St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

through the queer streets with their red tiled
houses-the solemn splendor of the church, its
dark oak pews all trimmed with ivy, and box,
and holly, and the choir of white-robed boys
singing among the green branches, Veaite &C.
altenaats Domino. The Bishop Dean and Canons
at the altar in their canonicals-the very re-
spectacle congregation with their air of holy
satisfaction-the service so joyful and so pleas
antly short-the smiles and whispered greet
ings in the naive after all-all these things,
made on my child's memory an ineffaceable
picture.
If any one would but sit still, and send their
thoughts back over the Christmas days of their
lives what pictures they might evolve! What
records of social changes! What tide marks of
their own history!-of its sorrows and defeats,
of its victories and its progress. Without
effort as [ write, there comes as in a kaleido-
scope, festivals with all kinds of backgrounds
the peace and plenty of English country homes,
the snow-bound mountain-ways of Scotch
Highlands-the sunny prairies of far western
TeXas-the dark desolation of the winter At
lantic Ocean-the gay courtesies of great
cities-the homeish joys of secluded hamlets.
Christmas is thus kind of heart calendar
which none could miss comfort and counsel
by inquiring from.
But however different the individual records,
all would be compelled to admit great change
in the very essentials of the festival. Fifty
years ago it was an adult and home festival.
1t received all it's honor all it joyousness, from
the ideas of Father, Mother and Home. 1t
was the golden ring that held all the love and
sentiment we associate with those three al
most divine words. Sons and daughters might
stray to the very ends of the earth, but Christ
mas brought them home again-in the body, if
possible; but if not possible, then in the sweet
est love and memory. If child had done WELL
it looked forward to the joy of telling it to
Father and Mother at Christmas; if it had done
i'll, it felt sure of pardon and help at Christmas
Father Christmas" was their own father
| and by his side stood the dear, sweet mother,
ever ready to persuade and plead for all her
children; glad to welcome, glad to forgive, glad
to praise; full of sympathy for every joyful and
sorrowful condition.
In transferring Christmas from the hearth to
! the church, we have robbed it of all its Home
| influences. There is but one general home
| idea now, with regard to it-preSents. And
| even in this respect, how seldom does father
ormother, or lover succeed in giving pleasure
or satisfaction. The thing offered is generally
| the thing not wanted; or it is not good enough;
or it is not to the receivers taste; or it is too
big, or too little or it is not the proper color
there is sure to be something wrong. Conse-
quently, the givers OF Christmas presents have
very generally adopted the plan of giving what
is always correct-money. And thus Christ
mas has fallen to the level of a cheque.
| 1t is in no ones power to bring into favor
what is out of fashion. And undoubtedly the
old Christmas ceremonials have become unfash-
ionable. They are thought to be out of SYM
pathy with our present life; they bring forward
claims we have no desire to meet; they give
poor relations, and other Objectionable domes-
tic black sheep opportunities of reminding us of
| their existence; and of our duty; in short the
| taste of the day is for individuality in love,
duty, pleasure, and every other claim of life;
| while old Christmas appeals essentially to the
solidarity and brotherhood of human feelings.
But as fashions of every kind pass away, and
| then return again, there is strong hope that
the next generation will renew the Home
character Of Christmas with increased affection
and attraction: for though men come and go,
and nations rise and fall, the promise of His
| coming" is delayed. Therefore, all the more
we should renew it once a year, In such a
Christmas feast as gives us best the foretaste of
the milennium-a feast which in the Divine
command regards the Home first, and then for
gets not those who have not the wherewithal
to keep it alone" Go your ways, eat the fat
and drink the sweet; and send portions unto
them for whom nothing is prepared for this
day, is holy unto the Lord
| AMELIA E. BARR.
i