Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-12-20

counts for the choice of the 25th o
December-the Winter solst,ce-b,
Showing that not only the feast of tn
Nativity, but most feasts, were located
at cardinal points of the year, and tina
the first Christian festivals having beCl
fixed by mathematicians at pleasure
the Christians adopted what they founC
in the calendars.
The great "birthday of the human
soul" has never been favorite holiday
in New England. Because it was
noisily celebrated by the reckles,
roysterers of Merry Mount. Oliver
Cromwell abolished Christmas in
England, and holly and ivy were made
seditious badges. In like manner, the
congregations of Norton and Hooker
and the constituencies of Endicott and
Winthrop abolished Christmas in New
England, and denounced, with anus.
ing fervor, this "invention Of the
dyvvle." In Massachusetts and Con
necticut its observance was forbidden
on peril of fines and imprisonmentS,
aud the wretched Episcopalians Rad a
hard time of 1t indeed Santa Claus
had to run the gantlet over the roofs
Of New England with much fear and
trembling, any time for two centuries.
The Puritans prescribed the day and
all its vanites, as savOring Of
papiStical superstition, but il survived
the anathemas of Roundhead Noll and
his followers, and once more its
gracious light streams across the world,
Illuminating sombre hooks and cheer.
ing weary hearts.
1t is in the land OF the Goths that
Christmas has had its most general
ard joyous recognition. In Germany
and Sweden it early became the moth
er of many kindred holidays, forming
the Christmas Cycle, surprising in the
richness of its appointments all other
groups of religious holidays. At this
Winter solstice the Germans and
Norwegians long held their great Yule
feast in honor OF the return TO the
north of the fiery sun-wheel, and they
believed that during the twelve nights
beginning on December 25th, they could
trace the personal movements and
propitiate the favor Of their whimsical
deities-Odin, Brechta, Nipen and the
rest. The Yule log, the wassail, the
bacchanalian carols and the Christmas
theatricals have passed away, and the
observance of the day is now confined
to missions of mercy, limited church
services, the midnight scurryng of
Santa Claus, and the hanging of
reciprocal presents on the evergreen
boughs. Happier than any Of the
deciduOus trees is the nedlc-b bearing
cone that carries benedictions upon its
balsm breath and holds out its mailed
fingers to the little ones on Christmas
morning.
Christmas is prc-emincntly the Day
of Gifts. Fathers and mothers give
gifts then, if on no other day; brothers
and sisters give gifis;relatlves, friends,
chums, cronies, lovers, all indulge in
the pleasant privilege of thus at,esting
their personal affection. HemlocG
and spruce and cedar and pine will
bloom in wonderful tfilor9scence and
Io" ' n1d - orn, "o nhnn 10 "a law ,,'" no,n's
"y ,h"n;o on" ste mnon ,,,p .np n"n Va tn,nd CU
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.ha ~ al oontS .t VI ,'nvos, eppeoaa,iJ im
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o"o .oo"iJt iio'"IT M IL IL,
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