The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-12-25

"ON CHRISTMAS MORNINGS.
The one day of the year that ctvili-
xation celebrates. the one day OF the
year. besides which all other hoii-
days and feast days are dwarfed In
to insignificance. the one day OF the
year to which time. in its twelve
months Journey ascends. and from
which when the day Is passed. n az
scends Is Christmas. 1t celebrates the
birth of Babe at Bethlehem Babe
born In stable. but who changed thu
course Of the world for all time.
We may find fault with the way
the world celebrates the day. but at
ter all that observance--that celebra-
ton Of the day. though faulty. is
founded upon the life OF the Man OF
Nazareth--for charity and for human
ity the day is sim observed. calIous
indeed is the heart of the man
which does not grow restless and
beat for way in which the hardships
Of poverty may be lessened ana in
which the poor may be given a happi-
ness denied them In other seasons
Christmas now. as 1t has for all
times. means charity in its broadest
and fullest sense.
selfishness is called the greatest and
the most common OF all the evils COM
mon to humanity. II Christmas had
no other blessing. 1t Is benefit to
mankind. in that its insinuating spirit
pierces the shell of selfishness and
for once at least In the year we con-
slider the nisfortunes and the suffer-
ings Of those not so fortunate as we.
modern writer uttered great truaa
when he wrote: IF Christianity Dad
done nothing else than esta blish
Christmas for the benefit of mankind
it would have bestowed on h amanity
great blessing" In the charity It In
spires. in the blessings il pfomotes, in
its broad humanity, christm aside
from its sacred character, II such a
thing were possible. Is. nankind's day
for acknowledging tina brotherhood OF
man.
We see and kncw christmas at It's
best. notwithstan dfng the critics who
see evil in our way. OF celebration.
With us It is indeed the Merry
Christmas" Of England We are even
told now that Dickens got his idea Of
wholesome and happy Christmas
from his American visits. from which
he returned to teach the men Of Eng
land t'Ae whoie-hearted way in which
America observed the DAY. And yet
the day. in America. stiIl retains its
sacred and spiritual value. We have
combined. for Christmas the spiritual
sxaltation OF the Covenanter with the
happiness of the iight-hearted cava-
lier. We forget not its sacred char
actsr and we rejoice In the happiness
and iightness OF the day.
Our custom OF giving presents is
criticised. because 1t is said 1t en-
courages extravagance. 1t may be
true. but extravaganza Is not as COM
mon as selfishnsss. II our present
giving custom promotes extravaganza
indeed. then the sentiment which pro-
notes it atones for. the fault. For
behind the custom is the heartfelt
wish to make all happy and to inspire
in all an appreciation of the mean
ing of the wish for IA Merry Christ
mas" Friendship, love and charity
are in the custom. and II that be
fault let our critics make the most of
1t.
A happy Christmas is our wish, and
that we may have 1t we drop the
cares of business, we still the rest
lessness of ambition and we attune
our hearts to the promptings OF a
purer and better spirit to make man
kind better and happier. according as