Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-01-15
Mr.. Anferso,,,s Column.
Afterthouphta.

they may be sanctifed and made sources OF
Joy rather than regret, when we shall stand on
the eve Of another Christmas. 7
We have come out of the holidays with our
heads clearer than our ancestors Of 300 years
ago used TO find theirs after spending the days
in drinking and eating immoderately Eight
days OF the time lat least) were spent In united
prayer with the rest of the Christian world
But what have we learned of these twelve
days 2 What is the outcome OF the time 10
Its marks on our minds and hearts
When ask this, do not mean us to Chris
Gan effects-of that speak more fully in the
pulpit ;--but for all-the religious and irrelg-
ious mass together. No doubt some will look
back on this time, for all their lives, as the sea-
son which witnessed their start for higher
Christian life,-but some dom n't-and these
need to have taken In some result of the holi-
days, which shall make them better. / wish
In my heart that all had the sweet Gospel
hope.
Now the fact of II Is, every event OF our lives
makes an impression on us,-whether we will
or not land that impression shows out through
our subsequent lives, for good or bad. AS So
cety is made up of men, and women, and child
ren, who are equally dependent on each other
for happiness,-and as no one is without part
in that great social work of making happy, we
need to look to II that we are fitting ourselves
to do well that part which is for US to do.
The lesson which the Christmas holidays
teach us, seems 10 tend directly toward that
All through those days people made 1t point
to strive for each others happiness. The sa-
lutte was wish for happiness for the year
Houses were opened, and larders, and purses,
and hearts. Great dinners, and suppers, and
parties, were the order of the day. Each was
trying TO- make his fellow happy.
Now ii is to make the opening characters
tic of the year perpetual for the year. We
have been getting used to being very kind for
a fortnight, (not that it was the first of our
kindness,) let us improve on this fortnight for
the next twelve-month.
No names come To us with better fragrance
than those who have been thus kind to others.
John Kyrlc, whom Pope has made SO dear to
us as "The man of Ross" kept the market day
and Sunday us days tor feasting the poor. AT
those times he would settle any disputes they
might have, and sent them home loaded with
good things for their families He employed a
great many old men In planting trees and 9TH
er work which would not tax them too much,
and fed them at his own table. When he died
the poor were incoDsolable. Edward, the third
Earl of Derby, in the reign of Elizabeth. for
twelve years fed twice a day, upwards of six
| ty poor people, and three times week, TO all
who would come, besides furnishing on Good
Friday, nearly 5000 people with meat, drink
and money. Barnard Gilpin, rector of Hough-
ton-le-Spring, in the reign. of Mary and Eliza
beth, on living .of e40O year, kept open
house the year round, and welcomed all who
came.
Set such instances over against the rich re-
pasts made only for the wealthy, and how
grand they become. In 1904 Edward Russel
who was Captain General of the English forces
in the Mediterranean, made the fountain in his
| garden bowl for punch. 1t is thus described
I'm the fountain were the following ingredi.
ents -four hogsheads of brandy, eight hogs
heads of water, $4,000 lemons, twenty gallons
of lime-juice, thirteen cwt of fine Lisbon sugar
five pounds of grated nutmess, 800 toasted bis
cults, and q pipe of Mt Malaga. Over the
fountain was large canopy TO keep off tht
rain and there was built on purpose little
boat, in which was boy belonging to the fleet
who rowed around the fountain, and filled
cups for the company, who exceeded six thou
sand"
But here, in either case, is the munificenc'
that comes of ample means. Yet 1t does no
alter the fact that these men were doing tht
| tl,af ;,,a tlo;
ability. And the giving these illustrations
from among the wealthy makes the way fol
me to remind you that kindness is just n.
much kindness, great or small, SO it como!
up to ones ability.
The blessing comes from the heart, and tha
makes ii of value. You can conceive of sucl
a thing as receiving favor from person tina
would make you want to knock him down.
The smallest gift may warm up ones heart, i
the heart comes with it. That gift may be il
a word, or handpressure, or a look land |
may be worth more than any money estimate
After all, this makes the kind of glory on,
wants for his life's work. Motley says tina
when Will am of Orange died, little childrcl
cried in the streets. Could any mausoleun
that could be erected over Nero, or Caligula
or Williams enemy, Phillip, equal that? Wha
thing has New York heard that told more 70
man than the boot-blacks' cry of "a shine 70
Greeley" With whom would Paul du Chaill
change places in the love of the children p
Put such man as Ralph Wells, or the sainte
: Pardee over against the richest, or the mos
powerful man in the country, for satisfactor
+ liie-wOrk. IIf.fIlI f."'
He that can dry the eyes of a weeping chilli
or can bring a smile TO the sorrow s,ricke
widow or mother, or who can help up dowI
trodden or fallen fellow man ,~-whether it is
: the gift of money, or influence, or sympath.
or love,-what shall prevent his reward 10
4 who shall undertake to measure, or assert
0 quality to his gift, SO II answers the purpose.
D If the out-grow III of the Christmas holiday
: to you and me may be such as this,--that f
1 the year, even though in a humble way, we
: try and help some one to higher style of haI
; piness, we may be sure of Happy New Yea
J. This gives q current to our reflections on IL
! ultimate outcome of years. One day we sha
i come to the end. and then our memories of Ii
: will have taken shape to allure or TO scare