The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-12-18
Christmas.

In exactly one week this day viii be
upon us, and the Christmas tide now
approaches around which crowd a
thousand memories for each one of
us. Next Thursday morning will
usher in the time-honored festival
when age, smiling on the infant at
its knee, reyives in memory its own
youth; when youth revels in the Joy
which grasps the present and be-
lieVes in the future, and when middle
age forgets the burden and heat of
the day in its sympathy with the re-
pose of the one and the glad energy
of the other How full of associa-
tions is the recurrence of this great
holiday? How many have had their
tenderest sensibilities aroused in
memory of those far away Christmas
times in distant years, and mayhap
IN far away lands, when
'The Christmas light was burning bright
In MANY a village pane
when there came on the eve of
nativity those musical waits, waking
you out of the dreams of heaven
with the notes of strayed angels
In every hamlet and city in this great
land and over all the Christian world
busy fingers will be working gifts for
the day of good will-the blooming
fiower7garden In the dull plodding
thoroughfare of life, the one time in
the year when petty animosities are
put aside, the days which preserve
that golden era in which all of us,
whether skeptic or saint, have some
times believed, when love shall pre-
vail against hate. How often We
come suddenly upon some bit OF
faded needle-work, the gift of q
Christmas gone by, which is as fra
grant of pleasant memories as treas.
ured rose leaves! Doubly dear are
these gifts of handiwork. The needle
is the natural refuge of q woman
When she is most weary she will picl
up her needle. Many hopeless
grief, many weary heart-ache las
been sewed away. What thoughts
what fancies have foated through hel
mind while she sewed the bit of fancy
work for our Christmas gifts.
The Christmas festival is the mos
enjoyable season of the year, and BY
far the most pleasant Of all our an
niversaries. How many dynastief
have decayed, empires vanished, ma
tons disappeared, creeds changed
temples crumbled, since the founda
tions of this anniversary were laid
How much more of wreck and ruiz
viii the world witness before thes.
| foundations are shaken and the super
structure overthrown? Indeed, WI
cannot imagine any revolution deel
and-strong enough to accomplish
such work. An institution which
no law protects and no government
sustains, it has seen the beginning o
the laws and governments that rul,
the most enlightened portion of man
kind, and may see the end of then
all and still live. It's fitness to sur
vive has been gloriously demonstrat
ed thus far, and there can benothins
in the future to destroy it. Floating
safely and serenely over so man,
stormy seas, the bark laden witt
heavenly love and human hope cal
never sink. Although Christina
originated in Christianity, and draw
| from that source all of it's sacrednes
and much Of it's strength, it has to
certain extent, at least, passed be
yond this limit. Many, If not all thu
sects, and even the infdel, glad,
halls this day because it furnishes a
outlet for those broad sympathies
those generous instincts, those ten
der feelings, those unselfsh impulse
that adorn and dignity our common
humanity and lift us into cleare
and holier atmosphere. The fact tina