The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-12-20
Christmas.

to be accorded almost universal OBJ.
servsBce throughout the civilized
nations of the world. Over eighteen
hundred and eighty-three years ago,
Jesus Christ was born in manger.
Il was fitting, perhaps, that his
cradle should be a horse trough, and
his surroundings those Of the most
AFFECT poverty. The world had
grown old in the wars. the lusts and
the orgies of the flesh. Paganism
had stepped it to the lips in the cold
brutality of all material things
Men were either lords or slaves;
women who were not slaves were
worse than slaves. There were a
multitude of gods, but they were all
personal, sensual, and doors of in.
Vulnerable evil deeds. Liberty was
unknown. Worse than wild beasts,
nations stroye century after century
to exterminate one another. Rome
had pillaged, ravaged and ravished
the world. Lions fed on tie flesh of
the barbarian captives, and tigers
Tapped the blood from the rent bos-
oms of the sacrificed virgins. After
the campaign the orgy, after the ex-
termination Of cities, tribes, and
countries, the mad debaucheries of
the lower empire and the horrible
crimes of Hellogabalus. Night was
everywhere. In the gloom could be
heard the clanking of chains, and
che outcries of men scourged and
tormented past all endurance
Worse than all, there was nothing
beyond bat the unknown. Death
was external extinction. In the ut.
ter blankness of darkness not even
Hope, like single tremulous star,
was permitted to dying eyes, strain
ing up through the infinite to see if
another God than Jupiter were
there.
Then Christ came. Poor, so poor
that the very swaddling clothes
were scant and shrimp, while bis
only birthright was his mission
The Father who sent him put upon
him the need, because of his natal
surroundings, to 60 first to the poor
and preach 20 them the blessed doc.
trines of the resurrection. They
needed them so much. They were
everywhere, naked, half.human,
starving. Day broke as though
window had been opened in the
heavens for Gods face to shine
through, and q new and Christian
world was born the night the star
arose over Bethlehem.
Is it any wonder, therefore, that
Christmas is such a day of song, and
music, and feasting, and noisy, jubi-
Istion, and religious worship9 fit
did nothing else on this earth it en-
franchised woman, destroyed polyga-
my, made the name of mother holy,
made of the home-hearth an altar for
the wife, and created for the politi.
cal and geographical state the ada
nantine bulwark of the fatnily.-
To-day the family relation is the
true foundation of the republican
institutions of the United States.
Besides all this, with the coming
of Christ there came also wider
humanity for all the world. AS the
gross and sensual materlalism of the
old days receded further and further
from before the face of that divine
efnlgence which from the obscure
hills and valleys of remote Judea
illuminated all the continents, men
suddenly learnt the lesson that they
were not animals. Something else
was to be done beyond feeding to
the full their appetites and passions,
Even war felt to soften it some of
the gentle and tremulous accents of
the sermon on the mount. Even the
taskmaster's lash threatened oftener
than it smote. Even kings at
last became to know something of
human misery, and consider what
might be kind and iudicions for