The Holly chieftain., 1923-12-06

running on the Joys of Christmas in the home
Joys which have no end. For, aside from its other
manifold aspects, Christmas Day is pre-eminenty
holiday of the home and the family. And its
symbol Is the Christmas tree. as its basic idea is
the Christmas cradle in Bethlehem. And the sof-
tenlng influence of Christmas in the home radiates
IT'S influence everywhere until he is queer man
indeed who does not wish in all sincerity his neigh
Dor merry Christmas"
Yes; Christmas time Is veritabe contagion of
happiness overfiowing into merrlment. Childhood
thrills at the thought of it. Youth halls 1t with
delight. Maturity gives 1t welcome. Old age
grows young again in its joys. Our social instincts
have fair play for once Hospitality comes into
Its own. 1t Is a beautiful season. Writes Shake
speare:
Some Sol. say that ever gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated
The bird of ,dawning sinseth all night long,
And then they say no spirit dare stir abroad:
The nights wholesome-then planets strike;
No fairy takes. no witch hath power to charm.
SO hallowed and 20 gracious is the time.
Another picture-that of great turkey ranch
in Callfo1nla-sets mouths to watering for
the Christmas dinner. And why not? The man
OF woman or child who doesn't await 1t with
eagerness Is not normal and should be put in soli-
tary confinement for the day. Nature gave us the
joy Of satisfying healthy appetite and 1t is not
hard to believe that the good old dame created the
turkey especially for Chrstmas--and ThanksgIv-
ing If anyone dare deny that cooking is fine
what's the use!
Great is the good cheer" of Christmas time
But there is to 1t than the Christmas tree
and the Christmas feast. And in our heart of
hearts we all know it--every one of u.s. That
is why all the world celebrates the day. The
spirit of the day is kindness, gentleness, forgive
ness. liberation. This spirit appeals to all of us.
1t could not appeal to us If we did not believe in
our capacity to respond to it. Century by century
the gospel of Jesus of Nazareth has forced home
these points, says Prof. Hartley Burr Alexander,
in mature and Human Nature"
First, refuge for the weak. aims to the poor.
Freedom for the slave; then chvnlry and all that
ane devotion to the cause the helpless and tho
hapless which. through the spread of Christianity,
brought ray of illumination into the barbari rism
of the Dark Ages; and finally. under the of
own tie recognition of the rights. politi
cal and economic and umnn. of hll men nnd women
and children all humanity. to participation in
the great hope OF "a tnkind These things have
founder: and it Is the vigor of this affirmation
which has put into democracy spiritual power
and living fore
The World tore away the foundations of
our conceits' and "strlpt Of our sunicences"
But the world has attempted to supersede the
Gospel with various artiiices of reason and logic
Who shall say that man does not believe In and
want goodness and beauty and feel the dearth OF
them? Who shall say that the salvation Of a cha.
otic world is not THE Golden Rule"-the spirlr
of Christmas extended to every day of the year2
says viii Irwin in Christ Mars:
another and with Judaism this single Issue.
should start the wor,. of educating their and
daughters in tho illusion and immortality of war.
we should within year mark the changing mood