The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-12-19
Christmas

anu III u becoming manner NAV have
been celebrated as the anniversary of
the grandest event recorded in the nm.
mails Of human history. Blu, IN its mod.
ern observance it surely has lost what.
ever OF sanctity once might have gath
VI course the 25th of December is not
the anniversary of the birth of Christ
IN , iact' we are told that any other day
OF the year could be selected with less
PROBABILITY of error However this
may be, we think it entirely becoming
Tor The Christian world, annually, to
assemble, and with appropriate service
celebrate the birth of Hin, who came TO
redeem a fallen world. But that this
day, which modern society calls Christ.
mas, should be thus associated, seems to
us inappropriate and irrevercnt.
we regard it simply as u National
Aof,day, with liberal use of the soft
pedap' on the first part of the word.
II the frst letter were dropped and
some such letter as CD or % were sui
stltuted, 1t would, in our opinion, better
express the general chaos which pre-
walls. AS generally observed it cele-
brates nothing, unless it be the folly of
the previous year.
Christmas, with the average Ameri-
can of this day and time, without ref.
erence to sex, Gage, color or previous
condition Of servitude," is anticipated,
celebrated and retrospected with no Wis
lble regard to anything but tremen-
dous effort, annually, to concentrate and
condense the greatest possible quantity
OF fun, noise, confusion and excess of
every form and description into the
10Th of December.
Christmas !! ! what n word The
very mention of it destroys the equilb-
rum Of every household in America,
ind strikes every youngster from the
tactic to the Atlantic with a.
force which lifts him into the
air with awar-whoop accompanl.
ment that would do a wild Comanche
credit. 1t thrills the very substmtum
of a child's composition. Ii enables
him to stand ON his head, and perform
aGc!' wonderful gyrations and evolutions
rs nothing short Of an earthquake or cir
Gus could possibly produce. For weeks
it 'aunts the sweet slumber of youth
N:h diss'lying views of loaded stock
ings, wax-'iolls, bursting rockets, and
Santa Claus himself, in his merry mood
and silent haste, lest little eyes discover
md tiny hands recover, the givcr and
the Gift.
THIS Christmas time comes to every
grade and condition of society, and be-
fore it is game each heart has its token
But oh how strangely different are
these tokens treasured and cherished.
Around the blazing hearthstone Of one
bright home merrimcnt and delight hold
high carn'al; in another, the lights are
lin, the fire is low, and, amid the
gathering shadows OF the passing Christ
mas the larlings of that little fold steal
silently away to their little pallets to
dream of Him who "tcmpers the winds
10 the shnrn lambs"
Upon our streets will be heard the
sound Of merry laughter and good
cheer, and bright, jovial faces greet us
at every step. The pulse of pleasure
beats full and strong in all hearts. The
turkeys have been inundated, the feasts
the banquet spread, and the
spirit Of the hour holds the great earth
with Its magic but mighty spell. The
gifts are distributed, the guests are
gone, the day hastens to its close, twi-
light approaches, and night drops her
Its hours are soon flown, its
record sealed, and Christmas time,
laden with human thoughts, and words,
and deeds, is drifting steadily away
from the shore where past and present
meet, needless of our reckoning to re
turn that We may obiteratc the lines we
have traced.
Oh yes this day, like life itself, has
its contrasts. The hayward boy and
hcart-brokcu mother; the hcartlcss
husband and deserted wife the child
of luxury and the outcast; the palace
and the howell; hearts gay with favor
and hearts bleeding for sympathy fire
sides with unbrokcn circle and others
with vacant seats; rich; poor; good
bad ; all are there, but Christmas of all
days makes the contrast most painful.
But enough 1t may be right, as Il
great author tells us, that "some must
watch while some must weep--thus
runs the world away" though we be-
lieve the same author also said that the
"timcs are out of joint"
We surely wish every one emery
Christmas" and shall try to be merry
ourselves, contributing our share to the
general fund of hand-shakes, genial
faces, and hearty expressions of good
will and kind feeling.
This wonderful day will soon be here,
and every one must play his part. The
premonitory symptoms of the hilarious
occasion have already appeared, and
the cracker and rocket thrown from the
ranks of the skirmishers Indicate the
line of attack. Young America has
enlisted and seems eager for the fray,
Upon the Christmas battlefield hath
fallen many II brave knight, and amid
its scenes Of carnage wounds have been
inflicted, whose scars are still visible
and testify to the fury Of the onset.
What will become of this modern speci-
men of warrior can be ascertained more
fully when the smoke and dust of bat
tic has cleared away.