The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-12-25
Christmas Message.
1t was Christmas eve.

1t was Christmas eve.
The streets were full of people all
rushing homeward with packages in
their hands; some were carrying turk
eys tied up in paper parcels. their fierce
feet sticking out like weapons of de-
Tense. One man had little rocking
horse, and another a drum, while wO-
man toiled along with a go-csrt big
enough for her crippled boy, and two
little girls carried high-chair between
them. They were going to have it at
the breakfast table in the morning for
their beautiful baby.
One whole family, mother. father and
children, were hurrying up the avenue
with their arms loaded full. They were
all little anxious.
"Grandpa will be SO lonesome, the
children said.
II expected to be ut home an hour
sooner" the mother said. IL know
Christmas eve must be q lonely time
for father. I'm sure it used to be for
me after poor Sam was gone"
Turkey tomorrow" chimed in the
in small forest of celery he was car
rying.
saU IAN, plum puddin' an'-an' cram
berry sauce" echoed his little sister.
'.rve got grandpa's present." said
Rob. the 'big brother" of nine years.
Hell be 1ookin' out'n the window
an sayin' what keeps them childer so
long" said his little pet, Barbara.
Hell be SO lonely" sighed his
daughter, hurrying the group as she
spoke.
Was grandpa lonely-let US see.
He was an old, old man, with thin,
shrunken cheeks, back bowed by
care and trouble and with long, float
ing locks of hnt-white hair that was as
fine as silk. He had drawn his arm
chair in front of the window so that ne
could see the children" when they
came across under the street lamp,
which was lighted SO early that il
shone like taper in the yellow anC
red atmosphere of setting sun
and a young moon blended with the
fading daylight. The old man fxeC
his eyes on the struggling light, but
they wavered from that and sough
the sky, where
In the dim and distant ether
The first star was shining through,
And another and another
Trembled softly in the blue.
Soon he had unseen company, anC
was no longer lonely. A sweet, young
face, radient with the bloom of immor
| tality, and that light which never wa
| on sea or land, came close to his, apC
he could feel the very thrill of her kisse
| on his dull cheek. Then she brough
him their first-born, that lovely babe
his first and only son. Then two chill
dren were at his knee, and the youns
mother lay with sweet smile on he
lips, where the weary are at rest Blu
lie only saw his boy-his dear. dea
boy-now a merry youth-then the hel
met of soldier shading his frank, blu
eyes-then q soldiers record, promo
motion the epaulets of brave officer
and so proud to wear them and hav
ing how ne fought this battle and wo
that, and what he meant to do whe
the war was over.
And they had unseen company
To make the spirit quail"
But they knew it not, and the prou
Young victor rode away to his death o
that dreadful battlefield from which
never returned.
The old man saw the troops in tn
sky, he saw their gay banners, he sa
his son-the General-proud, hanC
some, unspoiled by the admiration (
a world-he saw-ah, Heaven! he sa
him dying alone on the field of battl
and it was Christmas eve. No hand
give him even a drink of water, to raj:
that beloved head, to wipe the deaf
foam from the pallid lips, only the pit
less stars and the cold moon to no
his dying agonies!
But stay. HE shall give his ange
charge concerning thee" His peat
passeth all understanding. Who know
that he died alone? Who can der
that his young mother leaned over hi
and whispered words of sweetest cor
/ fort-that the pain and memory ar
longing of earth were not swallowed U
and forgotten in the foreshadowing
the bliss of Paradise.
The sky changed; the old man sa
only the tinted field of Heaven.
chime of bells rung out soft and clear
Light on thy hills. Jerusalem,
The Savior now is born
= But what is this? A little child aga
"a child with radiant brow, crcwn'
with a wreath of immortelles, and abo'
3 his head bright and shining star.
? "'1is the star that shines on Bethlehem,
Shines stin and shall not cease
r Grandpa, grandpa! Wake u
grandpa" cried the children.
''Dranpa, I've got sumthin' for GU
: said pet Barbara.
t Then the children all went crying
Q their mother and said they could n
d wake grandpa.