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EDITORIAL
PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS
Christmas, the most. spectacular and elaborate’ holiday’ Season

of the year, is now little more than a week away.
Of all the years ‘festive occasions, Christmas is Py one that

cided to: “ban : the. festival’ of | -
CI

streets © were ‘innocent. of ‘holly
berries,’ - green: , boughs,
makers,

ordered! closed :on that’ ‘day-and and

a. whole force ‘of “government
spies .sleuthed about foy ‘clergy-
men who dared, to preach. Christ.

mas’ sermons.” ff

“Holly and. other such frivol-

. |ous, Christmas decorations were

forbidden: under pain ‘of ‘severe
punishment ‘as were. Christmas
trees, Christmas. gifts | and -feast-
ing. or merrymaking: either in
private or in’ public. Y
“Sporadic <riots’ of | protest’ a-
mong the working men

has come -to require ‘the most ation. Pl:
begins weeks in adi ‘of the i fave tie moun-
tain’ tops gained .their, usual’: winter aoe caps, promising’ “a
“white Christmas”, for those below, ‘when. stores’ and privaté’ homes
come alive with ned and. green colors;‘an avalanche of Christmas’
cards ‘of every size and description ‘descends in'a two week! déluge
on. postal ‘staffs across the continent and people’ everywhere flock
to stores in record numbers to pick and purchase the right’ gift
-for eyery. person on their Christmas. list.; All these ‘things,’ along
with’ the : Chri: 5 ee, ! and other delicacies
the pantry 'b » have™b @ part of. Christ-
mas preparation, helping to make ‘the ‘Culetide ohe of: the \grand-
est seasons of the year,
_ ‘However our lives’ must’be drab and dull indeed if tliese mene
- externals are ‘the: Stumm, total” of. our Christmas * preparations. : We
By entire f

wete quickly crushed sby ithe

ples and”, Ba-
tyonh eked ‘meats. Already
men‘ had’ been sent to prison for
cutting “Yule logs, and |
| the traditional , cheery decora-
tions. :

<In a. ‘and’ which had | “been
‘famed for centures for its’ Chris-
tmas cheer and ‘merry ‘making,
there was. now sullen fean and

Even thi

ims

reves neteerreneon

Pots were bs
for. tell-tale ‘smoke’ which might

") vout and’ ‘moral. Puritans “ clos-
vout i c 2

p iS ‘Chiistmas
j cept our: celebration, ent ts on nd
tis)

we have ‘the paradox’.of: the, de-.

and. the andip!
religious savalers ‘bewalllng th

one. more’ aspec

-| hardily.. fought .- toc

‘Thus in” this -not-too-far , day Fs

te ‘some...
clandestine ‘celebration..
pate FIGHT “BA BACK: :
“was not

military ana the
d hang ed

while a aystem of Strict censor-
ship ‘silenced ‘all: but: the official

d'and ‘a’

party. organ with the
of -a’ few fly-by-night junder-
ground pamphlets,:

ee on ae ‘plate and the: ‘other
on the door where at any mom-

gt It:is- highty: gratifying and evidence: ot man’s basic“"good | will cal
and

. good’ sense’ that. there: is’ a’ growing reaction against! such
-materialism;:!Deep’ in“.men’s hearts: there is an awareness iof the
overwhelming fact of the Birth. of Our Saviour, : Ee :
L “In ‘the ‘prelude to the Pinst Christmas nearly 2,000 yeais ago,
: there ‘was no’ room‘for’ Qur Saviour among the general public and
: dHeir ‘temporal concerns, “and: a, -g
‘darkness of ‘a hillside’ cave. :
1” Birth; nd —

‘soibed with temporal -splendors | ‘ond "contre
Christmas

ent a é spy might: ap-

pear, Imprisonment was the price

of: sineeers ‘stolen "pleasures, © it
t.2?

Tinie of life in one of. the

¢ yes,
but.“ an: English dictatorship, -in

mule tele pulpits to> ‘become

many iivel, it, short-lived, Pam:
lets." Ba

“T6 be ‘sure afew bold souls phi

“The. gracious Parliament com:

ings. manded- that there‘should be no
Day,”

preaching - on’ Christmas

comments’. the: writer of ; ‘Mer-
eurius®:.Melancholicus’-: who had
a- parliamentary | bounty. equiv-

ary 3. Kaiser:
“completed thei: ee Inv tigations of the C.

alent to about two dol-
lars, .on his. head. “Who. ever
thought it” had™'been a sin’ to

let’ us have ‘ano
next week” t
stitious, Sabbaths.” ‘

the year of Grace,\ 1647. It was},

met” in* Chicago 25° years ago,
there !is* pata one who. js: not: in:
today., One has

A Gee sand

the “guests "of _ the Cons idated | €
‘Mining’ ‘and’: Smelting ©

(d-be. impossible. - Bvery race: would.
cards,

EAs

guid: soon ‘weary, \of ,turning :
kes “tinden

t ; jigs. already.
“Been. reached i in Ottawa), Policemen; magistrates ana dudges would
readily.

j.have_.to. seek -.othe:

" Jast roém. taken, exce except his own} Christ’ Child.: Had hi

known |.

place: of. lodging and the‘ last| that: the’: ‘manger now ‘cradled’ the |,

guest, settled for thé night. ‘There| Divine. Son of God, , would; he ||
sadsé piace’ of

gentle -knock ‘at: the ‘door, have. given , up. his‘ o
re} rest,’ and 2

‘two: weary: figures . are:
‘him Seeking ‘entrance i in his over-
* crowded ‘inn, -

What : about: his room?. After racted:* these: ast two _ thousand
all, @ man aftey a busy day needs|j 3 ras
-his ‘crest... What; different “are
these. two ‘strangers from:: the
“> many: others who! sought ‘lodging }'t;
for the night?:Yet there’ seems ta | cei

~ be something’ ‘about their gentle; sure
kindly “expressions ‘that moves
: the ‘innkeeper to offer: them not duce

«this room: but’ a crude stable as

hopichas’ pay. homage: to the,

““My house: is “fall, There i is. no last ‘op portunity. you * night
more room in: the; inn.” say.:-Yet, this scene has “been jen-,

>a resting: place, -:
“There.” Mary. ‘brought.’ forth
“her first: born. son ‘and: wrapped
= Him, in» swaddling. clothes: and
<3 aid)! Him’, i

He who ore your: Toad of ‘sin,
‘While he" Imocks and, asks . a
mission, 4
. Sinnes, wilt you. let Him. in?”.

» there -was,'no room- fon, them in
4 2 fhe inn.” Mathew, 2:7

Ad
e jbeen. mee

1 .stand)at’;the- ‘door