The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-25
THE GLORIOUS HOLIDAY
Arp Gives a History of It From
Earliest Times.
STORIES ABOUT GOOD OLD ST. NICHOLAS
Christmas in the Arp Household. The Numer
GUS Family Branches Will Gather There
to Celebrate The Holidays in
Grand Style.

Christmas has come again. tits our
annual milestone and the miles get
shorter and shorter as ammo domini
rolls ON. Time keeps shrinking and the
view of eternity eXpounds as we draw
near the line. Like the Sabbath, Christ
mas was resigned, ordained, establish
ed for our good, our rest and pleasure.
In the north temperate zone it comes
about midwinter,. when the weather is
hard and cold and summer fruits and
flowers have gone and the birds have
migrated and nature has gone to sleep,
and the earth is wrapped in its blan-
kets of snow and ice. 1t comes like
the school boys recess and brings
good cheer and brightens up the fam
ily hearthstone Christmas never
wears out nor becomes old or stale,
or as a back number. Year after year
a new generation is ready to receive
it and herald it's coming with a glad
and happy welcome. Blessings on
the holy fathers who established the
Christmas holidays and on the good
men who for sixteen centuries have
preserved it for us and our children.
with happy greetings, except the old
Puritans, and l don't know whether
they were Christians or not. They
condemned everything that gave pleas
ure.
Christmas was first observed by the
Roman Catholic Church at Jerusalem
and Rome Later on the Church of
England took it up, and so did the
81 oT11 Of hnT
countries, for the birth of the Saviour
was one event that all Christians could
celebrate with gratitude and joy. In
Raphael'S great painting of the ma
tivity a shepherd is seen at the door
playing on bagpipe The Tyrolese of
Italy come down from the mountains
to the valleys on Christmas eve. They
come caroling sweet songs and play
ing on musical instruments and can
be heard for miles around as the hills
and wales echoed with their harmony,
and so music always accompanies the
Christmas festivities. Evergreens, too,
must have a part in the ceremonies,
for they have for ages used as SYM
bols of immortality. Victors return
ing from the wars were crowned with
them. The sacred poets write of the
SItGII DdN lISC anu lnC CCOdI > VI LEU
anon. For centuries the churches and
tempes have been decorated
with them. All lovers of nature give
welcome to them in midwinter, for
they bring good cheer when there is
no other sign of living vegetation.
The deep green holly with it's red
waXen berries, the rosemary, the
laurel, the ivy and the mistletoe har
monte with the poetic sentiments of
our better nature. In the good old
English times girls and boys wore
wreaths and chaplets of evergreen
during the Christmas meetings at
night, and kiss stolen from lassie
with a rosemary wreath on her brow
was considered innocent and was call
ed "a kiss under the rose" and love
whispered under mistletoe crown
was too pure to be lost or betrayed.
Afar back in the centuries there was
a good old man named Nicolas. He
lived in the third century and was so
good and kind and generous that
when he died the church sainted him
and ever since then he has been called
ST. Nicolas. and he is called the
patron saint of Russia. His German
name is Santa Claus. The Russians
say that ST. Nicholas. when he was
only a man.. was very rich and on
Christmas nights he would disguise
himself and go around among the poor
people and slip in while they were
asleep and put purse of gold in
every young girls stocking If she
was in love Or engaged to- be married.
The gold was to buy her wedding
outfit. He also left a little present
for every little child in the family.
Didn't he have fun? | think l would
like that And so it is said that from
him came the custom of hanging up
stockings and waiting for old Santa
Claus to come down the chimney with
his pretty things for the children. 1t
is said that in Bavaria there was
another good man named Knight
Rupert. who while he lived did the
same kind of things. for he. too, hunt
ed up the poor and left presents while
they were asleep. but did not leave
anything for bad boys. He was not
their friend, and if he lived over here
now / don't reckon cigarette boy
would get anything from him.
We are in the midst of our family
Christmas now. We could not get all
the far away children here at one
time, but we will have them all dur
ing the holidays. New York city and
San Antonio got Eere together, and
we are daily expecting Florida and
Mexico. What ] want now is an addi-
ton to the family mansion. | want a
sky scraper fat for New York, an
Alamo annex for Texas, an Adobe for
Mexico, a sanitarium for the Florida
doctor, and few extra apartments
for kindred and friends. That is my
idea of the paternal mansion of
numerous and interesting family who
have long been multiplying and re
plenishing according to scripture. We
want plenty of room for children and
grandchildren. 1t is pleasant to see
them gather here for they come bring
nj love and finding more. "Stealino n nd