The state herald., 1892-01-29
CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES.
Il 10 not the Pudding and Games
That Make Christmas.

That Make Christmas.
The open house and hall which the
Christmas ballads celebrate are SYM
bolical. 1t is the day on which no.
body shall so starving or cold, be-
cause it is the nativity OF the Teacher
who tells lis to feed the hungry and to
clothe the naked. 1t is the day of
fraternity, and perhaps before it is
over, before tho wassail-bowlis is wholly
dry, and while a few forfeits yet ro-
main to be redeemed, it may occur to
somo OF us to ask, II the open house
and hall are symbolical, why should
not Christmas itself be symbolcal,
and since it is day offraternity, why
should not every day bo u day OF
fraternity?
The effervescence OF good feeling
which sparkles and rustles through
Dickeas's Christmas Carol; tho spirit
which melts old Scroogo not only in-
to human sympathy but into hilar.
ity which makes him whisper somc-
thing to the old gentleman, his terri
fled debtor, that causes the old gentle
man to say, "Lord bless mel" MS il
his breath were taken away, and then
to add, ~ don't know what to say to
such munifi-"; the spirit which stirs
Scrooge to give Bob Cratchit dig in
the waistcoat and to announce that
his salary is about to bo raised-"l'll
raise your salary, and endcavor to
assist your struggling family, and wo
| will discuss your affairs over n Christ
mas bowl OF smoking bishop, Bob
this is the spirit OF Christmas In its
largest sense, the spirit not OF day,
only, but OF life, for it is good will to
| man.
1t is not probable that the millcn-
ium will be brought about by employ
ers raising the salaries OF their clerks,
but it is certain that there will be no
millennium without that spirit.
Scrooge's 8 Christmas did not end with
sunset; it lasted all the year round.
That Christmas, indeed, is nm impost-
or which ceases to bo Christmas be-
cause tho 25th day OF December is
gone. It's reality can DO tested only
by watching closely tho twenty.iiith
day OF May and the twenty-iiith day
OF September, and if they are full OF
tho same gladliness, the same good
cheer, for everybody and everything,
with which the twenty-iifth OF Decem-
Der overiiows, then that day is not a
donkey masqucrading rs lion but n
genuine Christmas.
Once there was Maid Marian who
played at forfeits and snap-dragon,
and watched the morris-dancers and
hobby horse, and heard the waits sing
ing under the cold moon, and at last,
caught beneath the mistletoe. she paid
the sweetoss forfeit OF ALL And in the
bottom OF heI heart, despite her rosy
cheeks, she felt that she paid it will
ingly, and secretly sighed to think
that Christmas comes but once n
year. But long afterward, when for
many year She had been married to
| the youth who caught her beneath
! the sacred bush, ns she made the
| plumb pudding every Christmas, and
helped to hang the little stockings by
the fireside, and hunted the slipper,
| and gayly bluiIed the blind.man she
remembered that it was not the
snapdragon nor the waits, nor even
that happy forfeit which made the
old Christmas. but something that
did not set with the sun nor die with
the carol OF the waits She was
caught now under the mistlc,oc, not
by that youth only, but by. little fel-
lows with pudgy arms, who covered
her all over with kisses; and when she
nns tired vi romping, and tlic lituc
fellows with pudgy arms were fast
asleep holding their dolls and horses
and elephants and dogs, she said to
that youth OF other years. at was
not the games and the puddings and
the mistletoc that made the old Christ.
mas-it was love: and love makes
Christmas all the year round.