Kerang Times and Swan Hill Gazette (Vic. : 1877 - 1889), Thursday 25 December 1879, page 2


AND SwAN HLTr, GAZErrTE. PODLiSnBs'WEiEKLT. KERANG, DECEMBER 25, 1?79. C H R-IIS-T M A S. THE recurrence of Christmas"naturally induces us to drawcomparisonsbetween Christmas at home and in thc colonies of Australasia. This feast,apart from its religious aspect, brings to recollection the attendanti circiumhstances .known :to the youth of the blder met?bers of the colonial community. Fatih :Christm?as depicted as a hale, hearty,-gray. old man, i with' hair and' beard whiined, with real snow and stiffening: icicles, and with: face illumined, nevertheless,; with a benignanti sitile of joyous satisfaction, denoting a liberality oi mind coupled with a healthful'vigor.of'llidy To make the picture correspond with the status of these colonies, we 'must remove all the old gentleman's overcoats,: mufflers and comforters, 'nd: dress him in some light garment more suited 'to:.thfeatmosphere enjoyed by the gods as delineatedt ih the masterpieces ot sculpture;. his snow ,.id icicles melt away into drops of perspirition, and' his still` ieicep;tible beaming snile is not untinged ri'?hi a feeling of languor and exh~iustion from excessive heat. :Such, are the sunny sides of the picture; but there are ,shadowis, too, tliat' ive must not::lose sight of. The cold, invigorating weather of Christmas at home.a-with every pond and shallow frozen over, affording pleasure, to the, slider-and.the skater; the beautiful ermine' co?eiig :to the else :bare trees;..the; hedges piled :up with heaven-wove wool.; all these can be enjoyed by people fii:ly prosperous ir the.vorld The Christmas gathering is ii-uch more. enjoyable, not' :only .on Iaccount of its bringing together many who, for twelve months-or more, may have been separated, but. because the fireside glows more. brightly, by- contrastwith thecold outside,and the Christmas cheer:is. cheerier in comparison with the desolation of 'Nature at' this time. of year. But. to the .poor, the outcast, and the barefoot, the ,perishing cold and gnawing ;hunger bear but poor witness to the rejoicing gladness of the season; and were it not thiat the hearts of the wealthy, and their pockets too, are open, .much more.suffering would be experienced, though Heaven knows there is enough of it. To return to our'own country, or, what to many of us.is, our adopted country,it; is true that the smoking roast beef and the steaming plumn pudding seem incongriousi' and out of place with the thermometer over roo'- in thie shade, and the dinner in the broad day light, though it be at six or seven in the evening, and the retirement- to the verandah suggests an inversion of old fashions and"experiences. ' Yet we are freed fionm the: hardships, and pains of the cold; the tent day does not usually cast a gloom over the household, so many being freeholds,. and the harvest coming' simultaneouslv seems to warrant the happy farnersin lbein more liberal and more lavish in expenditure for presents to friends, and gifts to thei poor and to charities. Truly the original motto, "On earth peace and good-will towards men " should be easily realised, in. Victoria and her sister, coloniesi 'aTlhiel :bitter o.feuds, .ivhether political or social, engendered by the'eternal struggles and the life bati ties of the dying yearmay at Christmas, tide, under.the softeningi; influence.of the benignsieason, and'thi griatitude consequent o?the munmimcence of providence in besitowing pilentifullharvests, be allowed to heal c. Ares not many ifences given i and ta.ei;inmerely trivl and.ften ,imaginary, and were-we but to examine thi e subject ofi oiur deepe.st 'grievances with.cool deliberate thought, would not many o1fi?'then ,lkei: the

cicles on Father Christmas' beard, melt away ?-ld change into the glowr of happiei feelings and more generous sentiments? We trust that this general reconciliation may universally take place, and wish our readers A;MERRY Czaixsrhis