The Arizona champion., 1886-12-25
- sr1------- - A CHRISTMAS GysEErISG.

Once more in the cycle of the year Christmas has come again to greet Us with its cheerful associations and pleasant memorles.Oi all the holidays we celebrate 1t IS the merrlest, as well as one of the most sacred. The most joyous because In its celebration the best impulses ol our nature are shown IL IS season of good wili to all, when men open their hearts With generous sympathy to their friends, wishing them all a Merry Christmas, and their pockets to their poorer neigh bors 10 euable them to join h the general feeling of thankfulness and jollity which seems 10 pervade all ranks. It Is the most sacred because It comm emoratcs the birth of Him "who spake as man never spoke be fore," and whose teachings are the foundation upon which human pro- greSS and civilization has been built,
 Perhaps th's practice of the virtue of charity and the giving of presents to our friends Especially the little ores), which the season calls forth, is the secret of the joyousness of Christ mastide, "lt IS more blessed to give than receive" said the founder oi this holiday, and we all feel that our own turkey will go down with 3 sweeter flavor if we kno~ that we nave provided some poor family with good dinner that s-idom gets one. The men or women yho do not feel themselves bubbling over with hl ppi. ness when looking at the bright faces of the dear little ones, made radiant with few presents costing but tri. fling sum, ought to be banished from the joys of home forever. They are only fl for
 "Treasons strStasemS and spoils."
 In this country we are growing to be more holiday-loylng people every year. In the continuous excitement and high pressure of business life in our large cities, holidays are breath. ing spots for ovcrworked brain and muscle, the value of which can scarcely be estimated by people who dwell h the freer and less excitabie life of these western lands, The old Purl,ans knocked all of tne religious festivals out of the calendar. In their zeal to protest against the forms and ceremonies of the country that pcrSe- cuted them an,il Ihey fed from it to set up commonwealth ot their own upon the soil of MaSSac huSet;s, they went t1 ridiculous extremes, anl act ually passed h. that "any one ob- serving Christmas by cessation from work. jpining in games or unusual f-dstIng should b. arrested and fined five shuiiagS." It was also made a punishable oG:ase to eat plum pudding on CHrstmla day-on any other day they could gorge the nje!veS with the lndl.eslble s!ufy-9bVt with the strange inconsistency of all tdnitlcism, every means was used to ob.ltc:ate even a thought of lhc festival con anenJra- ting an event which was the Very cor nerstone of their religious faith. Bat these old Puri,ans have been gathered 10 their fathers, and their lays be come obsolete. Nov, Christmas ha, grown 10 be the bes: observed holiday of the year, The grand old festival that for nearly nineteen centric, has reused the enthusiasm of saints and provided much enjoyment for sinners, is gaining as much. if not more, pop ularity than ii woIld if our Puritan progenitors had no; tried to wipe il ou, Of old Fa,Icr r,ne caislllr.
 The CHAMPION hopes that all ql it's