Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-22
WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS.
The Only Church Festival of Uni
versal Recognition.


dearest to Children--Iheir Milestone In
Life--A Day That Imparts the Full
blessings of the Svys of Giving.
Written for Gazette and journal.
Christmas is probably the only festi-
val of the church that receives almost
universal recognition. The observance
of Easter becomes yearly more general,
but it still falls far behind The Birth
day in popularity. Saints'-days are
practically unknown except to Roman
Catholics and to some Episcopalians;
but "from Greenland's icy mountains to
midas coral strand" wherever the
Christian religion has been preached,
Christmas is the joy-time Of the year.
1t was not always so. The memory
of man readily goes back to the time
when Christmas was as nothing to New
Englanders, in comparison with Thanks
giving Day. In some hearts the Puritan
festival still holds the first place, but the
Christmas feast follows hard after 1t.
There are many reasons for this. To
the deyout souls the day commentaries
the birth of the Peace bringer, and there
is an undercurrent of unspoken Joy in
their hearts that is not due to the out
ward and visible signs Of Christmas.
To the poor it is one Of the few bright
spots in long and drearJ winter-a
season when the well-to-do open their
hearts and hands and send bounty into
the homes Of the hungry.
CHRISTMAS is DEAREST TO CHILDREN
To the children-ah, what is il not to
the children? 1t is their golden mile
stone, the landmark from which they
measure everything. AS soon as they
stop looking back to one Christmas,
they begin looking forward to another.
An atmosphere of mystery-always de-
lightfui to child-enshrouds the Yule-
tide. 1t is more than family gather
ing and big dinner and presents and
candy unlimited. 1t is the Christ
Child, and Santa Claus, elves and
fairies, singing angels and kneeling
cattle, worshipping shepherds and gift
bearing Magi, Star of Bethlehem and
a manger, "a sleighful of toys and eight
tiny reindeer" all blended in the bliss
full confusion impossible outside of q
child's brain, that knows not reverence
or irreyerence, but bestows wonder and
love with impartial generosity upon
Christian story and pagan myth.
so it is, after all, TO the children that
Christmas is dearest. Next after them
| it is most loved by those who have never
| lost the childish heart, those greatly to
| be envied ones who still feel "Christ-
mas in their bones, as the holiday comes
around, and rejoice in the joy of others
more keenly than in their own happi-
ness; for the true meaning of Christ
/ mas is lost as soon as the element of
seltishness finds place in this celebra-
| ton. Even the children soon learn this,
and they are defrauded if this lesson is
not early and tcnderly brought home to
them. They must not be deprived of
the joys of giving, and they will not be
| slow to learn that their merry making
is sweeter and gayer for the thought
that by sending happiness into the
homes of the needy, they have made
themselves one with the spirit of the
Founder of the feast-day, whose whole
life was one continuous gift. The sweet
solemnity of the thought will not cloud
the mirth. 1t will, if it is rightly taught
and apprehended, be the trimming drop
in the cup of happiness OF old and
young.
THE SELFISH AND SOLITARY SHRINK.
! To one or two classes of people
Christmas brings little or no joy. The
selfish and the solitary shrink from it..
To the former its observance would
mean drain upon purse and SYM
pathies that he does not wish to meet,
70 the latter, it brings contrasts too
sharp not to be painful.
With the selfish, manor woman
can do little. If the gentle example,
the kindly word fail to move him, one
can go no farther; but the solitary when
"set IN families" is no longer solitary,
and there are few home-keepers who
do not have it in their power to admit at
least one guest to the Christmas dinner.
No one but just such lonely one can
tell just what such "taking in" means
to him or to her.
"Oh, Christian, open thy heart and door,
Cry East and West, to the wandering
poor,
Whoever thou art whose need is great,
In the name of Christ the Compassionate
And Merciful One, for thee wait"
And the poorest of all may be those
whose purses are full.