Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-12-25

IT." D
Is 4 @ 81 ~ IsTER greeted the eye
-, = Of the reader.
hH> - How often will the
sslutation be heard during the day, in
every part Of our city, and throughout
An the surrounding territory, on both
sides Of the river, forming, as it does,
virtually a sing le community.
All about US 1t will be a day OF happi-
ness and good cheer-of interchanging
nj rifts-Of expressions Of happiness,
spd Of good will and peace.
A merry Christmas it will be, and it
5ught TO be, for aside from everything
Use. it marks the closing days OF anoth-
pr wear Of general prosperity, with our
community thriyings in every part,
fuUv I'D to the measure of other years
which have gone, AID with future
bright with all that is desirable or to be
wished for, for the public as a whole.
! King Christmas was never so we'll
isattIed upOn his throne as in this pres
aEs wear OF grace. And he is as easy
j and lOv ng q monarch as ever ruled any
Tgu3 But 10 was not always so in
ica, for it was only after a long
Unborn campaign that he attain
.. present lofty and triumphant
on. When this country received
r IrSt settlers, in Virginia, things
wsrI badly-there was very little to be
-ry about, the people were poor,
there were few or no children TO prattle
of what Christmas and the holidays
were TO bring, and so King Christmas
-as hardly recognized. AMI the cOndi-
ZION was very little improved for years.
Other English settlers came TO the new
, land. and King Christmas may have eX-
rected greater honor at their hands,
but for long he was doomed to bitter
disappointment. They were stern rebels
20 his althOrity-theyd did not recognize
him 40 all. Some few of these
settlers wished TO keep Christmas
as a holiday, and let their work
! stands over for a day, but their leaders
Nv not listen TO il. King Christmas,
liaa. knew, had many loyal adherentS
6a England, and finally, as. a tardy &C
know. edgement Of the custom on the
other side Of the water, il was declared
that any man might rest from labor on
rhe e5th of December, II he choose; but
have anything 20 eat on that day. This
settled it. With nothing 90 eat on
Christmas, and nothing TO drink but
plain wster, one could not keep Christ
mas with any very apparent heaFtiness,
and as q result there was still no OBJ
serYauce of the day, the settlers con-
terting themselves with 4 sad recOl-
lection Of the merry days in
their native land. When the
Purlans came to settle around Boston,
they. TOO, Joined in the rebellion against
Christmas, and woe betide the merry
maker who wished TO observe the day.
The statute book furnished a clause for
the punishment Of any one observing
the day with any show Of festivity.
The difficulty, however, OF depressing
the naturally spirit Of the day, is shown
i'm tie Colonial records Of an early
Christmas. They say
son We day called ChristmaS-day
(,his was iu 1921 ye GOv'r called them
out 90 worke Gas was used, but We
most OF this new company excused
themselves aud said IL went against
their c0uscienCes 10 wOrke on We day.
So We G0v'r tOuld them that if they made
10 a matter of conscience, he would |
spare them till they were better in
formed. So he led away ye rest and !
left them; but when they came home at |
H00ue from their worke, he found them |
in ye Streete az play, openly; some !
pitching ye barr, and some at stoole- !
ball and shuch like sports. So be went !
% them and tooEe away their imple- |
ments, and tould them that was against |
his conscience that they should play |
and others Worke. II they made We !
keeping of 10 matter of devotion, let |
them keep their houses, but Their should |
be no g2meiug or revelling in ye streets. |
Since which time nothing hath been at |
tempted that way, at least openly"
10 was not until William Ill took |
away the charter Of Massachusetts, that |
King Christmas managed TO obtain |
recognition in the new world. A |
Kings chapel was established In BOs- !
ton. aGd there, at least, Christmas day |
was kept, and a few EpiScOpalians be- |
gan 20 gather together and honor |
Christmas Ia a quiet way, although the !
older English cOlOniStS shook their !
heads I'm disapproval. But when the |
Dutch began 70 settle around the mouth |
of the Hudson, King Christmas was liz |
higher honor, and st. Nicholas began 10 |
have general recognition. BY degrees |
his supremacy was fully established, |
and now he holds undisputed sway over |
the length and breadth OF the new |
world, as he does over the greater pOr- |
ton Of the entire globe. The past few |
weeks here in Wheeling, in which |
thoughts of the great Christian holiday |
gradually crowded from mind and heart |
almost every other thought, shows how |
generally the Merry Monarch Is recOg- |
uiZed, and how loyal his subjects are, |
and to-day in every home, however |
humble, there will be q recognition of |
the day In some shape, and tomorrow |
business cares will be laid aside to at /
test the loyalty and fidelity Of the en-
tire people to the reign and rule Of King 1
Christmas.
merry Christmas 10 all!
SOME CHRISTIANS PRESENTATIONS.