Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1898-12-16
THE DAY WE CELEBRATE,

Again Christmas with all il
delightful associationsapproach
es, fostering domestic harmony
and repeating the glorious gos
pei of "peace on earth good viii
toward men. No other periut
of the year is SO potent as this
in healing the wounds of friend
ship, and its warming the hear
of man toward his fellows
There must be something even
in the atmosphere we breathe
that i'm presses nature with this
glad and joyful season, when
mankind seems inclined to live
up to to the precepts of the Ser
mon on the ouut and W. per.
init ourselves for once to be hui
man, sympathetic and kind.
That Christmas should do this,
at all times, is not denied, but
when oppressed by business
cares, the mind wholly engaged
In the struggle for gain and in
providing even the necessaries
Of life it is hard for us to realize
that to be happy, the world has
to be but Christian-but to
practice the blotherly love
preached by the Carpenter of
Nazareth. What blessing that
the recurring season should
break the crust which settles on
our hearts and opens them to
impulses Of love and good will
toward men, without which, we
would become mere machin S,
for the accumulation Of gain
which would in turn fail in the
very effort of bringing that hap
piness which we seek. Never
since the day when the old
prophet on the Judean hills
gave forth the saying that "A
little child shall lead them" has
this prophecy been more liter>
ally fulfilled than at the present
time. Who does not at this
glad season, feel the wooings OF
the Christ child to deeds of love
and thoughtfulness for others?
He who has accepted the saying
of the Master "that it is more
blessed to give than to receive"
and put that saying into practice
by Tightening his purse in pros
curing gifts for loved ones and
Frightening the holiday for his
poorer neighbors, has proof Of
its truthfulness in the warm
glow in his own heart and the
satisfaction which he feels at
having heed to the Divine i'm
pulses which lead to nobler
things. If there is nothing in
the season, why do we have
such evidences of its peculiarly
even from the lower aninals?
If they do tot feel its influences
why do we hear the lusty crows
ing of the cock at all times of
the night, which is repeated
again and again until the whole
tribe of feathered lords have
joined in the glad refrain7 Why
is it the smallest pickaniny in
the humbiest home early learns
to look for Santa Claus, and for
fear of a failure of this good
Saint to pay visit to this home
is restrained from many acts OF
disobedience to parental author
ity? This may be. to some ex-
tent, from teaching, but why
are We more teachable at this
season than at others2 Let us
think that It is due to the high
er lite breathed into the hearts
of men when God the Father so
loved the world that He gave
His Son to become little child
that He might bring us back to
Him. Let us show our apprc-
citation OF this great gift by acts
of love such as we have not
known before. Times may be
hare and there is little profit for
the farmer with cotton at the
present prices, but let us do the
best We can in making others
happy. Let the poor and the
outcast be amply provided for,
that they partake of the general
rejoicing. and if the remaining
days of their years be wretched,
let them DE happy on this day,
the day of days, when the Prince
of Peace was born, to bring a
message of love from Heaven to
earth. That our readers old and
young, may see many happy re-
turns of the lovely Christmas