The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-12-27
ARP ON CHRISTMAS.
Bill Writes About the Glorious holt
day.
CELEBRATED FOR CENTURIES.
Stories About Good Old st. Nicholas
Christmas as Observed In The
Arp Household.

Christmas has come again. 1t is our
annual milestone and the miles get
shorter and shorter as ammo domini
rolls on. Time keeps shrinking and
the view OF eternity expands as we
draw near the line. Like the Sab
bath, Christmas was designed, or.
dained, established for our good, our
rest and pleasure. In the north tenn
perate zone 1t comes about midwinter,
when the weather Is hard and cold and
summer fruits and flowers have gone
and the birds have migrated AID ma
ture has gone to sleep, and the earth
is wrapped in its blankets Of snow and
ice It comes like the school boys re-
cess and brings good cheer and bright
ems up the family hearthstoue. Christ
mas never wears out nor becomes old
or stale, or as back number. Year
after year a new generation Is ready
to receive it and herald its coming
with glad and happy welcome.
Blessings on the hold fathers who es-
tablished the Christmas holidays and
on the good men who for sixteen CEN
turies have preserved it for US and our
children. All Christian people have
observed 1t with happy greetings, ex-
cept the old Puritans, and don't
know whether they were Christians or
not. They condemned everything
that gave pleasure.
Christmas was first observed by the
Roman Catholic at Jerusalem and
Rome. Later on the Church Of Eng
land took It up, and so did the Pro-
testants Of Germany and other coun-
tries, for the birth Of the Saviour was
one event that all Christians could
celebrate with gratitude and Joy. In
RaphaePs great painting OF the ma
tivity a shepherd is seen at the door
playing on q bagpipe. The Tyrolese
Of Italy come down from the noun
tains to the valleys on Christmas eve.
They come caroling sweet songs and
playing on musical instruments and
can be heard for miles around as the
hills and wales echoed with their har-
mony, and so music always accom-
panies the Christmas festivities. Ever
greens, too, must have part in tho
ceremonies, for they have for ages
been used as symbols OF immortality.
yictors returning from the wars were
crowned with them. The sacred poets
write Of the green bay tree and the
cedars of Lebanon For centuries the
churches and temples have been deco
rated with them. All lovers Of nature
give welcome to them in midwintef,
for they bring good cheer when there
is no other sign Of living vegetation.
The deep green holly with its red
waxen berries, the rosemary, the
laurel. the ivy and the mistletoe har-
monize with the poetic sentiments OF
our better nature. In the good old
wreaths and chaplets OF evergreen
during the Christmas meetings at
night, and a kiss stolen from lassie
with rosemary wreath on her brow
was considered innocent, and was
called "a kiss under the rose" and
love whispered under a mistletoa
crown was too pure to be lost or be-
trayed.
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. Nicolas, when he was only man,
was very rich and on Christmas
nights he would disguise himself and
20 around among the poor people and
slip in while they were asleep and put
a purse OF gold in every young girls
stocking, II she was in love or en-
gagged 10 be married. The gold was
to buy her wedding outfit. He also
left a little present for every ch I'd IN
the family. Didn't he have fun?
think would Ike that. An so 1t 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, hunted up the poor and left pres
nets while they were asleep, but did
not leave anything for bad boys. He
was not their friend, and If ne liveo
over here now 1 don't reckon cagar-
cite boy would get anything from him.
Christmas Is a good time to make
good resolves, and all the next year a
good time to keep them.
Four hundred years ago one Thomas
Tusser wrote:
christmas comes but once year,