The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-12-26
Christmas.

There are, happily, few persons whose
pulses are not quickened by the approach of
Christmas. Young and old, rich and poor
are moved by the happy influences of this
season and yield, more or less freely, to an in
stinctive feeling of kindness and good to
those around them. Unfortunately, the
pinchings of poverty are more keenly felt
now than at any other time during the year,
and very few persons find their purses equal
to the demands of their hearts for means with
which to procure presents for relatives or
friends But let these remember that it is
not the money value of gift that makes it
acceptable 1t is the spirit in which it is
given; the kindly greeting and cheerful smile
accompanying it that gives it value.
In Christmas festivities as in all the pleas
ures of life, there is a monotone of sadness,
which is family heard amidst the general re-
jocing. Those who walk life's downhil
path, with slow and careful step, are apt to
find their social enjoyment of the day tnged
with fond remembrance of Christmas days
and long-lost friends, whose remembered
forms and very memories are rapidly disap-
pearing in the receding past. To young and
buoyant hearts, however, Christmas is a sea-
son of boundless anticipation of delight, and
it takes many years of scanty fulfilment of
lookedfor pleasure to dissipate the selfim-
posed delusion.
The brightest and best feature of Christ.
mas, and the one most in consonance with
the lesson the day ought to teach is the spirit
of kindness and goodwill which seems to
pervade all classes of society Hearts and
purses are more freely opened to appeals of
charity the poor and suffering are cheered
and comforted by the knowledge that they
are not entirely forgotten in their loneliness,
and the blessed angel of Peace seems to hover
over all the earth.
In the household the exchange of presents
among members of the family is further ev.
idence of conformity to the spirit of the day,
and these tokens of love, trifling though they
be, tend to bind together hearts that ought
always to beat in unison, but which some
times, alas clash in discord.
1t is a tradition that in the most remote
"SNo VI "neiioieJ, iohS DclOle IuC SuTlSllaD
era, the pagan world set apart, at this time
OF the year, season for merry making and
rejoicing that the shortening of the day had
reached its limit, and the sun, the object of
pagan worship, recommending his upward
course, announces that mid-winter is past and
spring and summer are approaching. AT a
later period the Romans, at the same time of
the year, celebrated the Saturnalia, or festival
OF Saturn, with universal license and merry
making. Tradition further states that the
hrst Christians, many of whom were converts
from paganism, found it difficult to forego
participation in the pagan Saturnalia, and the
celebration of the Nativity, which had been
observed at varying times, was then fixed at
the same time as the pagan festival, in order
that Christian aspect might be given to a
heather rite Be this as it may, it is certain
that Christmas is one of the Oldest festivals
in the Christian church, and whether first en-.
grated on the Roman Saturnalia or not, as
the world grows older it is becoming more a
religious than worldly festival. This fact is
directly attributable to the influence of the
reHglon taught by the Son of God, who, as
upon this day, came down from heaven, and
as man dwelt with man. that he might
thereby became their Saviour and Redeemer
No wonder multitude of the heavenly host
amazed at an act which they could not per-
haps fully comprehend, followed Him from
heaven and sang, on the plains of Beth ehem
the rapturous song, "Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
men" 1t is the echoes of this song which
are heard at Christmas time, and which in
spre loving hearts to deeds of charity Let
this glorious song, then, be the inspiration of
this season, and so shall the day be, as Tile
4Egls heartily wishes it may be to all of its
readers, in the best sense of the Words
A MERRY CHRISTMAS.