The Portland daily press., 1883-12-25


it walks beside Him, on the errands of daily
life, the poorest of His children. This is
what the streets are for; they divide moth
ing, they are not beautiful for the one, and
useful for the other. In the streets of Par
adise all men walk together, no man asks
aims, no man gives gifts, but the highways
are for the feet of all, for the going to and
fro of the workers. They are none too SPLEEN
did for the busy, they are never unused by
the fortunate. Happy he whose work it is
to make smooth the uneven paths of the
helpless. Happy he who sees the white
ships set sail to gather this gold, who
watches it wrung from the grasping earth
to do this service. o happy Christmas
time, when the strong, busy world shall toll
and strive to bring golden gifts to the Child
in our midst, where the pride of life shall
spread soft comfort and seek pleasant ways
for His feet, and splendor shall be added I'M
to splendor for the glory of his name! Then
shall Christmas days be merry days, in
deed.
Let us bring gifts of frankincense to
the Babe of Bethlehem. Let us this once
remember that neither the abundance of
our possessions, nor even the bread that fills
our daily needs, is all of life. Let us re-,
mind ourselves that not for here and now
are we living. The anthems ring louder in
our ears than the carols. 1t is small com
fort to be merry if there is noNh here any
help for the wrong; it is mockery to be glad
ii there is no more any hope; it is folly to
fight with the beasts that beset us, if we
gain out of their hungry jaws but brief
respite and a useless chance. This little
Babe-let us bring Him gifts of worship Let
us bow down with all the weight of the
world and all the burden of life, heartsck
and bewildered, and neutrality-suspicious. wis
dom, nor power, nor yet justice and right
eousness; but child. God with us, the
Emanuel of the heart of the world, and yet
child. Let us gladly bring gifts of franklin
cense, for life is other than all our aspira-
ton for ourselves, it is greater than all our
service to our brother. Gain and opportu-
nifty and service are not the sum of tits
outlook is even unto the heavenly hills, its
in heaven, as in earth, is named. We are
glad at Christmas time for we know whore
we may find Him. The uttermost parts of
the earth, and time and space and thought
will not disclose Him, but we may bring
gifts to the Child at Bethlehem. Surely
Christmas days are happy days.
Let us bring to the feet of the holy Babe.
the bitter gift of myrrh. Let us make the
offering complete. Let the gift of life also
be Ills, at the blessed Christmas time: the
life that is laid on the altar of sacrifice. that
is spent in the burnt offering of service, that
counts no labor bard, that sees no danger.
Let us bring unto him the patient enduring.
the persistent working, the forgetting of
self, the strong conflict with evil. the hard
light with the powers of this world; ave
more, let us SO give up the life that we shall
no more take it again. Let us find
I'm pain the jewel of His joy''
Let the cross of self-renunciation be twined
of the myrrh we bring So in suffering we i
shall learn the secret of help. So through /,
tears we shall gain the wide-reaching dover
OF sympathy So by our sorrow we shall be
lifted up into the power of blessing. Let us
bring offerings, even of myrrh, on the Christ
mas tide, sorrow, struggle and labor, so that
we may learn the Christmas lesson of the
gift of ourselves. So shall these be holy
DAYS.
Gifts the kings of olden time brought unto
the holy Babe, the homage due monarch,
thesreverence OF priest, the sad symbol of
manhood Let us also bring possessions,
faith and labor: all the word counts gain
and glory, all the hope of our heart, the
question of our brain, all we can give of our
selves, without thought of cost, to the feet
of the Babe of Bethlehem.
Let us also bring gifts to the Child Jesus.
gold, frankincense and myrrh.