The St. Louis Republic., 1905-12-25
ONLY ONCE A YEAR.

Though the earth swings through its yearly cir
cult the lively gait Of more than eighteen miles
second II takes twelve w'soe months to complete
the tour. it is y long time between Christmases
for the young people. But here 1t Is again. and q
merry one may i, be. for curmudeeonly elder
people who with: pockets turned wronsss6e ont.
may sOon lie wishing that Christmas did not come
cftener than the twenty ninth of February.
Let it cost what it may. Christmas comes ut the
time Of year when from tine iMmeic.:..i has
made II his business to lie merry. In their Satur-
nslia festival ~ Saturn the ;scs the pagan
Romans celebrated IL with much license ard merry
making. with feasin% in which masters waited mp
On their slaves. with laurel and eversreens. with
gifts tc children and friends. just are doing
to-day.
In the bleak North our i,ea'hen ancestors cee-
brated in mucl, the same jovia way. after their
hariarous fashion. the festival OF the winter so:-
stice-ile festival "f Jn Y'e they called it-anl
it was from them ,ha, Merry Oll England inherited
the custom Of burning: the yuc log at Christmas
comfortable Christmas ctsGi:l. I" !sr sure in cold
and sle.fy climates.
The blessed privilege oc the Christmas mstlstoe
is sanctioned by the reverence with which that
sacred parasite "f the oak treated Ivy the D,s
II ancient Britain. who gathered il for their rel
Gi",s rites at this "f the year, and The sacred
fires Of the ;,ncrnt Icr>ianS also, lighted n.
the season whc! call Christmas.
There is something in mans relation Z" nature.
which maacs hin. desire lee merry and !" make
others happy at ri,r season "f iii" winter s"Stice.
:,, il Is. Therefore the apirt PIRATE for
celebrating the nativity "f the Prince %! Peace the
i.rinr.r Of Peace. Earth. Coed VIII to Men Ru,
j, until three. hundred years after Christ's
appearance earth tina: the ..,, "f December was
set apart Icy the ,ie"!"Gans The fixed festival q"
ils nativity
TIL" Institution "f ;lr annual festival in com
incarceration "f the birth Of Chris, is attributed hy
church chronicles :" Pope Tclsp"rls who died ;.
the year Ias. Al first it the most movable ":
all the Christian festive days often cnIlfoundc.l witt,
The Epiphany and celebrated hy the Eastern church
~ the Roman Empire in April and May When
the 18th "f December was AT last chosen the fixed
day Of the festival it by means conc!rsively
shown that il WAS the cxict anniversary of the
iivity. though some authority fer il is said have
he..n found in the tables of the ccn<urs in IN.
archives 81 Rome
Re all This il may the Christ festival is the
most joyous "f the year. and the Germans hav.
further l~auiifri and sanc,ti..l il iy making II
peculiarly the festival OF tho children I, is to them
that owe that vision Of fairylam the Chris, mas
tree. nnd Santa Claus visitor the welcome "f
all in the homes nf this world Nc!,"Las Claus
krinElc. jelly. fat, sli"vt and lover Of c.irru wa.
the ,iir~, saint Of that k. ami they say he was ~
myth In hs South German village. as rhe story
s II was his eii.'; I" Christmas joy his
little friends in the shape ~ gifts, aud in doing this
h" needed a pack just Sausa Cssns does now and
ns the weather was cold he neet&d I'm making his
Christmas rounds. I" fur cap. fur ,"a, anl
iDoi>. just As Santa Claus does
II Nicholas Claus krinEIe was never duly canon
iz"i. the rs,l! "f saints lacks name that would
a"rn it, for %: all rhe saints that ever were horn
this one L. IN" hest beloved nf children and will Ic
as Ion: a> Christianity aHi civilization last