The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-02
GOOD OLD SAINT NICHOLAS.
Bill Arp Writes About the Holiday
Made Glorious for Centuries.

rolls on. limo keeps SnEllklnS ana
the view of eternity expands as we
draw near the line. Like the Sabbath,
Christmas wa designed, ordained, es-
tablished for our good, our rest and
pleasure. In the north temperate zone
it comes about midwintcr, when the
weather is hard and cold and summer
fruits and flowers have gone al the
birds have migrated and nature has
gone TO sleep and the earth is wrapped
in its blankets of snow and ice. 1t
comes like the school boys recess and
brings good cheer and brightens up
the family hearthstonc. Christmas
never wears out nor becomes old or
stale, or us Il back number. lear after
year Il new generation is ready to re-
ceivc 1t and herald its coming with a
glad and happy welcome. Blessings
on the holy fathers who established
the Christmas holidays and on the
good men who foe sixteen centuries
have preserved it for Us aud ali chill
drcn. All Christian people have OBJ
served 1t with happy greetings, except
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 church ut Jerusalem
and Rome. Later on the Church of
England took it up, and so did the
protcstants OF Germany and other
countries, for the birth of the Saviour
was one event that all Christians could
celebrate with gratitude and joy. In
Raphacl's great painting of the nativity
Il shepherd is seen at the door playing
on a bagpipe. The Tyrolcsc of Italy
come down from the mountains 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 harmony, and SO
music always accompanies the Christ
ma festivities. Evergleens, too must,
have n part in the ceremonies, for
they have for ages been used as SYM
bols of immortality. Victors returning
from the wars were crowned with
them. The sacred poets write of the
green bay tree and the ccdars of Lee
h""on. For centuries the churches
and temples have been decorated with
them. All lovers of nature give well
come TO them in midwinter, for they
DllllS SOOu tlltCI WlCu llCIc is llO
other Sign Of living vegetation. The
deep green holly with its red waXen
berries, the rosemary, the laurel, the
ivy and the mistlctoc harmonic with
the poetic sentiments of our better IA
ture. In the good old English times
girls and boys wore wrcaths and chap
lets OF evergreen during the Christmas
meetings at night, and a kiss stolen
from a lassie with a rosemary wreath
on her brow was considered innocent,
and was called ga kiss under the rose
and love whispered undct a mistlctoe
crown was too pure to be lost or be.
trayed.
Altar back in the centuries there was
n SOod old man named Nicolas. He
lived in the third century and was sc
good AMI kind and generous that when
he uicd the church saintcd him and ever
since then he has been called st. Nicol.
as, and he is called the patron saint OF
Russia. His German name is Santa
Claus. The Russians say that 81.
NiclOas, when he was only q man, was
very rich and on Christmas nights he
would disguise himself aud go 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 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 ? l think
| 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, hunted up the poor and left pres
cnts 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 a cigar
cite 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 during the
holidays. New York city and San
Antonio got here together, and we are
daily expecting Florida and Mexico.
What l want now is an addition to the
tohi'tJ ihaiiSlOh. i WANT a SKY SCT8pcr
flat for New York, an Alamo annex
Tor Texas, an adobe cottage for Mexi-
co, a sanitarium wing for the FLORIDA
doctor, n a few extra apartments for
kindred and friends. That is my idea
OF the paternal mansion of n numerous
and interesting family who have long
been multiplying and rcplenishing ac-
cording to Scripture. We want plenty
ofroom for children and grandchildren.
II is pleasant to see them gather here,
Tor they come bringing love and finding
more, %"stcaling and giving sweet odor,"
as Shakespeare says of the sweet south
wind that brcathes upon IL bank of
violets.
1t is the little things of life that
make it happy-the small, sweet cour-
tesies. What a sweet, expressive little
poem is that which Miss Julia Fletcher
wrote sixty years ago: Little drops
of water; little grains of sand" 1t
will last as long as our language and
is like a pebble dropped into a pool.
Its influence, like the circlins waves,
has gone opt into thousands of little
hearts and reached the shore.
Mary had alittlc lamb is another
that will never die. Wadsworth, the
poet, says THE best portion of q