Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-01-06
X)un1orons Acaolng.
THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL.

"t;l"ry 10 Cod in llc highest, and "n O.;
I.;ace goodwill toward men.
To-day for us GU: Lord was horn, come lei
adore him
The morning was breaking on the annivcr<;
rv of our SavinurS nativity. when all am
looked down from its home in the skies, NJ
the world ut It's lrr: The sun WAS just riSi'
and castn" its beams abroad upon hills
valleys, town mli country.
EVERYTHING looked 50 bright and beautiful.
;h:n the aMgI' !ur Il long time adill'in@iE gaze!
and wondered that there >iiullt'! hc - niIcsi s
AMI wee. where all WAS ;" lair Ia look upun.
The bells were soon heard ringing merry
peal. and the ANGEL descended anal waikct inrl$-
lille among the beings that now hogan I" crowd
the streets of avrc;,l city. Narrowly he scanned
the faces ut all, to sec il amy Wore the aplc T.
ancc of perfect happiness. But all bore the
impress OF ,in and that first d>ohcdirncc, !"
that "hruu.ht death into the world and all our
woe" Many were exchanging .irstS and %"od
wishes. willie others locked wrctchc,l aiil ii';>-
cradle ~ il even hope itself had ioraakcn thcin
Pilvinr while he Grlcld, the angel Thought
that for this one day he would try To Tic ut
most what power lie possessed 10 avert evil
from human beings, and influence them 70 q"
good.
Soon nc c.rictl tiny hoy clad in ras$, and
50 ,acnaturely wrinllIc,l and carcworn. that lic
now looked AS if he never could have possessed
the happy and innorcnt face OF childhood. His
clothes had evidently descended from at Least
one generation, and were "s world too large"
for his poor little body. Tears stood i'll lEc
ewes of tic child for he had been sent to pur-
chase for sick mother some small article iot
winch the sum tightly graspcd i'll his hand had
hccn insufficient \ group OF iocund, laughing
children passing by, the ragged boy locked
wi>tfully at their toys AMI bundles in their hands.
and after they had passed set down upon Il eel
lar door and fairly svl,led his little heart away.
At that moment Il gentleman came along and
WAS about to IrsS without noticing the boy,
when the angel whispered in his car. Turning
ronnrl, he for the first time saw the child and
after putting some money in lis han;l and saying
a few kind words, he left him. The faces OF
both were more calm and happy. and as the an
ncl looked lie could not hut feel how much
{: more blessed it is to giyc than to receive"
\ party Of Joyous boys were seen CARRYING
their skates and fastening towards tho river.
Fearful of danger the angel followed amt
watched their rambols on the sparkling ice. 1t
WAS not Given him 10 sec into tho future; and
oS everything seemed going on safely, he was
ahnl; To leave when Il cry OF agony rose from
the startled ,lll awc-strllck loys. One had
broken in. and the rest stool by: anxious but
totally unable to save their comr;dc. The hands
of the yonth were placed upon piece of fine
ice, while hcs felt himself gently dawn up aud
placed upon the shore III safety. His friends
wondered low he had strength left to ITO so
and that evening, while sitting at his fathers
tirc-sitlc. he told them how he lrt: broken
through the ice, and drawn himself ont when
| he had thought he WAS about to die. With
,carGrl ewes his mother said 'Snmc good angel
must have helped you, my son."
The sound of rcvclry and lnirtll was heard
within the walls Of anoblc and stately mallSiun
The fec, of the guests pressed tic SoItest car
nets, and their ewes rested "n the n0blcst works
| OF art, as they pressed their way through crow
deL rooms. to nrr their congratulations 20 thcil
host, who had been exalted to place OF hl"
honor, Wealth was his, and all the uXuries
that it could purchase; but he possessed what
he valued far more, fair unS,lllie'l name, and
great earthly glory. lie had reached inc pm,
i uaclc of fame but his heart was sad and heavy
within him. Ills only child lie who was once
the liuht of his rvcs-Uvcr whose lnilury and
bov-.lnml hc had so anXoSly watcIlcd-wliG
was to inherit his name and wealth-ha'l for
gotten his carly lessons, and had not only wall
dcrc,l into paths Of vice. hut had acted so dis
honorably, that had strict justice been delt him.
he would now be occupying a tcons cell.
Unoh<crvc', the father left -thc thrugltlcSs
multitude and entered an inner chamber Here
the strong man bowed his head end wcpt. Sud
denly he was aroused by the door opening, allC
some one sutly entered Looking up, he be
held tic object Of his thoughts, but hasgart
and way-worn Invuluntarily he rose, and tht
two confronted each other, and thought of thu
mast. 4 tide of memory rushed across the
mind of the father, and told him what his sol
was now, and what lie might have been