The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-12-30
HOLIDAY AFFAIRS
ARE ''FLtSHP0TS"
ENGLISH CLERGYMAN SCORES
THE WAY THE YULETlDE
TIMES ARE OBSERVED.
THE CHURCH FORGOTTEN
He Says BY the People Who Are
Much More Interested in the
ktchens--Pastcrs Do Not
Even Escape Article

London, Dec. ga Lancashire Vi
car, Rev. A. NJ Mitchell, Nj. A., Of
Burtonwood, has wri iten remark
able article in his magazine on the
worship of Christmas Sormandizing
He ays:
Christmas customs and festivities
cannot fail TO convince the most pre-
JUDGED that the kitchen heads the
list of popular altars. The kitchen al
tar is the sacred shrine of Christmas
Day and, indeed, Of the entire Christ
| mas eeason.
What a number of knees bend low
before it. although too stiff to bend
before God and the altar of love! A
birds carcass, a joint Of beef or
piece of swine's flesh Is the pivot Of
! Christmas JOY the food land dtlnkl
II Is which con ttutes the festival
the Christmas gorge and surfeit 1t IS
which makes Christmas 10 the great
est number.
"'rhe spiritual aspect Of Christmas
lis only formal TO the generality; and
Is conveniently and unblushingty ig
nored in favor of worship at the
kitchen altar Even TO Chri tians Of a
better sort Christmas Is very little OF
a spiritual feast and holy day If our
gormandzlng Christmas customs
ceased, Christmas would be no more
Christmas to nominal religionists.
Eat, and Eat Well.
] I .t4sJ -. .t..t
mas rightly and duly without tooth.
some morsels of cooEed meats. we
must have flesh TO eat; give MS flesh,
give us wine; let us eat, drink and
be merry SO say the Smart Set: so
say, too, the common people Eat,
and eat we'll Is the. creed Of all
Iclasyos Of people theer ~ no differ
ence; as is arlstocracy 50 Is democ.
Iraey
so we crowd our Tarfers with tho
flesh of birds and beasts, and bags
Of mystery we pride ourselves on
the multitude Of our flesh treasure
the number of our carnal sessions,
the size and plumpness o. dead birds
the prime quality Of the prize beef
which. so often is no prize at all.
not even English fed II is worthy Of
comment that an Englishman will dc
your almost anything or un.
tinned-if only II is called meat
after day Of much eating, Of
persistent examining. of coaxing,
pampering and coaxing The appetite,
the mood Of Christmas evening and
night is hardly spiritual. The victims
Of human yarnivora ity' ATE dull,
| heavy, stupid, 'dozey' and are to be
seen lounging on couchcs, nodding in
forty wnks' IN coy corners. or max
ing II may be, vlrtuous but unsuc-
| cessful efforts TO Keep their eyes
open.
a Sleepy Day.
Church is out Of the question, II
Is not to be thought Of. and every
body feel unequal TO The EXERT, n
and strain 0f family devotions. It is
probable certainly. that Christmas
gourmaude should yawn cape and
sleeU and snore al home rather than
10 the House Of God. ye;. undoubtedly
the church f. the 1T and proper place
/ far Christian folk in the evening Of
Christmas Day.
Where is tho Parson on CHRISTMAS
uiEht? he fasting AT home2 Is he
dining with the local magnate, Sir
Marmaduke Maltser? The parson VIII.
probably. Justify himself by saying
II / should hold evening services no
one would attend Well what Of
that? The opportunity for Christ mas
evening worship should be given IN
every parish church.
The parish clergy could do a great
/ deal. II they would. 10 bring in a right
/ Observance Of the evening Of Christ
/ ma Day. and they could. II they had
/ the courage. sensibIy counteract the
glnttony Uhere Is no other word for
/ ~ which is the established order.
/ even IN homes bearing The reputation
of being distinctly. Christian our
! Christma- observance. IA its SOC al 81
pcct. is the dismal legacy Of a greedy
I giu,tunou past. a past largrly TO.
/ spOnsibie for EJut 1ul other present
day diseases.
blood and slaughter, Slaughter
and blood, These are tbe universal
marks Of the greatest Of ChFi tan
holidays"