St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-25
A FLOUR CITY XMAS.
The Great Annual Holiday
That Influences the
World.
Minneapolis Will Observe 1t
and Anticipates a Model
Day.
Programme of Events Laid
Down All Over the
City.
Some Of the Ante Christmas
Happenings and Holiday
Comment.

Christmas is here. Beyond a doubt
the day has come and brought the reali
cation of anticipations that have been
spread backward over a period of
weeks. All Of the hopes and joys OF
that long stretchof expectation are cen
tered and fulfilled in this one day, the
browning epoch of the sweet season."
For twenty-four hours, at most, of the
great Christmas festival, the whole civ
iized world has been scheming
and planning and preparing for
months, and thinks itself repaid.
TO bring out that one great
Joy of giving, which is more
blessed than receiving, genius to devise
and labor to execute, head to plan,
hands to give and hearts to rejoice have
been busy TOR months. Apart from the
independent labor necessary to actual
life every pursuit and occupation of
man has been tinged for weeks with
the one Christmas idea. On the one
side was the labor that produced, and
the commerce that carried and the ne
gotiatiOnS that exchanged the myriad
articles that will to-day celebrate Christ
mas in the homes Of the land; on the
other was the toll with brain and
hand, in the Office, the mills,
the mine and the factory that secured
the money and completed the bargains
that will make those homes happy. A
gigantic conspiracy all over the land to
celebrate the birth of Christ; a sympa-
thetic working of the worlds machin-
cry for the one object, reduced to the
last, of making glad some heart, OF
bringing sunshine into some home to-
day. 1t may be some home where sun
shine comes only as rare and welcome
visitor. or it may be the home where
shadow is the exception, but still it is
the sunshine.
Christmas Is the great festival Of the
year, for the one reason that its par
Elephants are without limit or hindrance.
The church recognizes q greater day,
but humanity cannot. 1t is the one day
of universal present-giving, and in this
fact is largely lost the fact that religion
established the day. The child is old
enough to know and welcome Santa
who could not comprehend that
to-day commentaries the birth
of the Savior and the first step
in the grand plan of redemption,
while thousands in every community
will enjoy the day and rejoice in its
material benefits without thought of
the star Of the East or the humble man
ger containing the meek and lowly
Jesus. Religion has too somber a east
for the average heart, and there will be
no sombcr associations with Christ
mas. The barbaric idea is more
popular and tales of the Yule
log and romances of Kris Kringle
Will crowd out of youthful hearts even
the sweet story of the Babe OF Bethle-
hem. This may be sad. but it is human
nature, and 1t is we'll enough that the
day does its duty in displaying the
bright side of life and the warmer side
OF human hearts. 1t is enough that the
spirit of good will is abroad. 1t is
enough that, if even involuntary, song
of praise is in every heart to-day, and
that that song as it rises is the insense
of the soul and prayer that is i'm
mortal.