The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-12-11
cHlSTSrMAsrpE.

cNhslh VI ""aNNASsA INSTRUMENTATION, W
peace on earth and gcod-win towards
men" Families may Dc scatterSd during
the rest OF tho year. but at this time their
members strive TO ry,-unite. and. where
this is impossible the oxiled ones turn
their Caces longnsiy towards hearth ami
home From India, B1rmah Australia,
America and the uttNm >st parts VI the
earth. England's brave and ubiquitous
sons and daughters send loving greetings
while they Practice the old customs. 10
the Hindoo cook nothing Is mormys.
torious than tho English plum pudding.
which all Enslish insist on whether IN
torrid or OCctic zones, After the ingrc,
dents have been given out, too often has
II come 10 table IN the form of n thick
soup. The late Viscount Milton u.ord
1 FitSwilliSm's eldest sonl and Or. Chea.
die, In their Interesting account OF their
ariuous undertaking. '-rhc Northwest
Passage by Land" which they conImcrc.
e'i In 1854, and discovered the route which
has Since been utilized by the Canadian
Pacific railway, give a comical account o,
the difficulties and the qaailne,i success OF
Lord Millions attempt at making a MUM
pudding. Or. Che0dle kept the precious
I fruit. -four, and sugar '.in his strong box ."
/ This likewise contained stores OF powder
shot, caps, tobacco, soap and various
eiceteraS After eliminating all foreign
bodies as carefully as possible, the pud.
dins was dAy mixed. tied up In the
cloth after the establlsed manner and
placed in the pot Many time was 1,
taken out. and Its state examined hy
Z point OF fork before il was at las,-after
boiling nearly all day-pronounced thor.
ouShly cooked No one who has nor hern
restricted entirely to one species OF food
Tor long time can form any idea OF the
greedy eyes with which we viewed that
plum pudding. 1t proved delicious he.
yond all anticipation in spite Of cer,a,n
drawbacks in the shape OF caps. bucksho,
ana trag7ne0ts ot tobacco which we dis.
covered in It. Never did schoolbov view
with such sincere regret the disanpsa-.
ance OF his last morsel OF cake as w. ala
when sishing over the last ,ncuthtul OF
that unequallei pudding"
The value Of Christmas lies IN j,s VAN,
and humaniziig associations and no, no
cause II was the birthday OF Ies,s 1907
wears aso. This latter 4 a nious s,,t,-
OF the church, and. fortunately one Of II.
harmless ones. He was not born on the
-'th q December. nor 1897 years ago The
day and the month ara unknown and the
time was four years before the Chrtstio, A., |
era Formerly the sth OF January was
Kept as Jesus birthday. and one OF the
popes put Il back to its presen, s,ts
Thus Chrfstmastide really includes the
New Year up 30 Twelfth day. Rut al /
though all Is mysterious concerning N.
Author OF Christianlty-His birth. HI,
NE and His age at death-the impulse
that He gave the world remains and raih-
ers strength with time He is the Primo.
OF Peace and the great TEACHER of me
Hrotherhood Of Man and the Fatherhood
OF God.
And so at this festive season al, wbo
can-and Heaven pity those who can.
not-sather round the blazing fire and
enjoy cheerful communion and inter
change OF lowing kindness. Presents and
fond messages from those who are remote
help to remind friends and relations of
mutual affection. and to kni, all beor..
more closely together. What matters
1t how the festival arose. or when.
whether one century after Christ or
hve. so long as it forms a means for all
those pleasant and human.zing courte.
sies?
Yet the sour Puritans OF the Common
wealth, under the g1ise Of zeal for 70.
ligton. endeavored to check the natural
impulses ot the nation. First they caused
II to De kept as fast on Christmas Day
1874, and for twelve years after and next
by an order Of council. December. 1857
they abolished Christmas and other holy
days altogether. A writer OF the period
remarked Of 1914 that this was the first
time since the apostles that there was
any fast kept upon that day in the Christ
iaa church. Soldiers we're sent 10 visit,
the kitchens and ovens. just before din
ner time. Of those who were suspected OF
not deserving II, and carried away what.
ever meat they found and ate It. For
these were exempted from fasting pro-
Vded they made others fast. Sir John
Birkenhead Tittily enquired whether the
parliament had not cause to forbid Christ
mas when they found their public acts
under so many Christmas pies? Butler
wrote Of the dominant Presbyterlans as
"A sect whose chief devotion lies
In odd perverse antipathies:
In falling out with that or this,
And finding something still amls;
That with more care keep Holy day
The wrong. than Others the right way.
'till 80 preverse and opposite {
As II they worshlp'd God for splght
Rather than fail they will defy
That which they love most tenderly:,
quarrel with minc'd-pies and dlsparase
Their best and dearest friend plum
porridge;
rat pig and goose itself oppose,
md blaspheme custard thro' the nose.
Men were declared incapable Of serving
n parliament who had evergreens in their q
windows and mlnced-ples at Christmas v
nd Warner. afterwards Lord Mayor 3
raised tpmult in Christmas about
rosemary and Bays" We read in the
etftiop Of E. H.. Esq. In No s2s Of THE y
that in his day ne was pe- q
narkablo for having dared TO treat some I
-Tsitors with Drawn and mihc'd-pyes .
n New Years Day" F
A humorous poem Of the time WENT q
hOs:
lAll ulHnbs the rronhet's sona kiesniaaI