Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-01-14
What the Stars Saw on Christmas
Night.

/ d0uNIO0 yOoAo 1891 ~ S4A
the plain Of Bethlehem the noblest song
that ever foated on the atmosphere Of
earth, the song of sPeace and good will
to man." Angels sang it, and the hosts
of Heaven joined it. Long before, the
morning stars had sung together, and all
the sons of God had joined the shout Of
/ joy over the birth of this fair work Of
Gods creation; mans iniquity had
marred its beauty, and the birth of
!, Christ at Bethlehem was the fulfllment
of the promise of redemption. In Rome
the doors of the temple Of Janus groaned
heavily as they swung on their rusted
hinges and closed with loud jar that
rung through the imperial city. Men
were at peace Infinite blessing-long'
unknown to the inhabitants of this globe,
wherein blood and strife had reigned for
so many ages Among the barbarians
who had been in fierce contest peace ruled
supreme; and in the forests of Europe, on
the Asian plains, along the Rhine, the
Volga, the Euphrate and the far Ganges,
women and childen were glad in the Sc
renity Of chat starry night, and woke in
the morning to new gladness and new
ljoy.
Eighteen hundred and sixth three
years passed like the dew Of a morning
before angelic visions, and the stars
looked down last night on the world
over which they heard the songof peace
sung by the visitors at Bethlehem.
/ What changed scene In the Pacific
Islands they saw the war ships of remote
nations, claiming a civilization which
had it's origin on that very night at
Bethlehem, hurting death in new and
strange shapes of horror, into the vii
lagos of a peaceful people whose island
homes ought to have been, out Of the
reach of Christian enmity. In the great
empire of China they beheld a terrible
war devastating cities, destroying thou
sands on thousands Of people; war
hideous with all the terrible enginery of
modern invention which men have made
to killmen. Looking mournfully ON the
hills to the northward of Ararat, they
found the mountaineers living in the
very atmosphere Of battle, from which
they have had no rest since they were
born-a e-long struggle, handed down
from father to son, and generation to
generation Al Bethlehem, they saw
the city gate shut, and the guard pacing
his round, watching against the attacks
OF wandering hordes Of Bedouins. On
the Mount of Olives, whence Christ as
cended, they saw the lurking enemies Of
the peace Of Jerusalem, who but few
weeks ago carried away into captivity
theinha abitants of Beitin, which is Bethel,
where Jacob slept and saw the vision Of
the angels. Unutterably sad would be
the song of the stars, had they given it
utterance last night as they looked down
on the Holy Land. Perhsps some arch
angels, who Joined in that old song Of
peace, never since heard on earthly
plains, perhaps some such attended the
stars last night on their swift circuit, and
| knowing that from Jerusalem the relig
ion of Christ was westward, thought to
find in that direction evidence that the
blessing of Bethlehem had not wholly
departed from the men to whom it had
been given. But, alas, the angel found
the nations Of Europe resting on their
arms, and ready for battle. Poland lay
under the starlight last night, not sleep
ing but writhing in the agony Of her
daughters, the tortures of her strong
men, while Denmark, Austria, and all
Germany were making ready for war.
France, reckless and careless France,
that can dance or sleep always, slept
dreaming Of conquest in Mexico.
The stars passed on over the Allan.
tic, lighted here and there with blazing
ships.
On the western shores they found
country, unknown to the wise men who
came to Bethlehem when Christ was
born, country calling itself Christian,
with abundant spires pointing heaven
ward, and lifting shining crosses into
the silver light of the birth night.
What found the stars in our land? A
hundred thousand graves, fresh graves |
hundred thousand men shattered and
torn, unfit for the ordinary labors Of
life as many moro lying in hospitals,
moaning in pain, tossing in anguish
here and there, all over the land men
that fell in battle yesterday, one here,
one there, dozen here, score there,
lying unburied on the cold ground with
their pale and ghastly faces upturned
towards the heavens. And all the land |
from ocean to ocean, restless, sleepicss,
or dreaming wild dreams; mothers mourn
ing their sons absent or dead, sons cry
sng in the death agony for the beloved |
presence Of mothers, sad faces, calm in
sleep, but stained with tears, and yet wei
with tears that escape even from sleep. |