Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-12-23

compensation for ab~cr@e from bone
on this brightest and best Of anniycrsa-
ries in finding oneself IN the streets Of
London on the eve of Christmas. a spec
tator and part of ths. great Chriszsnas
tide of expectant. happy. smiling hu-
manity flowing In counter currents
through Bond street. Holbo-n. the
Strand. and eddying and whiriiag
around Charing Cross. and when- with
heart warmed with the glow refiectel
from thousands Of sparkling faces. to
see this city Of million homes and q
thousand churches blaze forth with
Christmas lights from basement 70 roof
from chancel 20 belfry. the mystic spell
of tine anniversary becomes wondrouS,
overwhelming. complete.
But when Christmas dawns. one
should leave the bewildering maze of
this vast city for some old English iii
l1ge where the beauty and traditions Of
the day possess "a cameo-like unity and
relief; and the farther this shrine l. r.
moved from the rush and roar Of the
nineteenth century the sveeter will be
the flavor of the anniversary and the
more redolent Of its old-time incense
The village green. buttressed by the
iwied church and manse at one end and
the old hostelry and srnithy forge az
the other, the noble hall half visible in
its park. and ancient farmhous~s
neigh6oring near. make up a mis IN
scens for a charming Christmas that
cannot surpassed. Watching the as-
sembling worshipers aecixinz park and
green, you follow on, pause in Gods
Acre for look at the old yew trees
and the biIlowy sod where the rude
forefathers Of the hamlet sleep. and
enter the rough stone temple to whose
plain interior tender and sympathesic
hands have lent a grace and freshness
with clusters and festoons Of holly and
mistletoe and where Christmas has
been sacredly celebrated for centuries
save when Cromwelrs soldiers put
down the ''papistical-' worship or dur
ing the pitisble War Of the Roses. Your
mind dweIls mainly In the misty past
during the service, for Celts. BritonS,
Saxons. Danes and Norrnans have kneif
before you on this spot. many Of them
under this same roof. and do not the
symbols gathered from the remnants ot
old Druidical groves blend the ercio 81
the Christian with the worship Of Bell
A. the day declines and you have
your choice between the hospitality Of
Norman hall and the festivities at some
old farmhouse where the Saxon dwelis.
HE then to the latter. for Christmas is
but play under the patronizing smiles
Of rank and fashion, while In the soil
imbedded home Of the descendant OF
Celt or Saxon you shall see the greatest
Of Christian anniversaries celebrating
at the same hearth with the first OF
pagan festivals tas you saw them com
memorated at the same morning altar
and each claiming the day In honor of
its nativity. In the midst Of the fets
where hospitality rrigns with wladre-s
the carols are heard without and the
door swings wide open for the singers.
In they troop. and rs they chant OF .
Saviour born this day In the cave "a
Bethlehem. and of peace on earth. good
will % man. the blazing yule log Of
the sun w0rshiPers uInmin@s the room
with tidings of scarce less import. tell
ing that on this day the source Of al
light and life has emerged from thr
grave ~ the winter sOlstice t0 break
the icy bands Of death and restore q
man the fructifying spring. the riPen-
ing summer and golden autumn
! have chosen England for the locs II my
Christmas scenes, for there one i
brought into closer sympathy with the
spirit and traditions Of this great dual
anniversary than In our modern
America.
Centuries before the shepherds
watched their Hocles on the Syrian hills
in the dawn Of the Christian era the
Egyptian priests had traced the zodiae
in the heaven. and blaxoned the e5th
of December as the day Of the deliver
ance 81 the sun from the darkness and
bands Of the winter solstice. and for
centuries before the lixhtof Christianity
burst forth from the srrotto Of B~thle-
hem the fire aItars OF the Orient. the
sun wheels Of Germany and the yuis
log. Of Britain celebrated this day aa
the resurrection Of nature from death
unto life. Does IL detract from ths
beauty and spIendor of the Christian
holiday that all nature Joins I'm its
hosannahs % that infinite and benign
Providence which hcetieth tho spar
rows fall and the sun i'm its course
with the same care and solieitude that
proclaimed from the angelic skies oi
Bethlehem. Peace ON earth. good win
to mani GEo. w. VAN HoRSE