The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-12-25
CHRISTMAS CHEER.

Out III IN HlluDIRUSc Willie nuu stni y
spleudor
Once mJre The glad belle ring,
And. softly. human Voiees, sweet snc
tender.
The songs of Christmas sing.
Christmas has come
If we are really Christians, there
will be Christmas cheer in every
home to-day. Sorrow and misfor
tune will hover over many house
holds; but there is an abundance OF
the sunshine of sympathy with
which to dispel the gloomy sha-
dows. There is poverty and there
is want; but there is plenty also
with which to feed the needy and
clothe the naked. There are the
poor, who are wan and pinched ;
but there are as well the rich, whose
Christmas trees will groan and
glisten under the weight of the
luxurious and the beautiful.
This is the day for wed-
ing the hearts of the worldly
blessed to the sad and unfortunate ::
the day for gladdening the misera-
ble, and making merry the happy !;
for acknowledging the Birth in
deeds that prove our belief in the
Babe whose life was all purity, all
goodness, all generosity, all love, all
benevolence, all charity, all that is
commendable in human virtues.
The sorrowful Christmas of some
may be traced to sin, yet this is the
anniversary of One who taught the
doctrine of reclaiming the sinful
and redeeming the wicked through
good deeds. Others are enduring
want and misery through no avoid
able act Of theirs, and they have
a double claim upon the
generous offices of the more
fortunate. The blessings of abund-
ance will be best enjoyed by those
whose appetites are sharpened by
the knowledge that kindness has
been shown the sorrow-stricken,
and a ray Of sunshine been cast
across the gloomy path Of the miser-
able. We trust the day in Utah
will not be Knocked, as it might be
by exhibitions of selfshness, Of
pride, of thoughtlessness. We COM
memorate the birth of the lowly
Nazarene, who taught, and left to
us as an enduring legacy. humility,
simplicity and the broadest human
ity in both word and deed. There
is the best Christmas cheer to- day
for him or her who cheers the
homes OF the sorrowing and glad
dens the hearts Of the afflicted.
WhileC Christmassbelongs to all who
acknowledge the Name, it is yet the
festival of the children. In this
feast their simple faith is fully
developed, and he is heartless
wretch who would knowingly
shake their implicit belief in FROST
covered, ,rosy-cheeked old Kris Krin-
gle who at this season comes laden
with gifts as did the wise men of
the east when they visited the
Babe of Bethlehem. Soon enough |
will contact with the rude world |
make them doubters and perhaps
soon enough will the
rosy flush of anticipation give place
to the cold light of reality; soon
enough will the flowery paths
which they now tread in
dreams and waking hours, lead |
into rugged and thorny roads. We
cannot give them too much pleas
ure now. 1t is ever soul-warming
for good men and women to look at
the happy faces and listen to the
merry laughter of the little ones; it
revives pictures. o.. a faded youth
and brings from. the storehouses of
memory bright recollections of
childish faith in the marvellous; it
sends the blood through the veins
at quicker pace, and lends a brighter
light to eyes that are growing dim.
Then let the little ones sing carols;
eft them live in fairyland, and for
he time revel in the delights of the
seautiful region that a few years
.ence will come to them only in
lreams and imaginings not to be
,salized. No gifts that can he laid
,pon the altar of family affection
will bestow better reward than
nose which make children happy
n this day.