother tbsir cares and repress the bitter igh. For Is Il no: old Christmas once. gain and are not the remaining days of. !. he year enouga for acquisition and work nd care. And The faithful observance of. |. lis great feast day shall be is own recoTn- .=1se: 10 The young. an evergreen memo 3 fhTouzh life; to The old. a 1ekindlIug z fires that are almost quenrhed.