Yule-tide

V: I -, ■■! m tillé C luvler. Ajgti'J Clii (s ImaB wl! h .-.: ;: '. - .i1 üiflr.J assoetalïiona approaclies, .os. teii'.ig ha.rmony, alad repeatlng the g . tota gosp;] o! ;.).-.' -:i cwr.ili .in 1 good wM towiacds m.'u. No Hier period o.' ihe yEU" i so nnmu :,s Ihi'.s ia UeaiJlag vvo-uuids oí t'iiijiMUiíup. a.iid lu warming heari o.' ma.u twv;u.-iU hii) it'üow.s. And wIliooeMei' has Bril i8h, .VaiülinavKiii, or Sajcon bjoüd in hix vieins, welcomes ilt wiï.Ii .(iirlHisiasin. He obwlbb u udiaess whebher it comee to him ia a. [.a.-rid or exc.tie cjiine i.n.v iiuii'i-medi.-i.ie zouo. The ot g-ood oheer i; spreid, bis leai. si ïi á ;.nils a.re iiiiiic.l. aal vhatever muy grase tatole, a plttm ),,;li, (Pith i: r.v-J i.iKmi hü-.ly KI. ii piKssibla, b3 tlievo, a,u.l n )raudh o1, miutueto not ia.r oH : i-us. iwma strongay sa.vuri.is oi Paganism, wiiJhOOJt doubt, and lia.aded down ïom heatlieJi aooeetors, wlio were, uevfirtiheJess, Jn Uieir oirn, time a.nd w&y, gooü msn and t'i-ma.. ChulUiBiaa is t'lie Chi-istia.il Saiucnai wWu cxm the t;w'i-teöt and most öeco.oufi, couaiitoance souie degrte o; löjense. TliiJ poiiiic leadere of our taii.li in tlie asWJlesb days of Cliristii.ui.ty tL.oiilg-ht it wise to grait most o; the ïi'.it-.s and (.eremoaiieis of Paganli'in uipoa tina doctn-Jiu oí Ciirét iu ■o. der to mak. vllue iiatter poiiular. I-luía tliiey causad Hiií bit.-di to coiacluie wi'tli the Komaii Batoinnal[ia wiiHeh ïo-r a. wlioije wae& from Uie 18th to tliie 25th öi December coinna-ni'orated the freedo-m and equalüty tlKit exiuted duirlng tlte wlro. oi the g-oldea reisiJ) oi Settura. We are told Ihat liCHüg bufo-re tüi iouuKlation of lïo'ine tluwe heatlien ;eat were renuaricabie tor mnhiersal lüberty. S'.iaMs wei-ie peipimiute! vo ri'dicuile tliein' mia9ters and fco di;-cuss ewry to'pii wKili ireedo-m. Frieads aiiado pnesents tö o-ae auofaher, 'Lhe cliooil's -svere clowed, uo crtminala vneire executed, putbLíc and prhTate anUu.a-Ky oeased. 'W'liwe oliey lasted war was never decUared, ajiid uiirth, liji, and dtfbauoiiei'y had iuijl uwlng. Duiigg the sJori.ices dm p'iiests Hiade ihiiv O-iertogB with uinco'vered headf, whieh was nisver do'.iö at. auy otber Sestiviial. Tlie letters were removed fiöin the piifbiïu stat-iies-af the god, tu wiloiin tvery emauL-ipared siive devcbed bfo awn. Tina tniijs were dietked vriüa. ha.ly and iry, uu.l o.cliei" sacred evergreoiitó, and as jiro'.useLj- as auir owia were ia fchle last cent. ua-y, wbett Miss Jüimiy Si'm.pr t.lms eom-pOaimed to the "Spectator'': "üur cleik, w.liio was oii.ee a gardaer, lias thás Chrfetonas u-a overdeckt .hu chmrch with gpeena Uiat lie has quite sp'ffil't my pi-ospect, imsonïuah tliac I lia--Hi scarce seeu. the youag baronet ioT three weeks, andnijiess tlie greerts are reni-o'ved, I dbia'J soidhi have lhtle eJise to do iu, eliiac-cli tüan vo say my prayei-s." Th hoHy a ml the mistletor are i'n. di-geno'ue although not ysculiur to tisis couintry, and tlie Uttter, as every on.e kuows, was pne-em.inen tly the sacned ptant oï t.h.a Draids, that mys. teiloue, L&arned, and remarkable cast wihose htetxry rem.ai'as to be wiittL'n. In tl Scandinavian aiythoiogy, the niistletoe was con-secrated on a memorable occasáonj and ior a most beneficeat purpose, to Prtga, the Nortlici'n goddess oï Dope. For tlie protection of lier soa BaLder, an oatk was impios'ed aa alll thiugs of earth., air, are, and water, jiot to inJuxe the beautiiuli young g-od. The misttetoe alone irom its appaxeat harmlessiness, was excepted, and ld was with. an arrow fashioaisd from lïs wood tn,at Lokl1, the üvl o:ie, jew IMja. All wiuiu' 'M i mcniraed lils death uati'3 Heta ;,ntie] and restored kim to hls mother, cmd ïiom that time the fatal yla ï.t was coniseci'ated t o Friga- o ar na.tive Vemos, that it inigfat henceflorth become an instrument of "Jove but uever more of ttatred. Thusat Christma.s, wliOa tlie Druids were wout to cub it with go Me n knivis, we jvass ander i;s ttnancöes ■wiiïi ki'sses, and iO'i'mieiSly, ■wlhiein.ereir Sb was soarce, our maidieais, &o.t to be defrauded oí' cuistomary ritee, made "kissins Uumeh.es" of evergreens oniamented wil h orang-es and ribbons, to do duty instead. He muist be a sour Iieart Uiat iaa view these sweet o'Jd custoans witli any dfher foe-ïii. ïhan tliab oï genial ap-proiba.iioii.. H uiudireds of geJieratioais have enjoyed them and made merry over them, the younig and the nnlfearned in liappy and rano. tuit thocughtHessiiess, wliite the learned and philOBophic have busied -ilienive'Jves witli the deeper import that 'lies beueath thedr popuJrar surface. Dlise see in them the relies af si umivensal iel!(gioa dvoted to Nature, wliose o-rigiu is slnxDuded In. the Cim. nterlai g'toiom of the, NortJi, and la the mythe af remates t a.ntiiquity. Tliey oibseiTe thelt close rela,tiioa, uot to the SatninnaÜa of Rome alone, but to tllie Kgyptilwi Tamy.'ia, the Baeclik a,nd Diany.sïau o-rgtee oi the Geks, the obscene iestüs-ais of Indïa, Mesopotamia, and 'óoiu.h América, and tatha obheii' rel'igious mysteriefi in thoae and aU th rest tf the wo:M where Xulure-worship has been gymbo'jiized a.u.1 coiTup'ted by p : stciait' amd its pare, etream divierted iDito imipure channels. ïhif t:adi:nl? in mtmilvind's bssb eino'tions and subo'-diaiaiTdng worsihip to uain power, aas SL'düo, in uuccession all ihe i-CIglci8 oi he p'A8b just as H wJVi destioy those oi the present. IC n. : y ba thait 5a the cycute q1 ;-e.ligious evoClu.ton t.he time will come, when m.aaik'Jnil wi.l reach the point whenee thev started, amd he-arts -wïJ be agaAa n.lel vitli. torre and revercuxce fov ail uature as tlie sure and unJve.sa.i niíamiíestaticni oí tíod to imán Let us emdeavxDC, tlieu, to meuke the íjest uso ai Christmas, whaitever its 'hiatarical shartcomitags, and to joiu, 'ra the general sp'Lriit oif love aind j;ood wJfcL AJÍ perioids that kinit the 'hearts o;: miau mo-nei closely togethr, ara most wo-rthjj Oif humaoi obserrance. Let the tatoles smoke wJltH fsstire eheer, and ha.".l a.nd cattage rinig ■n-'ith joyous (jreetings, and prove to the ■world thaü Enigllaind ia ímerrj Bngland etill. Tlhe absieíat will retwni to giadden tihoss at liomie, a.nd the dead -wi-'A be lorijinsly reimember. ed. Fot those wlio oannot be pres. at, whcrcn neoessiity or dfetance lias parted fpoan us, tiliei1O wï'A le kind. ly messages, evOn to tihe onds oí tlie earltta, toornie by th BWiCt miaL' cw swtíter teiegrapti Let ub rejoice tlbat 5t la not in thiai p'o-wer oí time ep'aoe to sever tts íroau tiiiose we love, and tlia.t tbough theiy rnaiy be toiCing t'hirongli the diefilcs of the Kl)iyber Pass. o.r broK'iag in Xaidivin or Africaa Biin, or Itving loneiy live.s in Oanadia. o.r Amei'ica, Ín ; ralla-, o.r any of tilie mimbcrlcss colonies whiere British indu.stiy adda empine to empire, yet places wtl aio.t be forgabten on Ohiristmas Day, bmi aífectlom ril ma,ke tihie ab. sent present. Above aM, on tihds da.y beyond every otiher, leb the )oor and itüi.e o.utcast be amply provided for, Hlbat ,they may paitake of tlie genenal .rejoicing, and it a.11 tlhe re■maining days oí tltoeir y?are be wnetjohed, let ttan. be liappy on this dayioi diays, wlw as tí-adition tells tibe Prinoe oí Peace was boni, to bring a mssag oí love !rom Heavea to Bartlv.