Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1886-12-24
Christmas.

Christmas, day of days, the one day of all
days dear to our hearts. The day when
care lays down her burden and sorrow for.
gets her tears, when the old become young
again, and the young are ecstatically happy.
What memories cluster around the Christ
mas holidays. Those who have assembled
the top of the hill and are going down on
the other side, come up again and go back
over the sunny slopes of life to youth and
childhood. Memories of the past are often
sweet and pleasant. 1t is real pleasant
task to look through our tears and sorrows
back over the years and remember when we
were children and when Christmas came,
and to think of our unquestioning faith in
Kris Kringle and Santa Claus. Some over,
rigid natures think it very shocking to de-
cieve children with these fables, they say it
is downright lying. 1t is not lying, and
there is nothing wrong in telling the chill
uren of Kris and Santa and to tell them to
believe in these so-called fables, for they are
not fables. Ii some fault-finding people only
knew what Kris Kringle and Santa Claus
meant and who those personages were they
might be less captious. "Kris Kringle" is
simply the German Christ Child. Is that a
fable? "Santa Claus" is simply an abbrevia-
ton OF the good old Bishop Of st. Nicholas,
Is that fable? If children never suffer
more corruption than for their faith in Kris
Kringle and Santa Claus then thrice happy
for them and all who love them.
All other holidays sink into insigniiicance
in the face of the wonderful event that Christ
mas Day commentaries and those who be-
lieve and those who doubt the doctrines
taught in the churches may join to do honor
to the birth in Judea, which has been the
downfall of the marble Gods of Greece and
Rome, the rise of nations from savagery to
civilization and their subsection to those
softening and elevating influences which
have lifted them to higher social plane, to
degree of freedom unknown in the days
of paganism, and from darkness into light
Describing entirely the religious features
of the day, what grander anthem has been
handed down to us through the vicisitudes
and changes of the nineteenth century than
Peace on earth, good will towards menu
1t was this that the shepherds heard on the
plains of ,judea while following the guild
ing star to the lOwly manager in Bethlehem.
The wise men, not only from the East, bu,
of the whole civilized world now bring
myrrh and frankncense to the cradle OF the
divine child, and the spirit Of Him who said
at is more blessed to give than to receive
is as universally characteristic Of this iesli-
val as selfshness and inhumanity are Of all
days and all races not governed by the
motives of charity and mercy declared in
the Old and confirmed in the New Testa.
ment.
Christmas Oh how memory brings up
that song, GLORY Il was the sweetest
strain that ever fell on listening ears 1t
excelled the song OF the morning stars at
birth. 1t was the worlds new
birth song. 1t was the song OF n resurrec
finn rnp "a dad ~, a u t,t |
enough the world had heard the song OF
"Glory TO Caesar in the highest They
wanted and needed something higher bet
ter, and nobler Now that Christ is born
a new era of peace and love had come
Well might the angels sing, for it was
"Giory to God" and it was Good will to
men" The music OF that song has come
down through the centuries. We have
heard it ring out from Christmas bells year
after year, and it will ring again, ring
through this fertile land of America, and
Europe will send the answering song across
her hills and through her valleys. The blue
mountains yelled in mist or crowned with
the white gariands Of the everlasting SHOWS
shall echo the music far and near. From
clOlstered aisles, through the mil
lion homes Of the German land, through
smiling France, over the domed and turret-
Gu Nils Oh DWltzeTltnu, through sunny Opaln
and vine clad Italy shall ring the sound
From the watch towers of Asia and the
ripping sands of Africa shall be heard this
grand music From cathedral and meeting
hours, and cloistcr and cell, and palace and
hut will come the sweet refrain. The hui
man voice and the pipe of organ, the chant
of viol and the bare of trumpet, all are
giving forth the music Of Christmas iesti-
walls.
But Christmas can never be celebrated
Alright unless the poor are remembered by
all who are ableto spare from their abund
ance for the relief of those who have no
good things" for Christmas, and, indeed,
while Others are enjoying Christmas ieasts
there are many who have scarcely the means
of subsistence. The best offering of graft
tude to God for his goodness and love to-
ward us, and, above ali, for that which
Christians commemorate, is 10 remember the
poor, OF whom it may be said that every
Christmas gilt or gift upon any other day
to the IMPOVERISHED and suffering will be
regarded by Him as bestowed upon Him.
self
Montrcse, Md. G. G. p