Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1902-12-27

and en- Christian people eslsbr4ts IL
IL u very common sTeywhsre TO osis-
brate birthdays. Americans make .
big faas over Washingt0n's birthday
because be was called tie father OF hia
country. Ny folks make . little fua
over mi birthday. and ny good Nifes
birthday. They don't toot horns nor
pop frecrackers. but they have an
extra good dinner and tx Up a pleas
ant surprise Of some sort We used 70
surprise the children with a little
present. like q p~ocketknife, or a pair
Of scissors, or sleeve buttons, or some
thing. but 40 many children came along
that there was a birthday In sight al
most ali the time. and IS We got rich
in-children We got poor In money and
had 70 skip over sometimes. The
Fourth Of July was the birthday Of a
nation and so the nation always eele-
brates that day.
Christians began TO observe Christ
mas about 1900 years ago al JeruSa-
lem and Rome. They had service in
the churches and made 1t a day Of re-
ioicing. In course of time the young
peiple rather lost sight Of the sacred
ness of the day and the devotion that
was due TO the occasion, and made IL
day Of frolie aud fcasting. They sang
hilarious songs, because they said the
shepherds sang songs At Bethlehem.
TH.ug uaaHa prau.afa a. .aob ofIar ka-
cause they said the wise men from the
east brought presents 10 the young
child and It's mother. They kept up
their festivities all night because the
Saviour was born at midnight. The
Roman Catholic church has observed
these annual celebrations for CEN
turtles, and the Church Of England took
them up, aud so did the Protestants
Ia Germany and other countries.
Christians everywhere adopted them,
and Christmas day became a universal
holiday except among the f%uritans Of
New England, who forbade IL under
penalties. They never frolieked or
mode merry over anything. la great
painting of she nativity BY Raphael,
there is seen a shepherd at the door
playing on a bagpipe. The Tyrolese
who live on the mountain slopes of
italy always come down TO the valleys
on Christmas eve, and they come carr
cling sweet songs and playing on mu-
steal instruments, and spend the night
in innocent festivities. A century or
sc ago there were many curious super
stitions about Christmas. 1t was be-
Heved that an OK or an ass that were
near by when the Saviour was born
bent their knees in duplication, and
30 they said the animals all went TO
prayer every Christmas night. OF
course, they might have known better
II they had watched all night to see,
but when folks love a superstition they
humor It. II a child believes in ghosts
he Is sure to see them, whether
they are there or not. Those old-time
people believed that when the rooster
crowed for midnight on Christmas
night all the wizards and witches and
hobRoblins and evil spirits fed away
from the habitations Of men and hid
In caves and hollow trees and deserted
houses, and stayed there for IL days.
And now let us all get ready to wish
a happy New Year TO everybody, and
my opinion is that we can all make ii
happy II we try. Let's try. Let's turn
over a new leaf. Let's have a Christ
mas all the year long, Let's keep the
family hearth always bright and pleas
ant. Fusslng and fretting don't pay.
solomon says it's like water dropping
on n rocket will wear away a stone.
The home of an unhappy, d~iscordant
family Ia no home at all. 1t amt even
q decent purgatory. The children
won't stay there any longer than pos
sible. They will emigrate and / don't
blame 'em.-Bill Arp, in Atlanta Cin-
stitution.