The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-12-24
ut was the winter Wild

ut was the winter Wild
While the heAven.born child
AL meanly wtapt In the rude manger lie"
Milton then tells OF the amazed shep.
herds and their celestial visitors:
"Then such music sweet
Their hearts and ears did greet,
Asneyer was by mortal finger sttook."
1.-THE helmed cherubim,
And sworde1 scraphim,
Are seen In glitering ranks with wings displayed
Martin Luther composed Christmas
coral for his children, beginning:
''Von Himmel hoch da komm lch her."
("Good news from heaven tho angels bdng.'D
Paul Gerhardt, prince Of the German
realm OF sacred song, wrote, over two hun
dred years ago, as Miss Catherine Wink
worth's version begins
IAN my heart tails night rejolces,
: As Ihear,
Far and rear,
sweetest angel voices"
In Charles Wesley's "Hymns and Sacred
POEMS" issued first in 1880, one Of the
best begins:
.Hark. how az The welkin rings!
Glory to the king OF klng.l
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and SINNERS reconelledl"
Bishep Heber voices the Christians de-
sire:
"staf OF the East, the horizon adjoining,
Guide where our infant Releemer Is laid"
]. G. Holland fnds the birthplace Of
Christ was henored, over fourteen hundred
and fifty years ago, by Clemens Aurelius
Prudentius, in f. Caswall's "Lyra Gath
olica," commencing:
Bethlehem! OF mobiles. cities,
None cAn once with thee compare"
Christmas naturally brings joy, expressed
by Whittier ina ChriDtmas Carmen:
Sound over all waters, reach out from all lands,
/ Inc chotuh OF VOICES, the clasping OF hands'
Two methods Of Christmas gaiety are
bell.ringing and carol.singing, as Longiel.
low mentions in a translation Of "a Christ
mas Carol":
"In December ring
Every day the chimes;
Loud the gleemen sing
In the streets their merry rhymes"
Again Longfellow:
"And thought how, as tho day had come,
The bellries Of all ChTistendom
Had rolled along t0
The unbi0ken song
OF peace on Garth, goodwill to menl"
Tennyson sees:
Gas In the winters left behind.
Again our ancient games had plsce,
The mimic pictures breathing grace,
And dance and Tong ahCodmal.Dlind"
William Crosswell, in Christmas Eve"
sings Of
"The thickly-woyen boughs they wreathe
Through every halloWed fame"
Sir Walter Scott, in the introduction to
eanto sixth Of "MarmiQn," pictures old
Christmas timer:
son Christmas eve the bells were rung;
On Christmas eve the mass was sung;
The damsel doancd her Slrtle sheen;
The hall was dressed III holly green;
Forth 10 The wood did merry.m On 70,
To esther In the miStletoe.
Then opened wide the haron's hall
Toyassal, teaant, sed. and all;
Msne ssa SR Ts Se dsn G sV WPGs
1he huge hall.Iable's osken face,
Scrubbed till IL shone, the day TO grace,
Bore then upon It's lnaStiye board
No mark 70 part The squire and lord.
Then was brought In the lusty Drawn,
By old, blue coated serving man;
Then the gIin boar's head frowned on high,
Crested with bays anu rosemary.
The wassail round, in good brown bowls.
GArnisN I'd with iibbons, bllthely trowls,s
There 70 huge sirloiu reckt d: hard by
Plum porddge st0od, and Christmas pie;
Nor failed old Scotland 10 produce
AZ such hieh.tide, her sayo goose.
Then came the merry maIqueIS In,
And caiols Ioeied with blilhGsome din.
Who lists may In this mummIngsee
Traces OF ancient mystery;
White hirtssupplied the masquerade,
And mutted cheeks the vlsoR made;
England was merry England when
| Old Chdstuts br uFht his sports agin.
| 'Iwss Christmas br0ached the mIghuest ale;
Twas Christmas told tbs mertieSt tale;
A Christmas g1mbol oft could cheer
The poor mans heart through half the year."
l Longfellow in. "King olaps Christmas"
tells: