CHIRSTMAS CAROLS

"And it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!"

The Christmas spirit is contagious, old Scrooge found that out; and so do we all as the great day approaches. We find ourselves humming snatches of tune, and surprised roommates catch fragments like "God rest ye merry, Gentlemen," "Silent night," and "Hark the herald . . ." The Christmas carols are the good old outlet for Christmas spirit. People have sung them ever since "thou" and "thee" were in everyday conversation. In the old days little bands of waits went from house to house to sing before the lighted candle. Nowadays we set up artificial evergreens in public parks, and whole communities gather round them to join in the old sings. But behind both waits and communities has always been the same genial, good-fellow feeling; the spirit that buffets shopping-crowds without losing its smile, braves snow and slush for errands of charity, and drains its purse in rival generosity. Whenever man want to express a mood he cannot put in common words, he turns to music and dresses it as a song. The carols are the expression of Christmas; no one can hear them without catching a tinge of that infection which was able to transform even old Scrooge.