Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-18
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
LOVE THY HEIGBBOR AS THY
SELF" is PRINCIPLE THAT RULES.
GOOD THINGS AND TINES FOR ALL.
How the Day VIII Re Made JOY
full TO the outcast and the Hun
cry - Religion IL Practical To-
Day.
Day.

iNtpNitOl DOHdptTto, WHO saw tOrne-
thing OF life during his meteoric career.
once said that his kingdom, great as It
was, could net be compared with the
kingdom OF Christ. which had grown in
spite Of the iercest opposition, while
thrones set up by the might Of man had
crumbled to. dust. The secret of the
strength of the Christian empire, the des-
pot saw plainly, was that love ruled
stronger than fear. While one went
hand In hand with hate. the other was
pure and unselfsh. II is for this that
the world Of humanity will bless the in
stitution Of Christmas. The spirit that
rules during the season approaching is
one that considers self last, others all
the time.
Even the man or woman who is not
given to thinking deeply Of religious mat
ters will acknowledge that the teachings
OF the Christian religion have had much
to do with the progress Of the world The
spirit of "love thy neighbor as thyself'
is good one TO be guided by at any time,
but more especially at Christmas Il will
prompt the giving of good things to the
hungry, OF clothes to the ragged. and
creature comforts to all who need them.
Throughout Christendom the season is
noted for its substantial charity and gem
uine good telling. Physical religion takes
the place Of spiritual for time, at least.
Preachers and well-meaning people who,
during the rest Of the year devote their
time for the most part TO telling poor,
hungry wretches who need a square
meal that they must forsake their evil
ways or they will be eternally lost, at
this season take them from the shivering
world In which they are accustomed to
live and lead them to board that groans
beneath the weight of good things.
To make an outcast feel thankful that
Christ was born on Christmas-Day II Is
necessary to do something more than tell
him SO. This is a practical era. Take
tho outcast from the streets and feed
him, and present him with clothes for
his rags. take light and cheer to the wo-
man who broods in a dark and unwhole-
some den over her starving flock of little
ones; go, like ray of sunshine, with ply
steal comforts to the place where mid
night blackness is never penetrated by
ray of light the year round; then tell
the man who is no longer hungry, the
woman from whom brooding care has
been chased away for time, that the
help is accorded because Christ was born
on the day when Christmas is celebrated,
and the association will have some mean
ing to the one who hears the story.
II the truth must be told, however,
there are a large percentage of people
in Chrlstendom who will celebrate the
day with the greatest fervor. and in a
way not altogether commendable in some
instances. but will give no thought at all
to the origin Of the festvity. 1t Is holi-
day In which every one goes In for as
much enjoyment as means will permit;
when the meanest home on the borderIine
between comfort and abject poverty will
have some sort of jollification, and the
sentiment that is in the air and in the
notices on the Christmas trees and sung
Of in the ohurches-"A Happy Christ
mas to AlP-will suggest nothing but the
fact that the time is one for merrymak-
ing. Where there is light and warmth
and plenty 10 eat the celebration will be
kept up with as much ught-heartedness
as though the family were fully CONVEX
SAINT with the religious meaning of the
festivity, and were throwing their whole
hearts into the occasion for the sake Of
the pious thankfulness that is supposed
TO prompt the happiness Of the Christian
at Christmas time.
There have been too many times in the
history Of the Christian religion where the
festivity of the birth Of Christ was cele
UAdlCu III NdNfo VI the oilii, Lar lIpUk
the eyes Of pagan men, with sentinel !
posted outside TO give notice OF the ap-
proach Of foe; when the Christians
met in secret, knowing we'll that IL dis |
covered their lives would be forfeited; !
when the secret gatherings were occa- |
sionally broken up by the'descent of in /
fide soldiers, and the celebration of the
birth Of Christ ended In the whole as ,
semblage being put to the sword. and !
their bodies left to be consumed by the
flames after the soldiers had fired the
(
Imagine a Christmas party OF the pre-
sent day being held in a hole i'm the !
ground with armed watchers posted out
side to warn the guests Of the approach |
OF on enemy. lights carefully guarded,
so that no sign of the festivity could be
seen from the outside; songs sung with
bated breath, lest the sound should be
heard outside, and bring down the wrath
OF the wicked upon the singers, and the
celebrators going home by devious ways,
lest the story of the meeting should get
abroad, and result In the death OF every
one present. Yet this is the way they
celebrated Christmas in the olden time.
Think Of II In the happy home. and the
gay meeting-place 1t will enhance the
enjoyment Of the occasion TO reflect that
we 1--we in a favored land. and at par
ticularly fortunate era Of the worlds his
tory.