The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-12-14
CHRISTMAS.

FOR the Great Religious Organ Of the West.
The writer Of this little article has been
an inhabitant Of this mundane sphere for
several years, if not for greater number;
and, in that period, has had ample time to
make various and sundry observations on
people and things, and times and places, to
say nothing Of customs and habits and the
usages of sects and societies and society at
large. One OF the usages Of his fellow
man land woman, too) to which his atten-
tion has been particular called, during his
pilgrimage through this vale of tears, is
the utmost universal one of making Christ
mas presents on Christmas day. Here The
BULLETIN any other than the acknowledged
orthordoy sheet of the city nay the
Great Religious Organ of the West, itself,
right here and now would be iirst-ratep place
aud time to enquire why Christmas should
be set apart for making presents, any more
than the Ath Of July or the lst of April; but
knowing, as we do, the peculiarly appro-
pirate and well earned character of the
BULLETIN, we do not dare venture so
nearly savoring of the worldly and sinful
minded, Now, were we writing this for
the ungodly Sun or the unredeemed and
forc-ordained and predestined teetotal de-
yity-Argus' Journal, the question would
be admissible; the established reputation
Of the gentlemen running these little, even
ing sheets freeing our mind from all fear
of ever being able to think of anything
calculated TO shock. But to return 10 our
text, Christmas; even in this pious paper
we may venture TO ask from whence origin
ated the custom and for what ostensible
purpose was this day, out Of all the days in
the year, set apart as the one upon which
10 give and receive presents' There can be,
we are fully assured, by some very eminent
authority, no well authenticated evidence
given that the 2jth of December was
the date upon which Christ was
born into this world and if it were
fact so Hong and well established that no
living soul could harbor shadow OF
cloud about it, would that be good reas.
on, or any reason, for the custom referred to'
Did the people at the time Of Christ's first
appearance upon earth celebrate it max
ing and receiving costly presents-or pres.
cnts of any kinda We are told handful
Of men did bring sweet scents as offerings,
TO the manger where the babe lay, but are
we told that the babe received theml Or
that presents were offerd to any grown
persons, at all2 Or that on any one Of the
subsequent birth days Of Christ was he
remembered so kindly Now, it may be
that this "observer of several or more years."
has missed q link in the chain Of bible
lore that would unite the fact of present
making on Christmas day and the birth
Of Christ, if SO will some good fellow please
bring it out, for there surely ought to
be some good and sufficient reason
for keeping up custom at once so foolish
and frivilous and IN too many instances the
cause of wicked deeds, and most often,
still, the breeder Of bitter, envious and I'm.
Christian-like emotions and feelings well
calculated to shame the~ lowly name Of
Jesus--thr poor carpenters son--who, had
he lived in the 10th century, and been as
poor in pennies as we are told he WAS, when
he did live here must have, often been
put to shame, and made to feel his want of
ready cash by his inability to meet the ex-
pccta,ions Of his Sunday school class; or
The eager and all-excited little ones Of his
neighbours families, when the 25th Of De.
cembcr came round. Ii may sound
slightly irrelevant (but we do not intend
ii Ms SUCH in Us to express our belief that
Jesus Of Nazareth, under the circum.