The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-12-22

5Ys2~~,,$ ns in the ;en ,'i af
ones own freside: but there is fine
compensation for absence fron home
on this brightest and best Of anniversa-
ries in finding oneself in the streets of
London on the eve of Christmas. a spec
tator and a part of the great Christmas
tide of eSpectant. happy. smiling hui
mainly flowing in counter currents
through Bond street. Ho!born. the
Strand and eddying and whirling
around Charing Cross: and when. with
heart warmed with the glow reflected
from thousands of sparkling faces. to
see this city of million homes and a
thousand churches blaze forth with
Christmas lights from basement to roof.
from chancel to belfry. the mystic spell
of the anniversary becomes wondrous,
overwhelming. complete.
But when Christmas dawns. one
should leave the bewildering. maze of
this vast city for some old English viii
lage where the beauty and traditions of
the day possess aameo-like unity and
relief: and the farther this shrine is re-
moved from the rush and roar of the
nineteenth century the sweeter win he
the favor of the anniversary and the
more redolent Of it's old-time incense
The village green. buttressed by the
ivied church and manse at one end. and
the old hostelry and snithy forge at
the other, the noble hall half visible in
its park, and ancient farmhouses
neighboring near. make up a ,nt's ca
scene for Il charming Christmas that
cannot be surpassed. Watching the as
sembling worshiper> iies.lling park and
green. you follow ON. pause in Gods
Acre for looh at the old yew trees
and the billowy sod where the rude
forefathers Of the hamlet sleep. and
enter the rough stone temple to whose
plain interior tender and sympathetic
hands have lent a grace and freshness
with clusters and festoOns Of holly and
mistletoe. and where Christmas has
been sacrcdly celebrated for centuries
save when Cromwcll's soldiers pu:
down the ''papistical'' worship or dur.
ing the pitiable War of the Roses. Your
mind dwells mainly in the misty past
during the service. for Celts. Britons
Saxons. Danes and Normans have knel,
before YOU on this spot many of then
under this same roof, and do not ths
symbols gathered from the remnants O.
cid Druidical groves blend the r2'edo o
the Christian with the worship OF Bell:
/ AS the day declines aMdm YOU have
| your choice between the hospitality o
Norman hall and the Festivities 1T some
! old farmhouse where, the Saxon ttwells
HE then to the latter, fer 1yistnns j:
| but a play under the patronE;irlg smile!
of rank and fashion. while IN the soil
/ imbestded home Of the d6s"cptl;s.it G
| Celt or Saxon you shall see the creates
Of Christian anniversaries; celsbr;,tin:
at the same hearth with@ tEef first O
pagan festivals Gas You saw them com
memorated at the same morning altar
and each claiming the day III homer 0
its nativity In the midst Of the fet
where hospitality rcigns with glaanes
the carols are heard without and tn
door swings wide open for the singers
In they troop, and as they chant Of
Saviour born this day in the cave 0
will to man. the blazing yule log o
the sun worshipers illumincs the room
with tidin9s of scarce less import. tell
ing that on this day the source of al
light and life has emerged from tn
grave of the winter solstice to brea
the icy bands of death and 5restore t
man the fructifying spring. the ripper
n,,l H. tf,rrp, r
have chosen England for the loci of m
Christmas scenes, for there one
brought into closer sympathy with tn
spirit and traditions Of this great dua
anniversary than in our moder
America.
Centuries before the shepherd
watched their flocks on the Syrian hill
in the dawn of the Christian era tn
Egyptian priests had traced the zodia
in the heavens and blaZoned the 25t
of December as the day Of the deliver
ance of the sun from the darkness an
bands of the winter solstice. and fl
centuries before the light Of ChrStianit
burst forth from the grotto of Rethl'
hem the fire affairs of the Orient. til
sun wheels of Germany and the yll1
logs of Britain celebrated this day ;
the resurrection of nature from deaf
unto life. Does it detract from tn
beauty and splendor Of the ChriStia
holiday that all nature joins in i
,, hosannahs to that infinite and being
Providence which heedeth the spa
rows fall and the sun in its eour:
with the same care and solicitude tn:
proclaimed from tie angelic skies
Bethlehem: ''Peace on earth. good wi
to man?' GEO. w. VAN HORNE.
n All Provided For.
Clara ARRANGING the Christmas pre-
entSl-Wa.l mt lnlmn:l s ne.a.l neI.