Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-12-24

he without the cnlldren
Tho New England observance OF
c,-;s,,nas has not always been what It
is today. The Puritan fe-actioii
,o,;ns, mirth and jollity in general.
nd .oainst the rites of the old estap-
,ished church in particular was SO
s,rone that the first New Engianders
Lrsv little or nothing Of Christmas
Those grim and sturdy old pioneers hau
an adherence of the home festiFities
.,a church ceremOnials which the
,,;sb Christmas celebration in-
vo,ved. 1t was different in the Soutn
where the Cavaliers brought with theti
tho great honor in which the day was
held in their old homes beyond the sea.
I'm, here in New England. even during
,b. early years of the 18th century.
Christmas Was meaningless ana uh-
observed ,lay as compared with Christ
mas as we know it. As one contem-
plates the state oA di"'' .
churches OF Puritan ancestry with
Christmas celebrations rivaling those
of rho Roman. Anglican and Lutheran
folds in eliborateness Of musical SER
vice and provision for the delight and
;ns,r7,c,ion of youth In the meaning OF
the day, it is with difficulty that one
realizes that such conditions prevailed
s1a,e as two or three generations ago
Then Thanksgiving was the day OF
laws without rival rs L religious
festival. but il never was and never
can be so peculiarly a children's festi-
val as the birthday of the infant Jesus:
nor was it ever such day OF happi-
ness and good will. New England is d
better place to live in since it changed
its views regarding Christmas.
Here is little poem by the late
Phillips brooks. not SO familiar as
many of the beautiful poems of which
Christmas is the theme, but still ex-
pressing iinely the spirit Of the Christ
mas season:
The earth has grown Ole with its burden
Blu, at Christmas it always is young,
The heart OF the jewel burns iustfous ana
fair.
And its soul full OF music breaks forth on
the air.
" hen the song of the angels is sung.
1t is coming. Old Earth. it is coming to-
On the snowfIakes which cover the sod
The feet of the Christ-Child tall gentle
And the voice of the Christ-Child tells on,
with delight.
That mankind are the children Of God.
On the sad and the lonely. the wretched
THAT voice Of the Christ-Child shall fall.
And TO every Hind wanderer opens the
door
OF hope he dared not 10 cream OF De-
fore.
With a sunshine of welcome for all.
The feet of the humbles, may walk in the
lyhre the feet of the holiest have trod.
This. this is the marvel TO mortals re-
vealed
When the silyery trumpets of Christmas
Thai mlnkind are the children of God.
And while we are celebrating Christ
mas let us not forget whose birthday
We are observing. The day is nothing
more and nothing less than the anni-
versa.y of the birth of Jesus Christ, the
| founder and leader of our faith. Ii
matters not that the scientists demon-
strate that this is not the exact day OF
the year upon which the Son Of Mary
WAS born. the fact remains that this
has been tor century after century
accepted as the day, and around 1t
have clustered the traditions and asso-
that II has become. And as we recog-
nize this fact we are impressed with
the truth. which many of us too sell
dom stop to realize. that Jesus Christ
is the central and significant figure OF
all human history.
In whatever words we seek TO define
our religious faith; whatever the creed
W NhISi VIC SUpoSi iOC Jul iittiANo, pA'>~
whatever the denomination designa-
ton we select all OF us who dwell in
Christian lands. agree that Christ was
the one perfect man who ever lived.
and the example whom We all should
seek to follow. Whatever we say of
his divinity: however we interpret the
lessons which he taught. we all agree
that in going about among men doing
good. he showed US where out duty lies
among our fellows. and that his death
on the cross. at the hands of his ene-
mics. was the most inspiring example
of unselfishness and self sacrifice
which history affords. Men attack the
Bible: they scoff at religion; they pro.
fess to disbelieve immortality; but
neither the skeptic. the atheist, the so.
cialist or the anarchist sneers at the
name Of the Nazarene, who. clad in the
garb Of a carpenter. preached the Ser
mon on the Mount.
Christ stands. as We have said, the
central figure Of all history. just as Hs