The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-12-25

1ch, although their faces may not bt
smiiiar-who have spent an hour with
$ ne past year. from day to day, OF
rom'week TO week, We send the TsTmesi
loy Of this blessed time. We thank
hem for kind words and kind acts
lbsit i NAV be andeservec, and with
Cr SOULFUL earnestness and deepest
IumGn feelings, we wish one and all
-iend and foe. Jew and Gentle, Nor.
bon and non-Mormon, as We give the
blowing article:
A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
BIS pare of birth a solemR angel tells
10 shepherds keeping watch BY night,
ihCy gladly thither haste, and By quire
( "a adron angels bear the CARO- sung.
Perhaps the lover of English liter
lure has NJ greater delight than is
5Cnd in turning over the psges OF
ueint old books in which have gathered
ne ballads and folk lore" of England
rom tine immemorial. With most of
IN this busy western weird, these
lings are but q memory of the past.
.nr no season other than Christmas
-inRs-so wildly to mind the hours of
ine years ago spent with Perry and
itsou. and Soane, and Sandy. and
tber zOrtbies, Who, with loviHl- hearts
I'D busy hands have gathereS for US
bose treasures of the Olden tire"
Rrt Of all tie wealth thus garnered
4sre Is none richer 70 Us, certainly
Dne more interesting than what we
az cal the literature of this which
siates 70 the nativity OF our Lord. and
niCh IS most abundant and most de-
-ltiul In an article like this, we
tu. of. course, bat touch some of the
AN features, aE1d give a1eW examples
3tCh shall illustrate the Geld, with the
5-e OF eating some OF our young and
ewing ICerati te = knowledge OF
iugs too likely 20 BE forgotten in this
-sy q. worldly land, where Christmas Is
pt indeed, bue, q is hsared, almost
-t,ut C5riSt.
Fin California. Southern Arizona,
~ Mexico and other mild climates
aUcE Of She associations gathered
Found the day. IS missed. ana which
lve given color - It's literature.
.Finter cxisSG in those states and Terri
Iies. bat IL is almost the same as in
aiestine. EIt the greater part CT the
.bngs, carols.cnd Usages eff this great
suvai. come 10 Us from lands OF ice
5d snow; an though telling Of cheer
id warmth, and sometimes wassails
ithin. without was ringing cold,
DC tinging winds and glittering
ars shining IT the icy sky. Or eli
ate OF Utah iE in accord with the old
nds that sang so Justify their hearty
rolls OF this eyentful season. Even
e sweet singer of the Episcopal
irEch, Bishop Cexe, catches the spirit
ID breathings, and chants,
Goye to the Forest
Where the mErtles grow.
,Whene the iEe and the maple
Bend teRedth tie SHOtr.
In my boyish days il always seemed
puzzle 10 me when 1 read over. and
ng so heartily because my elders did
the popular old hymn of Tate,
lille shepherds wstsaed their Socks by
night
scais.s on ne Srotsnd.
Poor shepherds! my sympathy7Eent
III with them. But | discovered in
Der years that the climate Was mild.
ID their winter was but the Mas of
y climate. Instead of the "FiEter
"a. - as the old carol has IL, I could
lg and eldsEsta2d it.
T. was the winter milo
While the hesEen-borI child. (.
} meanly sraPtin the rudef.nanger lies.
in fancy I could bshold the shepherds
J. old watch their fiocks-sa-e upon the
gelic visiOn-hear the good tidings
/ Great i0y.~ and hear the first CT risf-
IS carol. as Jeremy calls il. Glory 10
ld in the highest, and on earth peace.
cd will toward men"
The feS;ivsi of Christmas. as we
.arlv al know. has. in measuEe taken
e plac- OF the Old feast OF tabernacles
the Hebrews. and in mGuy WAYS. es-
ciailv its festive and social chatacter.
|llke thEc festival OF old, while 70 Us.
mas g dee per significance as telling OF
Em who was 'srabeTnacied in the
81" tSee !'eut. XVI, IA15.) To
IS source. 10, without doubt, is due
e deilgLtiDi custom OF trimming our
ur. hes and dwellings with the i'fr
- tie pine tree. and the box a.
iIl as the holly aud iyF-or as they
III i 10 Gaelic lands, tie Isle Of Man,
n hiobin and hOliIn,H as the He
Iews ii Leviticus (NNIII. 45) ~ere
mmanded TO take on the hTst dag
b0ughs OF beautiful trees. branches
palm trees. and the bOughs of thick
ses. and willows OF the brooks, and
shall rejoice in the Lord your GOO
yen days.
the tradition from the first has been |
81 the ac.ual day OF the birth o. |
sus vas, as We observe 1t. ON the |
b OF December. But this. without /
0bt, is not susceptible Of proof, nor,