The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1864-01-22
MARINER oLrNGs TO rHiLAsT PLANK
BEL AIR. MD FRIDAY MbRNING,.

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to son, and generation to generation. ,;At
Bethlehem, they saw the city, gate shut,
and the guard pacing His found, watrhing
against the attacks of wandering hurdes df
Bedouins. On the I Mount III Olives,
whence Christ ascended; they saw the
lurking enemies of the peace of Jerusa-
Hem, who hut y few weeksago carried away
into captivity the inhabitants Of Beitin,
which is Bethel, where Jacob slept and
saw the vision of the angels. Unuttera-
bly, sud would be the song of the stars,
had they given it utterance last night as
they looked down on the Holy Land
Perhaps some archangels, who Joined in
thar old song Of peace, never since heard
on earthly plains, perhaps some such at!
tended the stars last night on their swift
lcircnit, and knowing that from Jerusa-
lem the religion Of Christ went westward,
thought tosfind in that direction evidence
that the blessings 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
sleeping but writhiug in the agony fher
daughters, the tortures of her strong msn,
while Denmark, Austria and all Germany
were making ready for war. France,
reckless aud careless France, that can
dance or sleep always, slept dreaming Of
CONQUEST in Mexico. 1@-1
The stars passed on over the Atlantic,
lighted here and there with blazing ships.
On. the Western shore they found
country unknown TO the wise men who
came to Bethlehem when Christ was born,
a country calling itself Christian, with
abundant spires pointing heavenward,
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 ordi-'
nary labors Of life; as many more lying in
hospitals, moaning in pain, tossing in am
iguish; here and there, all over the land,
men that fell in battle yesterday, one
here and one there, dozen here, and a
score there, lying unburied on the cold
ground, with pale faces set towards the
heavens. And all the land from oceanic
ocean, restless, sleepless, or dreaming wild
dreams; mothers mourning their sons abb
sent or dead, sons crying in the death
agony for the beloved presence of mothers,
sad faces, calm in sleep, but stained with
tears and yetwetwith tears that escapeeven
from sleeping eyes,with here and there
cold aud passionless. countenance of some
one to whom the war brings wealth and
power, and who does not weep, but sleeps
heavily, and wakes. to new plans of plum
der, needless ofsthe terrible realities of
the time. @"t nss o-H'. A -Aj '.ia.
= Good people this is what the stars and
the angels saw that night, as they went
round the world. 1t would not seem so
very strange if the stars refused TO shine
over, and angels to visit such u world %
Was this, then, what they meant when
theysang the song of Peace and Good will?
Not peace only, mark you, but good will!
Is this the Christmas that He meant we
should have in memory who sent His am
gels that night to Bethlehem? Think of
it! 1t is not disloyal to think Of it. 1T
may be disloyal, according to some mems
ways ofjudging, to talk kofit, but for this
dayaiwe will be loyal to the Prince of
Peace, and7if there is any one afraid to
continue that loyalty tomorrow, let him
60 and hide his head III shame. We do
not wish any man ior child to-day a mes-
ry Christmas. May you be happy all in
the future, and all have cause for bappi-
ness I Bot to-day God forbid that any /.
one in ALI broad land should havela
merTyA Christmas, while the men we love
the battlefield, and the angels
have gone bach to heaven to- tell the
Prince what they saw on the anniversary
night Of Hissblessed coming to redeem the
sons Of men from war and death. n ii-7i +,
JIMMY 0'NEIL.-When jackson was
presideI1f,n Jimmy (1iNasl the rortAr ,rhs