Arizona silver belt., 1886-12-25


back in the States, surrounded by am
pie acres; the comfortable sitting
room. with its wide fireplace, filled
with cracking logs throwing out their
grateful warmth-the wintry pros
psct without, making the old room all
the more cheerful; the glinting of the
suns rays on the snow; the trees and
shrubbery enveloped in their feathery
tight-g0wnS lis not the winter season
night to thsm?l; the sharp creaking Of
the wheels upon the frozen snow, an
lnfalable indicator of the vigor of the
Northern Thor "who, with icy ham.
mer, knocked Napoleon down" Then
Christmas eve, when we hung our
stocking tor mothers, rather, for it
was long, from the high mautlepiece
for Santa Claus--out Of his abundant
and never failing store--tO nh with
good things; how all night long our
little head was filled with Visions Of
our mythical bensiaetor, galloping
like Queen Nab through lovers brains,
Then, how on Christmas morning, be-
fore the sun had kissed the earth, we
stole from our warm bed and erept
down stairs IN our night clothes, eager
TO view our precious treasures. What
unbounded delight was oursl But,
alas this train Of thought brings with
1t, too, sad memories,
"Gone glimmering through the drem Of
things that were"
Christmas is the day on which tia, ma
tiwtY Of Christ is celebrated, the OBJ
ject being to do homage, with festive
nirth, to the joyous season which Iwo-
claims peace on earth, good will to-
ward men," The first authentic tra-
ces Of its observance are found in the
time Of Emperor Commodus (ls0 1872
A. d. DespotiC rulers, in dIHerent
ages, have tried to suppress the cele.
bration Of Christmas. Diocletian, an
ancient King, while holding court at
Nicomedia, caused church to be
closed, in which were assembled a
multitude Of Christians celebrating the
birth of Jesus, and brrned tho build
ing with ITS inmates. In England,
during the commonwealth, the church
es were not permitted to be opened
and Evelyn records how he "was fain
TO lass the dsYotions Of this Blessed
Day with his family"
Phere was no uniformity in the pc
riod of holding the festival among the
early churches, it being celebrated in
different countries, IN April, May and
January. Among the causes which
fixed December 25th, as the proper
day for the observance Of Christmas,
the most potential was, that almost all
the heathen nations regarded the win
ter solstice as the most important
time Of the year, as the beginning of
the renewed life and activity Of the
powers Of nature and of the gods. At
the winter-solstice the Germans held
their Yuls-feast in commemoration of
the return Of the fiery sun-wheel, and
believed that during the twelve days
and nights from December 25th to
January 9th, they could trace the per-
sonal movements and lnterferences on
earth Of their dsities, Odin and Berch-
ia. The shurch-ln order TO purify
the hsathen customs and feasts which
it had retained devised its grand
liturgy, besides adding dramatic rep
resentations Of the birth and life Of
Christ. Hence also originated the
Manger songs and carols, and later
the Christ-tree.
In England, the Puritans, IN order
to avoid She use of the word mass,
called the festival Christ-tide. In
Mannngham's "Diary," a Puritan sx-
tending an invitation 70 a friend, de-
sired him to come and partake Of "a
nativity pie at Christ-tyde." The an
tiqulty of mince pies is shown, too, as
they are spoken OF at that time as be-
ing so inseparably connected With
Christmas, that Mr. sandys, in his
"Christmas-tide," says they are almost
test of religious opinions. Bun
yam would not eat miuce-piss for fear
Of injuring his morals.
OF the numberless customs connect.
ed with the Christmas festival in ol6en
times, none was more curious than
that appointing Christmas as one Of
the seasons for rendering service for
land tenure. Thus Percy, a scion Of
the noble house of Louvain, held prop
erty at Lexington, Yorkshire, by re-
pairing TO skslton Castle on Christmas
day and leading the lady Of the castle
therefrom to chapel and thence back
again, afterwards dining with her be-
fore he departed.
Christmas has lost much of its reli.
gious significance, but IS still an inn
portant festival in the Roman Catho-
Tic Church and is also celebrated by
the Episcopalians. The observance Of
the day follows fashion, Much of the
old-time couviviahty, has disappeared
and the fulflment Of many appropriate