Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-12-26
MERRY CHRISTMAS:
Emporia Republican.

Emporis Republican.
"Ail hailed with uncontrolled delight
And general voice, the happy night
That to the cottage as the crown
Brought tidings of salvation.
How little the wise, the great, the pro
phetic. and the cropping multitude saw
the approaching festival of the ages In
the DAYS when the Redeemer moved In
visible and tangible form in their pres
ence and proclaimed in their hearing
His beneicient mission, peace on eartn,
good will to men," How surely, through
all peryersions and vicissitude, his
teachings and examples have leavened
and nodded and directed human I'M
pulses. until in our own day at least one
fourth of the entire population OF the
earth unite in celebrating the agreed an
niyersary of His birth as the most gra-
cious event in the history of human life.
What the world had been without
Christ is reasonably recorded. What 1t
would have continued without Him may
be fairly estimated by comparing the
history and condition of Christian with
that of other nations. What it will be
because of Him ia the bright Rugury
which inspires the increasing philan-
thropy of succeeding generations.
OF the growth of Christianity the best
approximate estimates give the whole
number of nominal Christians on earth
at the end Of the first century OF our era
as SOC, 900; at the end Of the twelfth CEN
fury 100000; at the end Of the four
teenth century $4,000, 900; at the end OF
the seventeenth century 155,OOO,OOO; at
the end of the eighteenth century 2O0,-
600, 600; and in 1880 the number had
reached 41O,OO0,OOO. 1t thus appears that
the Christian population of the earth is
now increasing at the rate OF 100000
per year, or 25O,O00,0O0 each century, a
rate of progress which would in four
more centuries make of our faith all the
nations of the earth.
As to the relative political influence OF
Christianity there were 100,00O,OO0 of
people subject to Christian government
A. D. 1900, as compared to 685, 459, 900 in
1876. One-half the entire population of
the earth is now fairly under Christian
control and educational influence, and it
is we'll known that the material power,
the military superiority, the science, en-
terprise, commerce, progress and human
itarian effort of the earth is Christian.
Christian prowess could to-day readily
accomplish what it failed to do in the
middle ages of its growth, subdue the
entire world by force of arms. Butthe
sw ord was not Christ's weapon, and mis-
sionary labor is the Christian agency of
prosely tism. The growth of this work is
shown by the figures that while In the
year 1900 the aggregate contributions OF
all christendom to Protestant foreign
missions were $25O,000, the income of
British and American boards of foreign
missions in 1872 was 1854 ,155, and may
now be $1O,0O0,CO0. OF the missionary
work of the Catholic church no statistics
are published, but it is known to be
world wide. Sunday schools, the first of
which was organized 100 years ago, now
comprise 100000 pupils and teachers In
Europe, and 5000 900 in America. Young
Mems Christian associations. the first OF
which dates back but thirty years, now
number 2,42S, and are steadily increas-
ing. Of charitable and philanthropic
movements and institutions under Chris
tan auspices. the number is not only
vast but steadily increasing in line with
all other public enterprises.
1t is fitting that the birthday anniver-
sary of the founder of so great and to be
universal a religious faith, exerting so
tremendous an influence upon human
destiny, should be observed with I'M
equalled reverance and affection, should
rank as the day of days in the Christian
calendar, should be celebrated with ali
the hallowed rites which cluster about
the altar, the hearthstone, the memories
and the hopes of Christian homes and
hearts.
OF the many quaint and beautiful Gus.
toms associated with Christmas, the most
universally cherished by old and young
is that of making gifts. About this Gus
tom have sprung up delicate and fanci-
full conceits, the most popular of which
is that Christmas gifts are the voluntary
offerings of the most rubicund and jolly
of masculine elves, the far-famed Santa
Claus of northern tradition. Glad IN
this imaginative garb, the kindly offices
of affection and friendship, and Of char
ity, feel free to manifest their love anc
esteem, and for one day in the year the
Christ axiom that it is more blessed t.
give than to receive, finds grandly uni
versal expression in efforts to give some
thing, be it much or little, toward en-
HANGING the happiness, ministering tt
the comfort or mitigating the distress o
Others. On Christmas day above al
others Christ walks the earth again, AMI
, in the worldwide gift-maklng Which
, characterizes this above all other holl
, DAYS His spirit of good will finds th'
thoroughly human Interpretation which
J has created Santa Claus as the messen
ger from heart to heart, revealing il
every generous effort credited to tina
! omnipresent benefaotor the depth o
theses affections whose tenderness ant
Deauty shrinks from prosaic directness
and veil themselves with the delicat'
i. imagery or humorous conceit which ha
peopled the frigid regions of eternal ic
, with Lilliputian workers whose master
| spirit speeds in his wonderful Christina
3 slei Oh to make glad the hearts of child
hood in howell and palace, under the in
spiration of that divine messenger VIII
, said. Sufferer little children to com
. unto me and forbid them not, for ofsucl
is the kingdom of heaven"
. 1t is to chi'dhood's susceptibility, t
the unframed impulses of young hu
= man nature, to the desires, the hope
, and the visions of youth, that the Sci
vices of Santa Claus are specially dedi
4 Gated. Endeavoring to crafty by sym
pathizing with and recalling the mem
o cries of youthful days, makes the oil
young again., turns careworn fathers an
mothers into boys and girls, staid uncle
q and aunts into piaymates, and throug
y the wonderful almalgam of Juvenile in
y pulses imports touch Of nature whic
h makes the whole world kin. All ente
+ the fairy time upon childhood's unque'
= tioning faith. More than the stories {
! Fine Eyes, of the Palace of Light, tn
fairies of perfume, the wind, the winte
the months, the Fungi, the Gnomes, tn
Fountain of many colors, the Magic Gag
. the Wonderful Lamp, Midsamme