The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1894-12-22
The Meaning Of CI.ri 5tmaS.

Our people are learning every year
r. prize the Christmas and its holidays
more and more. 1t used to be thought
n Church-oE England festival. our
Puritan foreflther8 looked askance at
every Observance which smacked Of
Church DAYS or ritGHlistic practices.
IN old Virginia, where the Cavalier in
filence was large, Christmas was hon
ored from the earliest settlement. 1t
became the chief holiday not only for
,he whites but Tor the slaves also. And
with the growing influence Of the EpiS-
cppal aud Catholic churches the making
uf Christmas festival season spread
throughout the South.
It was not TIL since the war that
Christmas acquired much Of a hold up
ON the New England and Western
States. No doubt the literature Of old
England and Of Europe il general tend
cd to cast poetic halo about the season
And a. our population III the inerior
and West are largely male up Of those
born in Europe or Their children, Of
course the customs OF the tatherland
would naturally find their counterpart
in America.
Above all, there is in the human
heart response to all that Christmas
means and teaches. The Re ieemer
and SlvIor Of the world came as the
eff Of all GiIts Ina-much as Christ
cndom has accepted ne 18th o! Decem-
Der "a his memorial biz liddy, it would
seem To be rank ingratItude or ohSI
nate rpunl-headIsm or coarse churish
l3css not - respect the day. once assO
,iate it with the great event OF the COM
ing of the Son OF God To Earth and with
:he spn"S OF the angels which an
bounced lis coming and the JOY of the
world that was thus ushered IN and Ii
easily follows that the day and season
must be celebrated
Gratitude IS everywhere recognized
NJ a noble trait. How Shall We best
thow our gratitude for Gods great
aud unspaaklblc gift? Not only by dI-
j. ackuow .cdging and mcmorIZing the
event but by showing ike spirit to our
fellow creatures. 50 comes most nat
ural the practice OF Christmas time.
1t is natural enough to give to our child
rem, 10 our brothers and sisters, to our
parents and friends. But is it not more
III accord with the example and teach
ings 81 our lord L. give unto the poor
and unto those who cannot make return
in kind?
More and more Of Late years this
thought has pressed Itself upon the
minds OF Christians. Children in
schools and Sunday schools are forming
habit of beforehand preparing gifts
Tor the needy and taking the Christmas
season for bestoWing them. This is the
true Christmas spirit. Western Rural. |
THE popgun bills" says the Inter
Ocean ''should be presented to the |
Emperor OF China with the cOnplI-
Incnts of the President. They are T
in his line" Ii it Is desired To
present 10 the EmperOr something
.iIrtctly in the Chinese line the Mckin-
ley bin is the thing. 1t II warranted to
erect Chinese wall even Japanese
proof. Louisville Cuurier-Journal.
Well, it was at leist "a wall" that
>ept gold from flowing ont by the hun
,lreds of Millions and paid OF debts by
hundreds of millions instead of issuing
new bonds. 1t made times prosperous
and every man was busy with good
wages. Furnace doors were red with
Leaf, wheels moved and spindels turn
"a al. over the land. Let us stop 'thc /
march through slaughter-house to an
open grave" and have some more OF /
the same kind Of wall" Brer Waiter
son.-Intcr Ocean.