Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1881-12-23
4 HE SEN TIN Ell
Friday Morning. December %, 1888
ROCKVILLE. MI

49, ROCK WILLIE, MD
Friday Morning. December %, 1881.
Il CHRLSTMAS.
The gracious Christmas season is again
upon us, and high and low, rich and poor,
one with another, all who in this wide Christ
endom own the power ofthe babe Of Bethle-
hem are hidden once more to rejoice at His
birth. The strifes of the world are sus-
pended for day; the passions Of men are
stilled for a brief space. We pause from
work and struggle to commemorate the
greatest event in the history of the race, and
to mediate for brief while upon the les
sons it teaches. And it is good for us that
this pause should be made. Our lives are
too busy and troubled, we live too fast and
too hard; life is so serious a thing to most
of us that there is but little room left in it
for rest or repose; and it is well that now
and then we shout Ne compelled to put
aside our cares and Md our labors, and
listen to the old stol Rich angels lis
tened with awed and parts.
All men in Christia keep Christ
~ No matter Dat differences of
I've opinion may divide them, no
hat opposing views they may hold
points deemed essential TO saliva
patter how little in their daily lives
exemplify the truths which Christ
oh, yet one and all consent and
d the feast which commentaries
eAday ct leae., siss -gkolr
world is made kin and rejoices together.
Many, doubtless, keep the festival with but
little thought or care for the lessons that it
ought to teach. For many it is only an ex-
cuse for idleness and an occasion for dissipa-
ton, but, perhaps, even for them the holy
influence ofthe day is not entirely lost, and
some portion Of good may come to them by
ways unforeseen and unprecedented. We
would fain hope, at least, that 1t may be SO /;
that the most careless mirth of the day may
have in it something of the conservation that
the season brings.
We cannot share "the enthusiasm of hui
mainly" without being the better for it.
Everything that breaks down the feeling of
isolation and separation in the human heart,
that tends to teach men their fellowship
with men, that leads TO union and brother
hood and peace in social order, every such
thing is great and real good. And this is
one of the most beautiful and touching les
sons Of the joyous Christmas time. The
peace and good will which He who came
TO earth nearly two thousand years ago
brought with Him were meant for ALL And
any living act which tends to assuage anger
and heal dissension and reconcile strife helps
forward the hour of His final triumph,
when the peace of God shall cover the earth
as the waters cover the sea.
1t is our duty to be happy at Christmas.
To many of us, no doubt, the effort will be
weary work We have heavy burdens to
carry-burdens which it is not easy to shift
to the shoulders of yesterday, or even to
those Of tomorrow. There are secret sor-
rows which gnaw the heart, there are doubts
and perplexities which disturb the mind,
there are real practical difficulties which
it must tax all the energies to meet And
such companions as these will not away at
our bidding-wil not leave Us at rest even
for this one day; they are imperously an
noying and intrusive, and haunt even our
seemingly most careless moments. But
they are not, after all, our only companions
We have joys and consultations if we will
only turn TO them; and if we are as willing
as the poet has said, to own our compensa-
tons as we are to own our griefs, we would
find life brighter thing in every way.
So let the bells ring out, let the chimes
resound, let the organ lead and answer the
melody of pious hearts. From the altar of
church and the shrine of home and the
holy of holes in every soul let the rising
influences of reverence and rapture proceed
Let the children make holiday and rounde-
lay. Let the rich and the poor meet TO-
gether TO hail the Lord who is the maker Of
them all. On earth good will, to men peace,
was the song Of the angels 10 the shepherds.
mat soLg is the music of the spheres. 1t
was started when the morning stars sang to.
gether and when all the sons of God shouted
for joy, as the earth sprang from nothing into
beauty. 1t is now the song of Christ
mas time, and its strains should find an
echo alike in the love and laughter of us all.
merry Christmas to the friends and
patrons of the SENTINEL, and to their little
ones, and may they live long and prosper.
Mayor Whyte advises his friends to go
into caucus with the Democratic members
OF the two Houses of the Maryland Legisla-
ture, but exact promise before entering
that nothing beyond the nomination of the
officers Of the two Houses shall take place,
Mr. Whyte is y statesman and Democrat.
He knows that the interests of the country
are best subserved by Democratic measures
and that they can only be executed by II
Democratic party intact He is standing
between what is known as the German and
Hamilton wings, where he can calmly and
quietly view the situation without personal
bias, and his influence will be blended with
the former to maintain the party and dis.
courage the dissensionist, which Mr.. Haml-
ton is generally considered by those who
: have tealty to party. This position is
Iaken for another reason, that is, Mr.. Whyte
says, TO separate public measures from per.
sonal politics by passing necessary laws first
and then electing state treasurer and police
commissioner afterwards.
>-s.~
A sudden and unexpected stoppage oc-
CURED Monday morning in the Guiteau trial
caused by the death of Mrs. Hobbs, wife of
one of the jurymen. Judge Cox, with the
consent of the opposing counsel and the
prisoner, gave Mr.. Hobbs liberty to attend
the funeral obsequies Of his wife without
the guardianship Of a hailif. Court was