The herald., 1896-12-20


and said 1t was against conscience to
work on ye day" The governor, find
ing it a matter of morals with we new
corners" went with the old settlers to
the woods to "fell timber and rive the
same" but he was Mortified upon re-
turning from work to find the newcom-
ers playing ball and pitching the bar in
the streets. Subsequently a law was
enacted that anybody who is found
observing by abstinence from labor.
feasting, or in any other way observing
any such day as Christmas shall pay
for every such offense shillings." OF
all this a writer says: "If Puritans put
Christmas in the stocks drove Roger
williams out among savages, and
hung Quakers and witches, they yet
planted great and free government"
The Dutch brought to New Amster-
dam their mode of celebrating Christ
mas which was to make 1t decidedly
social and not much of a religious fes-
tival. Later on the anathema burdened
air of New England was laden with the
music of Christmas bells, and meanwhile
in Virginia and toward the south the
English custom of celebrating the day
took deep root But gradually the
coarse head of the boar gave way to the
luscious turkey; the yule log was abol-
ished, and although mistletoe hangs in
abundance upon trees, the cedar and the
holly are now preferred for decoration.
In recent years the day has been used
to illustrate the central thought of the
philosophy of the teaching of Christ.
which is universal love, or care for the
happiness of others. 1t matters not
whether the day be celebrated with pomp
and show or in the quiet of home life,
the lighting OF the Christmas tree, the
hanging up of the stocking. the dinner,
the games. the dance the fruit, the
flowers should express hope and joy.
Santa Claus Is the, adored hero of
child life, and the charming grace and
sweet, innocence which the child weaves
into the Christmas cheer makes US older
ones forget that the glamour of the
Christmas tree. laden with gifts of love.
is but the recollection of the enchant-
ment which wove magic spell over us
in the long ago. when we merrily
danced beneath the mistletoe by the
light of the yule log. But it all has the
same exalted and glorious meaning TO-
day that it had when we were tots"
yea that it had when Druid children
made merry and danced before their
gods in the oak groves of old Britain
peace and joy and righteousness And
today, as then and as before, the high
est attributes Of natures father and
-God-manifest themselves
more truly in child life than in any other
expression of the Eternal. Child life.
life whose warp and woof are gold and
purple. flowers and sunshine, and
whose threads are spun on the wheel
of Love-an immortal fabric from the
loom of the Over soul
Already the light of Kriss Kringle's
happy face is penetrating the life of
children everywhere, and the fire of his
merry eyes are warning their young
hearts into gladstone expectation. They
see that Krita Yuga is not far away
and, as did Hindoo little ones before the
shepherds on the plains of Bethany
heard the glad tidings: Peace On
earth. good will to men," they have
God-given right to expect the Christ
mas chimes will bear to them on their
music-burdened wings the realization Of
hope and wish. But the child's joy On
Christmas morning is not to be meas
narrow limits of the material things
which tell of the giver's remembrance.
II is the wealth of overflowing love and
tenderness which carries the gift to the
waiting hands that makes the heart of
the child the gladdest. When gifts are
so accompanied they are stars shining
over another Bethlehem. In that house
is new-b born desire to be pure and good
and true always.
No parent is true to himself or herself
If the Christmas anticipations of the
child are not, in some measure, realized,
IL it lies in the bounds of possibility
The mind. of the child produces pictures
from the Imagination, and such is its
chief employment !. from day to day
Child thoughts are illumined, too. by
the thrush of the light of the recollection
of the joys of yesterday, and they are
darkened. too, by needless disappoln.-
ment Already the little folk are
counting the days to "the coming OF
Santa Claus" and they contradict the
old saying that there is more pleasure
in pursuit than in possession But the
JOY of the child does not eliminate in
receiving gifts. Receiving is the climax
of hope and expectation, and from the
height of supreme satisfaction the way
to newer joys is charmingly environed
by incentive to be good and true
But this remember: Christmas goods