Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-12-27
CB8ysrNSs- NyW yYaRs

The wheels Of time and change run
swiftly, and we have just recorded an
anniversary of the birth OF Christ which
the world accepts as the one thousand
eight hundred and eighty.fourth. The
scholars tell us that Christian chro
nology has blundered, and that the
Christian era should date back four
years However that may be, the event
which divides the past from the ancient
and modern is very far back in the years
that are gone. II is nearly two thousand
years The rule OF Rome did not las,
more than half so long, the sway of
Syria and Egypt no longer yet how
fresh is the story II may be true that
the Christmas festival has not been
exempt from the law of commemorative
celebrations, the original facts OF which
rccede from view, or lose distinctness
and power of impression, though eyten-
sion in area OF repetition in time. 1t is
true Christmas Day was disliked and
disused under Puritan rule, both in
England and America a--but to-day it
occupies large place in the attention
and interest Of people of all classes and
conditions in civilized countries than it
ever occupied before, and it connects,i,
self with the widest existing range Of
social usages. The social spiri, has
entered into it,has taken possession Of
it, and perpetuates it. The social be
ing called man is holiday-keeping
creature, ritualist, and mythologist
by nature. He must have his almanac
and must look back and forth to his
days Of remembrance with fervor OF
grateful harmony and loving anticipa-
ton. He will even keep his periodic
festivals and ceremonials of which
neither tradition nor chronicle can tell
him the cause or the beginning. And
so-through Gradgrinds will always be
found to grumble at the ringing Of the
changes in the notes OF JOY, as year by
year we sing the old old story of the
shepherds and the wise men, the Virgin
Mother, and the Holy Child--we to
whom the Christmas chimes have
brough, thrill of gladness that is not all
Of the earth earthly, a stirring OF memory
that is not from past all selfish, thank
God for the Christmas story, its beauty
and its truth.
Next Thursday will be the frs, day
ofIsSs. Doubtless twill be day Of
good resolving-here as everywhere,
On that day Messrs Wine Bibbers will
pause to consider whether their daily
allowance of claret or port or sherry, Of
Californian pressing, ofNew York bot
sling,and of French or Spanish labelling
is being ingestedfor their stomach's good
or for their palate's pleasure. Several
bakers dozens of them will conclude
rightly and "swear off. Ofcach bakers
dozen some will iall from grace within
an hour Of resolving, Others may hold
out week, others month, Others six
months, still others year, few, let us
trust many, will keep their resolve OF
total abstinence always. But not only
they will swear of who "look upon
the wine when it is red and golden and
amber and purple, or who "press their
tansey' be-brandied brown, or be-ginned
translucent, or be-whiskeyed variously, or
who "smile" in ruddy rum, or say "lets'
in liquid Of all the myriad guises ir
which the Devil knows his alcoholic
own. Lefftenant Lush is not the
only distinguished person who will
turn over the new leaf Captain
Strut and Dominic Know 1t All
and Cad Pufdup and Snob Conde
Cend and Praise God len Per Cen,
ESQ. and Mr.. Pharisee Quaver-Smirk will
one and all llresolve to lead some what less
censorious lives to "run down" their
neighbors less as do some Of them. to
pose less as national and civic example,
~ do Others Of them, and to try to live
q little more according to the plain
letter Of. the Law OF Christ Some OF
them will fail Let us trust that others
II them will succeed. For as We could
Ill commend Lush as husband and
neighbor save for this one failing, SC
We should al look up TO and admire
most Of the others, il they cast aside
the fictitious superiority that make.
them targets for ridicule and put on the
uniform of that Christian manlines,
their religion prescribes. But we who
arc not incorporate, lin liquor drinking
OF in ought else If any OF US SO be
have faults enough to repent, Goo
knows. Those OF US who cannot see
that We have lef, "undoae those things
we ought to have done and "havs
doae those things We ough, not to have
done' are in exceeding need OF enligh,en
ment
This is the time OF the year whes
promise hangs rainhowS on every man,
Aorison and the exceptions Tor. a,