| Show CHR AS A TOKEN OF o 4 t tr t tiM r iM 1 i THE If TR OF CHR ST AN TY OM II know the tho meaning ot of the tho word yet et how few ever eer think ot of It the mass ot of ort n ono might ask Is 13 thu tho do thought of at ns aB primarily ono for tor the re relIgioUS celebration ot of the tho of cr the SAVIOUrS birth It 11 be said that the tho Of at the tho day doy has been for forg or g Jllen only In modem times II a new has JUt for tor cl It II Tradition that guardian of Ir tho punt has kep careful wal oJ over the ds daY lii In tact fact day no now J u wh h a 11 sweet confusion of at I ond historical I It III I hard to distinguish the tho pagan i from the ho Christian in III the original ot of those thoo forms and festivities and nd beliefs that attach to the ot of Dt rember as It Is in celebrated today FI Fes people when the they behold lehoW the Ibe feasting and nd morn merrl ot of this fens e son on are aware tha R a grat many ot of the frolics and ruoms ot of this holiday time are arc ai wholly derived tom from pagan of oi Institutions essentially Chris Christall tall tn as the spirit ot of modern Christmas td tie may be beJu Ju 1 nt at this season ot of the year ear the tho Romans hall had their saturnalia which rere fere holl as devoted tu to boisterous 11 r d frost nipped knees among the frozen hills ot of long ago aio provided ample rea reason reason son for thanksgiving and Ing IngUp IngUI Up UI to the fourth century the eastern church recognized the tho th day ot of Jan Uary long known as LUlo Christ ChristInn Inns Inn as s the time tor cole both the tho birth tho Christ Child The Tho great of tho ely elv lilted world as s long l the tho of t December as by the tho Ito Ho ns as the day ot of 11 the birth Since thIs has hos bon done a 11 heal tw two bus hils attempted to shake the popular belief lh In this date Hut through nil all the changing centuries man hag I not allowed the do day td change and It will be n a bold who would toll today a attempt to lo take aay roin the world Its firm bellet In the accuracy of Christmas da daIt day It Is well known that In Palestine tram from the middle ot of D December cember to th middle ot of February there thero Is n a corn com dry aenon bot between the tho early and the tho later winter rains an during this season It was the custom for shop shep herds to tend their flocks on the tho plains ot of Bethlehem Those Shepherds It must hao hae been who 20 centuries ago SillY sass the n new W star In the cost cast While the tho church after acter the birth of at Christ did not discourage the old pa pagan gan festivities that by II a peculiar coin coincidence tell foil about the tho time ot of the birthday ot of the Founder of at their religIon the they took look advantage ot of the tho coincidence and In time merged tilt the two Perhaps this will In n a degree explain tim the strange confusion of 01 pagan and Christian customs In Inthe Inthe the modern Christmas The church en encouraged encouraged the old social customs ms o of the the season simply giving thom them a turn turis In to It a anew new direction and Introducing little b blittle by little the tho religious idea Ideo Some of at the results of at this strange c especially l during the mId mIddle middie die dle ages were very curious and For Instance just as during this the Roman were per to assume for tor a brief t period nu over their masters It the cu custom tom In I England following out the tho lines to allow the tho populace on Innocents take possession of at the churches and enact most mummeries therein The Tho world should be thankful for the birth of this custom for It was out of at these ludicrous moralities and miracle plas I that the modern English drama has hns evolved The over eyer popular Punch and Jud Judy will give gho some Ille Idea of at what those performances were like though the modern spectator who wit a 11 of at would never neer realize that such a creation wa n a lineal descendant or of I Punch and his garrulous rife Sum however Is the truth It was also n a cu custom tom In England to establish at Yuletide a alord alord lord of at misrule appointed to con COli conduct duct the tue revels In castle or country house or at court Every one was ex cx to pay a sort ort of at mock homage to this merry monarch ot at misconduct This too vas not fl without Its lis similarity to the tho traditions of at the Roman sat saturnalia when for tor the time being belliS the servant became the tue master and aud th pie b belan lan the monarch It Is Interesting to trace back the lie custom of at decorating houses with greens at Christmas Ilke most ot of our Christmas customs In America It waS adopted tram from the English Even en In quite recent times for tor instance mis mistletoe was carried to the altar ot of York cathedral on Christmas eve ee This mis mistletoe mistletoe as Is now well ell known was first used b by the tho carly Druids who hold held the ho plant as possessing a certain religious significance The old Druid priests made n a great grent and elaborate ceremony ot of cutting the tho mistletoe from the oak trees about the end ot of the month or of each December They r l It a as a holy and beneficent plant ns as In fact Its colloquial name today ot of all heat heal still shows and It was ns customary to distribute It among the people as omo ome thing which would guard and protect thom thien during the tho 12 months before thE nut next ceremony took place Dut when became the the year the they were made use UFe of on the day of at the ut of the birth of Christ In III this the tho pagan Druid OUSt gus torn tom and the tho imported Teutonic custom ot of putting up the treo are combined and amI green the pop popular popular ular emblem at most beautiful and the most C p T IV it it i i o of t r f r 11 f J t i 4 4 f tb i 1 e ei eN 1 ii 1 t i io l II o v 1 0 ilL br i 1 ir N i r x i I F I 11 1 Q I 2 1 j jI I I 4 C I fH A AI J f rt l ij s i it h r ti t lJ 4 I I Wv 4 j I fr Ii 7 Ih I Io t 1 M IS S I o iJ I I re reI V o I r I I r i ci f a t ll I l f r q Mif ta 4 r g G f i J t L W tl fJ t t tI t j il I 1 t c i V i t tiT iT tf y fl J J t M i ill I I I S b r To c it v r l i Jd 1 t i iL Z r b n nr J 1 2 I I f I I It II j t r L l t I i d i jJ t t i I z zI J kf 11 I u I 1 Iff I 1 J 1 i iA Jf I Iii r I to k kIrI ii IV J A IrI J I w iti 1 l I J t Jo I F f l f ir i q h 1 I J Lg 41 I f r k fr It 1 fc 1 fI 1 g i 1 Jt t 7 p pta 4 ff r ta t 1 f l 1 l W i U A t f Hl jt rj J x 1 I Ne N i t f 4 h i f b 1 L I if I 1 t f f f fI j Y U I t t f f 1 i 1 yo t i i 1 F 1 I s Jr 1 i ls i w ii i 1 n r r r r r r ii f J tt t c ct Ii t tJ t r s J iI t y i 4 A I i t i t iJ iJ fl 1 I ti k it 10 i j t k I t hi f c r i J II ti c I i 1 r 10 F t J S bito t W f i 1 J or f 1 t i 1 I j x i t r it f r 11 rJ i t i ji t j ft t iC Uh i I YI H rr i I J i S St t Ii ft f lm f 1 I tl ii j i i t t il t i t JL j i i 77 F 11 1 FJ I i Y P 5 J tl 4 i t t t l J r 0 j r r r i y i J i q iff I 11 iT I S t n i oJ I i 1 ci 1 l ti y yi 4 i c I I F r t f v oo ool l nt ft I r t r I IJ S J 1 J o l i 1 1 i A r J i p iI I I I i 1 Ji U 0 0 I ii 1 ij t i 5 1 t J Ii 7 b i ii Ji t I t I r ri i i f r i i I rt 1 u ji I l r v L Lr Jil 1 J Wi I established religion of It the tho land the forbade people to display any evergreens at the thc sanie same time that po pa gone gona dId so 10 According Instead of at putting up ba bays 11 and laurel and pine and greens ot of alt all sorts at the end ot of commendable Christmas s customs ho how however ever eer art are those whIch a are e trl t and The Tho good goodwill goodwill will toward man the tho spirit ot of honey bene end nd generosity the kind heart ell 01 ch charitableness and love which now till fill nil the world orld st It found their first inspiration on thit morning when hen the Angels sang ang together over the bIrth ot of the Holy Child Chilli In a humble Juan The Tho this the pegan hal ha boon been lost In the peat toda today it H l is the spirit ot of Christ that dominate all our mOlt moat and mOlt meet beloved on the world greatest end most mOlt holy day making Is the feature ot of our Christmas Sushi a practice Is tuot significAnce when on turis Ick to the gospel lOpel to St Matthew and reads read ohi linn lines boUt about the th wise men who ho cams eam out of oC the tho And they came Into the hOUM and nd saw easy the tho young Child with Mery Marr hi himot his mot r and they fell down don and aud wor hIm and opening their uru they offered unto him gold and amI and myrrh It seems atom nowadays to think of oC tho those first Christmas and the co under which they ther were worl giVen And It I a worth noting t that t there was a significance In each thing presented to the Christ Child They were gifts such as In olden times were usually offered to a king To the eastern of oC time sold Will as the most precious In n the world I I 4 t I i iI I Th of old con ore 4 Ob H dies not oar He cik cikI I crumbled dust I When all our fadse od forgot f But He dies rot 0 i k I If w you ard I I I JI world it life He 1 a I IV V ai i tt 1 J p ff I f t P Pj j I I W hilarity In honor ot of the king Saturn who was deified fa s supposed to have ruled over oer the gi n age that time hooked back upon by L the na aR a period of c and happiness These garns and rituals ot of the SIlt sat took place every overy year begin rg jg on the tho th or of December and last lastIg Ig at first three and then thon later seven SEen La Lys which ot at course urse cart carry through to that hat evening which II ur Christmas eve e baring the tho saturnalia there was not sIy nl general jollification but It b he conr confused aed a great deai ot of wIn will was C umed by the Homan populace and ot of the tho merrymaking descended to All AlI the tho usual order ot of things is 9 upset Slaves lint at at table tabe with thir masters wore vere allowed to jests with or nt at their superiors sad and It was n a rule that the wealthy an l should walt vait upon their Ien ants antI No o one was supposed d to take th Pi most mOil outrageous conduct seriously asi no one lost his whatever I pp joke or jest might be Wino and C ng and laughter ruled the empire on onI onie I Cp ie days of at primitive merrymaking fr tt It was In short an era ern of good feel ig r among nil alt people just as 18 Christ cu It day In a more sense is 19 ourselves What Is still moro more remarkable was that little clay Images r In other words dolls and oven even toys toS r b by Roman Homan parents to children During week WaSso was so foolish as to work vork prep being mode made weeks beforehand 1 the lengthened festivitIes Historians have b been Cn able ablo to trace much this December tl braton pr of the Homans back to the theland land hid ot of the tho Greeks Oleks where In fact the hUli ans seem leem to got all that Wit was best In their civilization In truth It gt ge back to still older peoples and Ib r Is no means of ascertaining today gust how early In the childhood ot of the the tho traditions embodied In our annual inual merrymaking first originated as for far back ns no our knowledge IiO goes s both the tho Colts and the the tho same season as did the Itonia and with much the tho same fee fes It Is generally accepted that Ib be rosen for this thin ma may bo be attributed to tb the time of at the tho winter solstice occurring juit when It did when nil all nomad and ill housed were ready to c at t t te I return ot of the sun Run and the length ot of th days das once more It stood for tor h s beginning of oC the renewal of at life lite an 01 In all things of nature and ami th Murn of at more comfortable days hn leu da daer per of at long ruts fasts and It was the metal of at kings and high priests l Frankincense was equally symbolic It was known throughout India and Arabia and the Holy Land as the em emblem blem biem ot of prayer It was 08 a costly perfume drawn from n a rare tree and when the inagi filled the little birth chamber nt at Bethlehem with the tue sweet ot of this precious substance It was In Li a spirit of profound adoration Equally Equall approprIate was the girt gift ot of myrrh Myrrh was a s sUbstance of an dent clent use Ufe and was burned In the tem loin temples pies ples during the sacred rites riles ot of worship Myrrh Is n a sort ot of balsam obtained from the thie bark of oC II a tear drops I ot of a wounded tree In ancient times It WAS vaa used as n a medicine and n a fumi fumigator fumigator gator and also on account ot of its poignant odor as a perfume At times too It was made use of at In embalming the dead Like Ilke frankincense It was a rare and costly substance and a girt gift such lIuch ns as might appropriately be pre seated tu to akinS a king So these mysterious wise men came and their gifts and departed again On Christmas Christians morning they rode silently over oer the hula hills to Beth Heth and we are told after atter offering their gifts and adoration departed Into their own country another way 1 It Is today n a beautiful story for our workaday world to remember when shen busied men and and children go about on Christmas morning big Ing greetings and gifts gIft And so long longas as that star Story Is remembered and ChrIstmas day Is observed the tho world will continue to be a Christian world TRUMAN THUMAN L ELTON 4 W H JJ 1 ri ric i Ij c Ill 1 r s l ii I I c i If 2 f 4 t lIr I 4 t I iI 1 ci c T I I It I 4 5 i F LA 1 J I I a Is unable to state But It Is funny nna anyway to see a railroad purposely evade enOe n a or village and th thea t are scarce articles In South Africa on and J b by such h evasion necessitate many more miles of Ct railroad townspeople and visitors he fan fandango dango Is usually order orderly unless there thero Is a rowdy attendance from the Amer AmerIcano AmerIcano town They are not experienced In drinking and and n a afew few tew drinks are enough to make them |
