Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-12-22

Let us die to make men free.''
Such is the concluding verse of
the grand and inspiring war hymn,
written by Julia Ward Howe, in
the time when we we're struggling
to preserve the Union and destroy
human slavery within the bounds
of the republic. For nearly two
thousand years the natal day of
the Lord and Savior has been OBJ
served by all the peoples of the
earth believing in Him and His
divine mission. Christmas-tide
has been a season Of religious OBJ
servance, of rejoicing, of gift Civ
ing, Of family reunions, of public
and social festivities. It is the
season when the purse strings of
the well-to-do are loosened, when
the poor and unfortunate are re-
membered in a substantial manner,
when men and women turn aside
from the cares and struggles of
business and take a breathing
spell. It has been in the past. is
now, and let us hope always will
be, the one great day of the chill
dren. The little ones look forward
to it's coming with eager pleasure
and back to it with fond recollec-
ton. The younger children be-
lieve in the real personality of
Santa Claus, the old fellow who
drives his team of reindeers attach
ed to a conveyance loaded down
with pictures, toys and trinkets, so
dear to the heart of childhood.
These little ones know nothing of
the law of g%ravitation, and SO they
sincerely believe that the old man
drives his team through the air,
over the roofs of the tallest struc-
lures, and that he comes down the
chimneys and puts the presents he
has brought in the stockings that
have been hung up in good faith
by the little tots. Then what
rollicking and rejoicing there is on
Christmas morning, when the con-
tents Of these stockings are brought
forth. For grown people and the
older boys and girls, the Christ
mas Tree plays its part, and in the
distribution of presents from these
the fiction of Santa Claus is kept
up, as some person at all these
Christmas parties is selected to
personate the kind hearted, gen.
erous, gift-giving old saint, who
has been making his annual round
for more than a thousand years.
We leave it to others to dispute
and argue over the question
whether Christ was actually born
on the 25th day of December or
some other day. We know that
He was born, that He died in the
flesh and suffered a cruel death,
that He might save us from our
sins-that He might redeem the
world. We know that He lives
and reigns and r%ejoices that the
borders of His kingdom on earth
have been and are being enlarged,
that it will continue to grow until
in every part Of the world will re-
sound songs to His praise, that all
human hearts shall yet be filled
with the warmth Of His great and
boundless love, moved and con-
trolled by His spirit to accept the
grand doctrine which during His
earthly career He taught by wore
of mouth, and SO sweetly illus.
trated in His life and crucifixion-
s'The Fatherhood Of God and the
Brotherhood Of Man."
Now that we have come around
to that season Of the year when We
celebrate with~joy the birth ofHin
who died that we might live, let III
remember that we r all of one
great family and that God is on:
Father. In this spirit let us b.
willing to extend a helping hane
to all in need, visit the sick, com
fort the sorrowing and broken