The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-12-25
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+CHRISTMASTIDE.+
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

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some say that ever 'gainst that season
comes,
,,n.rein our savior's birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long; |
I'D then they say no spirits can walk
abroad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets
strike,
No fairy takes, nor whlch hath power 10
charm,
eoballowed and so gracious is the time"
To those eloquent lines of Mar
ceIlus, Horatio replies:
80 have heard, and do in
part believe. "
Shakespeare himself doubtless
felt in a mild form the force of
that popular fiction, which he puts
into the words of Horatio. And
if the transcendent genius of the
noet could thus beautify that be-
lief and if his supreme intellect
could give it currency, it can be no
marvel that the mass of mankind
IN his day should accept as true
this group of poetic and gracious
superstitions respecting the Saw
ior's birth.
Eor II was thiS "bird of dawn
ing" that, with his lofty and
shrill sounding throat" broke the
awful stiffness of that fateful night
when Peter thrice denied his Lord
and Master. The association of
the ideas is natural to the common
mind, especially in the poets day
when the Mosaic law was held in
full force-that no witch shall
live. and when supernatural man
ifestations were generally believed
in. even tinging the highest relig-
ious and profane phases of thought.
But the bard of Avon viewed all
nature with IA benignant and uni
versal eye. If he held to any sect,
creed. or to any special form OF
faith. it is not known now. Not
line in all of his almost inspired
works reveals any trace OF such
But he was pre-eminently Chris
tan writer in its grandest anc
most comprehensive aspects, body
ing forth the profound influences
of that faith upon the hearts anc
hopes of mankind and upon the
social and political forces of the
day.
One thing is certain: Shakes
pere was no Puritan to whose sane
timonious soul the holly, the ivy
and the yulelog were abomlna'
tions, and the plum pudding
wreathed in the flames of burning
brandy, was the invention of Beel
zebub. Indeed the Puritan Parlia
ment abolished Christmas by for
NAL act; but it were as easy tC
abolish the stars, or to abolish the
human heart with all its sweetel
instincts and nobler emotions.
Yes, viii SHAKESPEARE no doubt
pledged many a Christmas bumper
at the Mermaid with Bacon, anC
NARROW, and Green, in honor o.
good Queen Bess," a joyou:
Christmas and happy New Year;
and in the minds eye we may SET
him at his home of Stratford, sur
rounded by friends and neighbOrs
while over all CLEANS the light o
the yule-log which blazes in cheer
ful welcome. The savory drinks
and dishes of the season and tn,
good cheer generally fill the glaC
hours, while the children revel il
their new found possessions.
In the blessed season of Christ
mas care ceases, sorrow subsidies
resentment slumbers, ambition
pauses, strife abates, slander i
silent, labor finds repOse, and ever
the tireless tongue of Mrs. Grundy
together with that of all the hos
of gossips, find a respite in tastin,
good things, slipping egg-nOg 0
exchanging the gracious greeting