Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-12-19
The Observance of the Day.

It Is meet that once. year should cele.
brate the greatest event In the history of msn-
kind-the incaI ne tion and bir of Jesus Christ
1t matters little whether he was born Decem-
Der %. or on some othsr day III some other
month. 1t is the event we celebrate with glad
ness and thanksgiving. making it an occasion
of "feasting and joy, and of sending present.
one to another. and gifts to the poor" On
Christmas Day the poor and the rich, the lofty
and the lowly, the learned and the unlearnea.
may alike rejoice together. meeting around
the cradle of the one Lord of all, Who'll. broth
er to the lowiest and brother to the mightiest
through whom we all say Cur Father, which
art In Heaven.
Remembering that He was poor, in His
name we give gifts to the poor; remember
ing that He was s'deSpised and rejected o.
men" we visit the outcast. the prisoner, and In
His name best0w not gifts alone. but kind.
words and sympai hetic tears; Remembering
lis dying prayer, Father, forgive them, the.
know not What they do.' in His name we for
dive as we pay 10 be forgiven in the petition
He taught us. In sofar MS we can do all this
and do II. are we privileged e call Him Broth.
er Savior, Friend.
In the midst Of our festivities let us not for
get, or permit our children to forget, the occa
sion OF our festivities.
Many eye will be dinimed with tears ~
loved ones are missed from The circle tina
- theEs around the table. and voices that we,R
music no longer join In the festive chorus
This common grief, which sooner or late
comes 10 every heart, put bir DIS us together ir
| closer bands of sympathy and affection. Re
N mbering the dead. we are teIderer and more
constdera.e toward the living fs-s . ~
There may be among our readers those who's
children are sur'eited with gifts of every sort.
and hence experience but little pleasure in
re,ving even the costliest presents. For such
he delight OF bestowing less favored
hiidren whatfhey can easily spare from their
anpe' finity wilt Give ffesh zeSs b life. This
pleasure 10 giving grows BY VII tit feeds on
rhe blessedness Of giving never diminishes
though that of receiving may cease almost en-.
tirely. There are certainly among our readers
those whose children ore not surfeited with
sifts Of every sort. Happier by far are 'these
than the others. They have an appetite
which makes plain food agreeable. they hav.
| wants that assert themselves before they are
| anticipated, they know the keenness of hun
ger and the keenness of qualification which
comes only Of hunger and Its satisfaction.
| There my be those among our readers on
| whom poverty has laid an iron hand who can
not satisfy fully o. even partially the demands
If hunger and thirst. hunger for knowle ge.
| thirst that can only be quenched by the watere
| nj Castalia. The Hand that denies is often thu
| towing Hand; is l. not always the loving
Hand; HE spared not His own Son r. and
his was in 1--we; the 'joy that was set before
Him" was ample reward TOR al the pain
Divine must be the plan which meets and
| atisf1es all the varied needs of the human
-ace. In Christ each man finds his brother
He united and unites in Himself every condi-
ton of suf ring and victorious humanity.
With Him we can equally suffer and rejoice.
and this in whatever circumstances we may
| be placed is cause for Joy. 'H 8