Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-01-14
Beips concert, Wednesday, night. Jan. Is.
r,~.ason anain ta.ni1ht. Iickeia

,Inhp Thompson again tonight. Ilcke"
at the postofice.
The ladies' of the Episcopal church will
give . ys,.ntine party 1T tbs opera house,
Monday evening, Februsry Is The princi-
ma, fe.tur. of the occasion will
h. the sale and serding Of VAL
,ntipss.. . proiuston OF which will be pro-
vi.,ed. Refreshments will be served, and
nothing left undone 10 render the OCCASION
4 pleasant one. Tbs proceeds are to DO de-
voted 10 church work.
Ths writer. sons four Or i've years aks,
revived 10 Lexington the custom, when nse
fallen into disuss, Of ringing the OLD year
out asd the nsw year in. 1t has ever sines
then bean observed. aud always with salts
f.ction to the peopls, until the last time.
The I%ntelizencer having again suEEe'tea IL
on tas mere rscsnt occasion 1t has esen
brought to tesk by several OF the Dsmosrs OF
two OF the churches a. having caused some
disgracsrnl scenes. or ssnrse Ne enc has
blamed us Tor these misioinxs, but IN view
OF all tbs facts 1t has bean thought our duty
to condemn the ansesmly conduct Of the DELL
ringers. The custom OIL ringing the oio
year out and the new one In II q very OH
and q very beautiful one. In many lands ans
In many churches 1t Is accompanied BY vigil
and prayer. 1t typ,1ss the death In ifs.
the life in death which IL taught IN Inc
CHRISTIANS belief. 1t emphasizes In the heart
the ieetiug character Of time, and lnprss-
! sss us with the awfulness OF eternity. 1t
awakeps ID tine one sad, and IN the otssr
pleasant memories, and 10 nearly all. thanks
TO the wiss precautlon Of an sver WstehIui
Providence, 1t suggests hope tor the future.
I. Is altogether . pretty thing. Being pos
slbls only. by the use Of the bells whie1 call
a people to the worship Of their Creator, 1t
must bring even to the worldly mind . ssnti-
ment of that religion which makes kin Of
all mankInd-the dssthlsss hope OF inmor'
tally. 1t sugKssts a thousand worthy
thoughts. and with the poet We may sl sx.
ella n -
Ring out the grief hat saps the mind.
sing out the feud of rich and poor.
Ring In redress to all mankind.
Ring out falss pride in place and blood.
Tee civic SANDER and the spite;
King in the love Of truth and right.
Ring in tho common love OF EO0o.
Ring in the valiant mau and free,
The larger heart, the kIndlier hand;
k;rs out the darkness oil the land.
RriDg in the ChTist that 10 to be.
| With such thoughts As THESE and the love
the soft music OF the bells ~ 1t IL waited
hill aud valley on the midnis hit air, the
,.:...cg o. the bells becomes. like the
! Aohtmnedan's muszzln, , call to prayer,
and IL In itself y tribute to the beautiful.
! But Cur pencil runs on. The demand fer
this article Is anything hut poetry or GOOD.
The young men Tor old men We do not
know who thsy were) who rang the bells
New Years morning disgrsced tnemselves
and the occasion. They not only entered
the Christian and Methodist churches with.
out permIss!on, which could hsve been OBJ
tanned for the asking, but they dssecratsd
these hUuses OF worship by whisky drink
ing, leaving their bottles upon one OF tbs
pulpits and elewl.re about the houses, In
jurei tue windows by which they entered,
iitterSd and dirtied up the churches. and
rang :hs bells ;or an unreasonable length o.
timo. Why Is It, and how 10 1t, that some
men CONCEIVE TINT there is no pleasure with
out drink? 1t IL q mistake. And it 10 worss
very far worse than . mistake to obtrud'
With drunkenness and revslry into . chursl
dedicated to the service and worship of Al
mighty Col. The veriest Atheist, lngsrsol
himself, who is ny many thought to be tn
anti-Chris.. would scorn to thus make llgh
of and trampls upon tbs best feelings Of bill
fsllow-man. Doubtiess those who did thl
thing were not Atheists or atssslisvsrs In
God, but they were irrsverent, forgsttul an
blasphemous. Let Us hope that they rsgrs
their acts, sne thst thess may never sgail
recur to mar or cause to be abolished . beau
,ifuI and net Improbable custom.