, 1891-12-24
" : = n
MERRY CEaEISTMAS.

And SO comes once more this blessed
reunion which eclipses all other festive oc-
casions within the pale Of Christeudom
Old earth has completed yet another jour
ney of more than five hundred and sew
enty millions of miles and we have again
reached that most welcome relay station
in the calendar of time. Christmas! /!
What an array of tender and beloved asso-
Citations cluster around this cherished
word, and how its utterance thrills the
heart of the young, the old, the grave and
gay Christmas How redolent Of Bril-
liant and sparkling memories, and how it
smacks of the hopes, the joys, the loves,
nay, the SORROWS and disappointments that
sanctified, consecrated and glorifed the
dear old days that shall return no more
forever.
Would that we could ring over again
those delightful heart chimes Of the past,
sleigh bells and sleigh rides, wooings and
weddings, meetings and greetings, and,
alas, partings, too. The cold, practical man
of the world may knit his brows and sneer
at all this ado; the travelled cosmopolitan
may shrug his shoulders and call it insipid5
sentiment; modern innovations NAV inn
pair its pristine bloom, but the beautiful
picture remains still intact and the tumult-
uous changes of the world shall never. eff
face il from the tablet of memory. This is
not national anniversary merely, but The
property of the great commonwealth, the
sovereign world. Tits sort ofeyery ybody's
festival. Who does not love to read about
the Christmas regime Of the olden times z
when
THE mistletoe hung in the castle hall,
The holly branch shone on the old oak wall,
And the baron's retainers were blithe and
gay
A keeping their merre Christmas day.
And how the old chroniclers in their.
style delighted to dwell on those scenes
which constituted part and parcel of their
being.
With them, Christmas was, indeed a
national recurrence, and we'll did they ac-
quit themselves in its observance; well did
they sustain the character and solemnity
implied by the import of its name. But
to consider this topic in purely Christian
point of view best becomes the hour.
Now, the birth of Jesus Christ was
in this wise.n So runs the charming story
in which are delightfully."- interviewer 5sucna
romantic conceits as were never before
conceived by human thought or fancy.
First of all came prophetic the advent of
heavenly messengers proclaiming glad
tidings Of great joy to all men; then ap-
pears on the programme a comely maiden
of noble Lineage and spotless purify; a.
strangely beautiful babe miraculously con
ceived and born unto her; shepherds
Watching their aocks by night on the
Jordan hills; the sudden apparition of a
star of unwonted brilliancy and locality:
the coming Of Gaspar, Malchior and Bel
shazar, the renowned trio of Eastern magi,
together with all the fascinating details so
dear to the heart of every believer. And,
finally. like the cadence Of beautiful
song, like the blessed spirit Of sweet
charity that sweetens and perfumes all
else. fallen man is raised from the dark
ness and hopelessness of his sinful state
up to the glorious realms of Immortality
all by and through the great Hero Of this
wonderful story of the cross.
In conclusion, then, We urge Byron,s IN
junction, "Let joy be uncon6ned." Let
everybody enjoy the season in a manner
fully commensurate with his capacity. Let
us tolerate no exclusiveness, but strive
with right good will to get all out of the
season there is in It. Doing this, we shall
come little short Of living over again the
days when
1--WE were boys and girls together once
In days that slurnber now,
Ere the sordid cares that cumberus
Had furrowed cheek and brow;
we were boys and girls together then.
Far in the halcyon past,
But we knew not that the roses were
Too beautiful to last