El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-22
A LITTLE WORD ABOUT
THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.

The ioyous festival is almost here
once more. Believer and unbel1ever'
Christian and Jew, thinker ana
thoughtless-all feel the thrill OF the
coming feast. Many cannot tell why
they feel the grateful warming OF the
heart at this day of December that is
SO holy and SO precious to others. And
yet. with it all, there is no festival In
the world so widely observed as that
of the Nativity.
History tells us that about this day,
nineteen hundred and one years ago,
a little child was born in an obscure
town in Asia Minor, child who was
destined to cause greater suffering and
greater peace, greater harmony ana
greater schism, greater bigotry ana
greater enlightenment, in the world
than any child who had been born be-
fore him. The development of the
church founded by this little child
has been a series of contradictions
and contrasts. The trend has been
generally upward, and the influence OF
the church has been generally on the
side of higher life and truer express
sion of the God that is in man. And
no man can deny that the churchs
influence has had more to 90 with
shaping the lives of men and the des-
tiny of nations than any other factor
in the worlds growth with the ex-
ception of the spirit of self interest
that controls all things that have life.
Without attempting to seek the
cause of the universal observance OF
the great Christian holy day, 1t is
enough to bring out the potent fact in
relief at this joyous season. Men may
leave out of their lives any active par
ticipation in religious observance, and
yet unconsciously the spirit and at
mosphere that are inseparable from
such a festival as the Christmas pen
citrate into the hearts of the most
callous. and the day takes on new
Significance Call it a~survival OF
heather rite, if you will. Call it part
of superstition. Call it an institution
to please the children. You cannot
get away from the great fact that
Christmas day is close at hand, and
that the season is one for the freest
expression of all the generous feelings
that are apt to lie dormant in the
hearts of men for the greater part of
the year.
"a merry Christmas!" simple thing
to say, and yet how much cheeriness
the familiar expression may carry with
it from heart to heart, il passed along
in the true spirit of the season. 1t is a
time to get out Of the nut. 1t is
time to forget self. 1t is time to en-
ter for a little into the lives, the for
tunes and misfortunes of others. 1t is
u time to cast OF the shell and rub up
against the world that is living and
pulsating and sorrowing and feeling
and laughing and being brave right
ut your side. 1t is the time to cast
aside all hate and prejudice and warp
ed judgments and look through the
open window Of the child-soul at the
world about you Be generous, be
just. Be happy and light hearted,
not because you do not know, not be-
cause you do not care, but because the
world is good, and is tending upward.
and hopes star shines brighter than
all the rest in the armament of Hea-
ven.
A prominent church writer contends
that the multiplicity of denominations
among the churches and the active |
competition that is so evident in their |
desire to attract and hold the greatest |
number Of people are of real value in |
the nroRreSS of the church He holds |