Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-12-21
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.

-THlS is the season when one hear
much Of the christmas Spirit.
1t is pretty hard to put in word
just what the Christmas spirit" is
what it stands for and means. Tim,
immemorial this season Of the yea
has been one Of rejoicing. It was sucl
long before the Christian era. Time
Ghebers OF Persia, whose God was the
Sun, celebrated 1t with general re.
joicings, for they feared that the sun
with its steady southern declnatlon
would some time fail to stop, and
would disappear forever, and 1t was
about our Christmas day that they
could first tell that it had stopped its
southern course and was again started
back, bringing with it light and frui-
ton to the world Other nations and
peoples had their rejolclngs and cele-
bratlons for the same reason
However It matters but little what
others have done, or why, Christian ma
tions keep the day and celebrate It in
remembrance Of Him who came 10
point out to mortals the road to i'm
mortality or him who taugh humanity
that ut was better to give than to re-
ceiye" or Him, Gods greatest gift to
man, His only begotten son, who, in
turn, gave up His life and died for Ms
on Calvary and by this supreme sac
rifice opened for us the gates of Par
adise.
So whatever reasons others In oldon
times had for celebrating the day. |
surely they were trirlng compared to
ours and they were without the one
great moving feature that marks the
Christmas time, for they did not have
the christmas Spirit" that indefIn-
able something that makes us all ten
derer to all humanity that for a brief
time, at least makes us forget our
grasping for tho dollars touches the
hidden well-springs of our generosity,
makes us forget self and realize that
all humanity Is altln-our brothers.
Truly It is u heavenly spirit that
moves us TO forget the daily grind,
and gladdsns our hearts with a portion
or It's own divine attributes; what
teaches us the delight of giving. of
tightening the burdens OF others. Of
adding 10 others pleasure, comfort
and happiness Of making tears give
way to smiles and Sorrow hide be-
hind the skirts of Gladness. or maxi
ing the givers realize In all it's great
ness that divine precept, 1T is better
TO give than to receive and enjoying
the soul-satlsfyIng realization OF its
truth from their own little kindly acts. {
Christmas is often called "the chill s
drens day" and while this in n sense &
Is true II Is not wholly so. For them l
Il Is indeed Il holiday a day Of all Y
days, a little sample Of fairy land S
brought down TO earth with all its
wonderful things. hut while II is in
his sense "chlldrens day." II Is also
parents " day for they share in the Il
pleasures and happiness OF the little "
mes, and are better for the 10Y they q
ave given them And then, too, as Il
hey watch their own little ones their al
thoughts go leaping back to their own r
and to the Chrstmases re
iade days Of infinite delight for them d,
father aud mother so long, and vet si
0 short time ago And then again te
hey live over the years between, the W
ears OF youth and school; the days ,of en-
the struggles Of earlier mar al
ed life Of the little one, perhaps. sy
no. coming from heaven to bless. m,
und the earth too cold and cruel III,
I'd so returned to that far country ha
ON whence she came; and so reioic- we
& with the little ones over the glad an
'ristmas time the home ties are mu
'de stronger and hearts are drawn orc
Ill closer together by the divine do,
rlstmas Spirit gre