Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-12-23
ATExANDRTA GAZETTE AND VIRGINIA ADVERTISER.

Almost nineteep centuries have passed since
the enraptured ears of the shepherds caug't
the angelic chorus which proclaimed 'Gloly
to God 10 the highest, aud peace on Garth, to
men of good will - yet the sublime strain has
not died away, for the ages, as they rolled on,
have borne its echo to US, as they will bear IT
to the latest generations. Empires have risen,
hourisbed, aud fallen; dynasty has succeeded
dynasty; yet the celestial harmony has contln.
urd to charm, aud the nations have yielded to
It's beuigo influence. From the hills of Beth
lebem ii resounded, and the mistress OF the
world heard it as she sa, upon her seven hills;
the Vandal and the Goth. while they laid her
glory 10 the dust, gave ear to it, and the traok
and the Norman, the Saxon and the Celt all
owned it's magic power. With Columbus 1t
crossed the mighty ocean, and the newly
formed continent re.echoed it to the old. The
heatbenish revels which almost drowned its
sacred melody, and the Puritauical fauaticisn
which strove to repress it, alike persisted, and
it still sounds, loud aod clear, to gladdeo the
hearts of men. Ere to-morrow's sun shall
cast his last beams upon our land, Bethlehem
again will send forth its sweet notes, and
Greece, and Italy, and Spain, will repeat
them, until their full volume shall break the
silence of the Atlantic aud its mighty waves
shall roll upon our shores the gladstone an
| them; to be repeated TO the isles Of the broad
Pacific, and to the spicy lands beyond it, until
its notes shall have awakened a slumberlng
world.
Christmas! Whs. associations does that
word bear with it? What volumes of past joys
| does il uot open TO our view? From our ear
Hest years, when Kriss Kr,ugle was a being
| whose existence it was worse than lnhdellty to
| doubt, aud when the conteots OF our stockings
made US supremacy happy, through the care
less days of boyhood aud youth, to the child
| hood of our children 10 which our own child
hood seemed renewed, how many sweet recol-
I~ectious does memory bring to us. Even the
sorrows and trials OF the past seem softened as
we think upon them, and the forms OF those
whom death has claimed appear radiant before
US. Ipstructively, We put away all that is
harassipg ADD disagreeable. and strive to th'uk
| only of the things that are Of cur peace.
Let us thank God that this is so, aud lei US
strive to show our thank!ulness by our deeds.
Let the ~ceaseless turmoil of politics be, for a
little while. DO more; let us leave wars and ru
mors of wars to the future, aud let that blessed
spot, our home, be, for one brief season, a 1T
| tie paradise. Let US shut fast its doors against
every care, aud with our families and fricods
| enjoy the blessings which God has bestowed
upon US. Yet, while We do this, let US not
| forget that there are some who canuot shut
out waut aud misery; that sufforing, perhaps
death, is desolaliug macy a once happy home
Let US strive to alleviate the distress which a
little from our abundance can turn into reiolc'
iug; let US wipe away the tear and bind up the
broken spirit, and if there be sorrows which
human power may not avail to remove, let our
sympathy, at least, strive to alleviate them.