Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-12-25
something About Christmas.


amongst the nations Of the earth. Very
bright, inspiriting and garish they are,
almost without exception. The art Of
the printer and engraver is keeping pace
with the evolution and expanded intel
ligence OF the age, and in no respect is
this fact made more pregnantly manifest
than In the Christmas issues OF the illus.
trated papers and in papers which or.
dinarily are not illustrated, but which. as
respects this most gala and gladsome of
oil the days of the year, have chosen to
DO illustrated.
Yet there ia one incongruity- what il
it were IN error Of date or fact instead Of
an error of locality we should call IN
anachronism-wh impresses MS as to
nll OF these Christmas issdes--they are
all founded ON Eastern and European
ideas of this hallowed day. Either there
is the venerable Kris Kringle, with
hoary locks and slected beard and
abounding fur in his raimont, with
pendent icicles emphasizing the severity
Of Winter, or there is merry sleighing
party, rendered with such vividness that
one almost seems to catch the rythym Of
Poe's matchless poem Of the "Bells.
Or, II neither OF these pictures forms
the theme of the illustration, we have
scene Of indoor good cheer, in which
gay and festive family Is gathered around
the table, with the sparkling blaze shoot.
ing up the chimney and the arabesques
made by Jack Frost ON the window
pancs very prominently outlined.
We find these peculiarities only too
plainly suggested even in the Holiday
numbers issued from the presses Of Cali
fornia, fact which shows all too con-
clusively that Californians have as yet
neither Christmas literature nor
Christmas art of their own. 1t proves,
to demonstration, that as respects this
interesting season of the year, we arc at
best but the merest plaglarists, aud
are depending for art effects upon associ-
ations which have their vital significance
rather in New England, in the Eastern
States and in Europe, than here. Here
we rcjoice in the flaming red pepper
berry rather than in the holly; and,
though we have the mistletoe, we have
many symbols of nature, from the or
ange blossom TO the scarlet glories
Of the pomegranate. far more appro.
pirate to the portrayal Of California
Christmas than either the holly or the
mistletoe.
We started out to say something about
Christmas, and we propose to acquit our
selves of the task without falling back
upon either the encyclopaedia lore of the
day, or upon poetry founded on symbols
and customs which are not applicable to
the Golden State.
Ia the first place, while plumb upon
Christmas tide, and while the littlo ones
will examine their stockings here with
the same pecring curiosity with which
their cousins in the East will expose
their noses and toes to the biting frost
of that section, for the Same purpose,
we have no snow. The nearest approach
to il is on the distant summit of old Don
Antonio, and to get there one would
have to travel thirty miles at least, and
mount to an altitude OF quite ten thou
sand feet. The people whom Christ
loved in such an especial manner, and
whom he wished at all times to have ac-
cess to him, as the elect OF the Kingdom
of Heaven, have never known what II is
to soc snow, if born in this golden land,
except at remove of many weary miles
There are multitudes of strong youths
aud blooming maidens now ready to
mate in this goodly commonwealth, who
have never known what il was to fab.
ricate that missile of war, reduced
to sporiive dalliance, known as u
snow ball. Clearly, to these persons
at least, who will form the fathers and
procreant mothers of the California of
the future, all the old.time symbols
which body forth Christmas tme--all
the old.time poetry so interviewer with
the holly, the mistletoe and the Frost
/ King ARE stale, flat and Improbable.
Che- are jejune and devoid of mean
Ing.
!. Il is just and proper sentiment. prin
|,eipally applicable to religion, that unless
one can build up something better, it is
well not TO pull down any fabric of
thought or symbols eonsecrated to the
enjoyment or to the mental, moral or
physical Improvement of mankind.
In this light we ask, have we any.
thing better to suggest than the Eastern
and European Christmas, whose multi.
piled symbols we deprecate?
We answer, most empbatically, yes.
Here we have jocund land. Instead
of the iron-bound coasts of the Atlantic.
for instance, where chill atmosphere
lays like pail, in Southern California,
at least, any one of average health may
have plunge in the broad bosom of the
Pacific, to his actual physical benefit
and regeneration. Last week the writer
enjoyed such an experience at Santa
Monica, in common with two score other
bathers, and he was the better Tor it.
But it may be said, perhaps, that such
fact presents nothing tangible to the
pen of the artist.
Very well Let him then fall back
upon the multiform and bewildering
opulence of vegetation which prevails on
every hand in Los Angeles. Lord Byron,
who was an extensive traveller deliber-
ately pronounced the orange tree the
crowning act of vegetation as to beauty.
Everywhere the orange is to be found
hereabouls. the trees in all stages of
growth. with the golden fruit pendent
from innumerable branches. The pome-
granate. the banana and the palm ought
to afford other graceful and delicate sug-
gestions for brush and pencil.
Ia flora our wealth ia simply super
abundant. Side by side the camelia and
the tube-rose flourish in the open air,
while the heliotrope is SO robust here