New-York tribune., 1896-12-25
4 rrSTJTiL or BROTHERH OOD.

J, - M louyer n uues:iOn whether ChriS'nlaS'
uov shall bc observed. For not only do Chris
t,ans generally observe it. but people who are
moi Christians at all honor it. at least as Il
socia, holiday The earnest Christians or Il
generation ago who looked upon the day as II
sort of Poplsh saturnalia which no true 'hris-
,ian ought 10 observe have either died or re-
vised ,ber opinions. The other day distin-
cuished Baptist clergyman of this city. VINO
certainly cannot be accused Of any leaning
toward Roman Catholicism. strongly urged the
observance of Christmas and other religious
festivals To-day there are few churches III
this city i'm which there will not he service
appropriate to the day. The tendency. III iac'.
is so strongly in that direction that there is
danger of making Christmas merely peg on
which to hang a gorgeous and dramatic spec
tacle. while the real teachings of the day are
forgotten or ignored
II would be an unspcakable pity If the day
should bp thus prostltutcd. FOR. wha'eVer W"
may think of its theological import. the broad
lessons of peace. goodwill and brotherly KIND
ness that it cnforces were never more nechcu
than they are now This is not because the
world to-day is disposed to underestimate the
importance of these essentially ChriS'ian vr-
tues but because il has reached the pOlnt where
il is ready to adopt them as its own ana VIII
he much assisted thereto if they are enshrlhed
in n great Christian festival. If the churches
and Christian people generally would make "
evident TO the world thai they believe III
peace thai they prefer TO live in goodwill WIN
their neighbOrs. whether they are next door
or across the sea. and that they are ready wheh
they can. and as they can. 10 help 'heir iei'
lOw-men. there would he no need or directions
how 10 keep Christmas. The day would Keep
Itself More than that it would result IN max
ing every other day a Christmas day. Ana III
point OF fact. that is just what the FOUNDER
Of Christianity intended should occur Inc
record does not tell us that He instituted any
one day for the observance Of peace ana good
will: but il does tell us very clearly that thOse
who would be His followers must live in that
spirit every day of their lives
The report of The Tribune Fresh Air Fund
for the last season which appears elsewhere.
is n good concrete illustration of the thought
we are trying TO emphasize. The work done by
this helpful charity is In the very spirit or the
Christmas season. and finds its truest express
sion in the song of the angels at the birth of
the hcpess Babe OF Bethlehem. "GlOry 10 God
I'm the highest and on earth peace. good
will 10 men" For twenty years our readers
have enabled this work TO be carried on. wholly
outs side the lines Of any ecclesiastical organiza-
tion We shall! not argue here whether the al
truistic spirit that prompts such efforts would
not without Christianity. have manifested IT.
self What We do know is that no other
agency in the world has done 50 much 10 pro-
mote human brotherhood as christianity. Ar'
one Of the strongest evidences that fho Is 50
is the fact that secular organizations OF all
kinds are doing just the sori OF work for man
that Christ would have rejoiced 10 see done.
Christmas is not 50 much Il holy day or the
Church as il is festival Of brOtherhOOd