The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-18
A CHRISTMAS HoMILY.


| people OF the Roman Empire had been
attached in the obserVances Of the new
faith
Just why December 25 was selected as
the natal day OF the Savlous Of the
world nobody has ever been able TO tell,
Certainly there is no historic reason nor
the slightest authentic clue, and II Is
well known that DECEMBER Is the rainy
season on Judea, when neither shepherds
nor tlocks brave the open sky. II Is
more than probable that the celebration
of ChrIst's birth, which up 20 the Hfth
century had not been observed at all, got
them 10 be recognized as not less worthy
OF holiday conservation than Easter and
Whltsunday, 1t was happy thought
to make this as nearly identical as might
be with the old Roman saturnalia, winch
| still survived in some of its forms, and
with the annual feast of Thor, observed
among all the Teutonic races, even those
which had accepted the white Christ
II was the more opposite, too as the
Roman festival and the Teutonic alike
had symbolic reference TO the great ma
tural fact that the sun at or about that
| date rises out of the dccadence of his
power TO augmentlng heat and splcndOr
This was easily applicable 10 the FIRST
appearance OF the Son of God and the
sun OF the World among men.
So we see imported into the observ-
ancc of the Christian holiday from the
first on its social side the time-honored
heathen useages and ceremonies, The
universal present giving the saturnalla
especially to children, and the demo-
cratic equality which abolished dstlnc-
ton Of rank at that period were at once
followed by the Christian merrymaRcrs.
From the old Morse useagcs the day
borrowed the customs OF the huge bon
fires, the Yule log OF holy ash or oak to
he burned indoors, 'the symbolism of the
holly and mistletoc boughs, alike sacred
to the dcltles, the great boar's head
served as the piece de resistance OF the
| Christmas feast and the general baccha-
nalianism of the occasion, The latter,
however, was also typical Of the old
Roman festival Santa Claus (St
Nicholas) came by and by into the rich
symbolism Of the Christmas show as the
successor of Odln, the all-fathcr and all
slver. The Scandinavian god on the oc-
caslon Of the festivities of his eldest son,
Thor, distributed universal gifts, the
| father Of each family being his special
agent In the matter AS odln, or Wooden,
became In later myths the mighty
| huntsman who ranged the forests, we
/
places. Why, however, the functions Of
Odin should have specially been finally
transferred to ST. Nicholas out OF all the
Christian canon roll. unless from the
| fact that this fine old saint was the spec
ial patron OF children and schOolboys, II
! Is not easy to divine These things go to
! show what n curiosity tangled cOmpo-
site our Christmas Is and how Justify 1t
has grown out of diverse elements TIL II
| has become the most significant and
| hallOwcd of holiday seasons, marking
really an epoch of the year.
Among the causes which have en-
| shrlped this day So deeply In the heart
of the world the fact that It Is peculiar
| ly children's day Is probably the most
fetching in It's magic. The young peo-
| pie everywhere among Christian peoples
| constitute the factor which dominates
| tho social observance of the season.
! Rich wassail at the dinner board sera-
phic music and pomp of church service,
even the giving Of rich gifts among the
elders, were these all, would leave
Christmas but little different from other
holidays, notably so in the case of
Easter when present giving among the
| rich has become so common. The BAN
| blno. or infant Christ, as the idol of the
occasion, would then have but little sig
| nlilcancc, but when the Juvenile world
declares that II rules the jubilee the key
note Is struck which sends It's thrilling
music ringing throughout humanity.
How Charles Dickens. the prose poet Of
! Yutctide in fiction. has spun this prCg-
nant fact into exquisite episodes Is prob
ably the highest measure Of his success
In imaginative work The images he
created Will live forever in the
/ -
puppets to the warm hearts Of countless
readers, And Il Is not among the chill
| drcn Of the rich that Christmas most
diffuses its felicity in real life any more
than among the offspring Of the great
Christian romanccr.
II Is among the poor and the lower
middle classes that Christmas JOY rcigns
with most potency, The trllc spent to
secure Christmas tree with its burden
| OF cheap toys and sweets In the tcnc-
mcnt house represents vastly more than
the corresponding splendid show among
the anlucnt. The story Of the little Grip
pie, "Tiny Tim" sets It's canticlc to more
resoundinE strains of harp and cymbal
than can ever attend the festival music
Of palace. The true "Cmlssom child"
was found In the humble mangcr,
The feeling that Christmas day II pc
| tullUIly NuUFNtIhltu W lHf IbbI HN N'll
as to the children has always been quite
characteristic of the usagcs Of the day.
| Tho lowest classes in medieval times
were made TO share fully with their SUI
pcrlors In fcasting and mCrrymaklng
| At the present period We see an ever
Increasing bcnefactlon In tho way OF
| helping the poor to enjoy Christmas
more gcncrously-thc turkey or goose
| for the home table, toys and clothiRg
| for the youngsters. and public dinners,
often supplemented b. substantial press
cntR for the homeless waits on this
special occasion such philanthropy
| shows It's most sweeping and liberal
form, aud the human heart Is sortencd
| Ia the thought that In spite of earthly
| distinction Nil men are equal before
| Him whose natal day Is thus observed.
| Tho democratic influence Of Christmas
| thus stands out n great social factor
When clas7eg are driven by 50 many
| other Influences to become hostile, N is
| u pregnant thought that more and moro
| should be done 10 intenelfy the spirit
and tendencies a. the Chrigtmas season
! ng an object lesson IN kindly sympathy
| between rich aud poor What wealth
| does Tor poverty Is sometimes turned
| from blessing To- hhno by q naughty
| aud patrOnizlng air In the giyrr The
| CnrigtmnR Bpirit Is thnt Of TIM fortunate
man. who cordially holpg HIS uulucky
| br0lhrr the spirit " the good Snmatl-
| tan. The hnhitunl exercise of this fccl-
| Inn ON ono day when all tradition aud
| religions sentiment turn toward II
/ holm to extend It to other dayH, and
| that ~ thp true Junction ut ChWsNA nu.
tai fcatlylty
A HAD i,Iri, intrrd.