Semi-weekly south Kentuckian., 1886-12-31
The Message Ofthe Christmas Tide.

prime, and over signing
woodlands, rich with autumnal tints,
The guardian Spirit of the year has
and now, as she sees stern
winter wearing his mantle of snow
clouds and feels the frozen breath of
the frost-king upon her withered
cheek, before her trembling voice is
hushed in eternal silence she bids us
turn from the clamorous cares and
snarling troubles which have dogged
our footsteps each hour of her brief
reign, that we may celebrate with all
honor and in all gladness, that far-of
time when the Heavenly Babe,
IAN meanly wrapped, in the rude manger
lay"
There are some, who having found
life a bitter fruit without flavor or
sweetness, and having permitted the
corroding poison of malice and dis
content to cat out all that was origi-
nally good in their natures, would
fain rob us of this, the most joyous
festival in the calendar of the Church !;
or failing in that, would weaken our
faith therein or destroy all those hal
lowed associations which cluster
around it as the natal season of our
Lord. But the arguments of these
ruthless iconoclasts, the vapid reason
ing Of these sneering skeptics, who
hate everything that is beautiful and
distrust everything that is good, fall
on needless ears, for we still cling
with all the firmness of loyal faith
to the privileges, the joys, the obser-
vances of the holy and happy Christ
mas tide.
Indeed there seems magic power
in its very name. Despite the fact it
comes when the days are the coolest
and darkest and shortest, it is invest
ed with a beauty and a brightness
unknown even TO the sunny flower
wreathed hours of laughing summer.
A fountain Of joy seems to gush forth
in every heart; childhood revels in a
world of fairy visions; the old catch
the spirit of happiness and are young
once more; the silent man becomes
garrulous, the morose grows gay and
pleasing; the frozen heart of the self
ish is thawed by the genial influences
around him, the generous soul fairly
overilows. 1t is tie time when PEN
serosa abdicates in favor of fair sister
Allegro; the time for laughter, for
song, for festal cheer; and it is well.
But while joy bells chime in the
watch-tower of every heart, let us
turn from their merry music to listen
to that glad evaugcl which comes
echoing down the ages, that divine
message which brought to the awe
struck shepherds on that distant Ju.
dean plain, the promise of the worlds
deliverance, the fulfillment of hu-
manity's yearning hopes. l love to
contemplate that scene; | love to
think, that though it might have been
for few moments only, yet once the
heavenly gates "on golden hinges
turning" stood open wide, and to
human ears came some faint ripple'
of the sea of harmony which flows
around the throne of God; human
eyes were permitted to catch q
glimpse of the beauty and brightness
which fills the palace Of Our King
"Glory7 to God in the highest" sans
the star r-crowned choir, "and on cartl
peace and good will toward men =
Dear friends, cannot this sweetes
anthem wake responsive music il
our hearts tonight? Cannot we take
up there frain which comes so grand!
praling down the "long-drawn aisle o
nineteen hundred years?" Peace or
earth !! Aye, verify, let there be peace
Bicker, ifyou must, o Oquerelons soul
at other times, but now, let you
tongue drop honey, rather than vine
gar and gall. Hate, if you canno
help il, o scowling misanthope
some future day, but now while W
rejoice over our Emmanuel, God wit
us, let love, favored minister of on
gracious Lord, open wide your spirit
portals, that the blessed sunshine O
his presence may illumine the chile,
and gloomy recesses of your close
barred heart. Goodwill toward men
fitting finale to this matchless sym
phony! But shall this goodwill fin
no expression? What profits
though the heart be full of generou
impulses, if the hands be slow to fu'
fill them? What matters it how muc
we feel, if we do not act? Give give
is the lesson of the hour. Not by luz
urious indulgence, not by the gra
ification of aesthetic tastes, do we a
rive at and apply the true meaning (
Our Lords birthday message. Ratl
er should the overflow of our lardeI
; bless the dwellings of the starvir
; poor, and the glow of our yule-tit
: fires light up the dark and dreal
, abodes of misery and want. "Tl
: poor, ye have always with YOU" sal
Incarnate Love, and at this time
feasting and abundance, let them u
a be forgotten. "But oh!" says on
81 am poor myself; l can give not
ing. My heart is full, but look ho
empty are my hands" But is it tru
. despondent friend, that you can gi'
d nothing? Thank God! the best gil
d cannot be purchased with bank not
= or coined at the mint, If unlike Il
|, worshiping magicians, you can bril-
no treasured gold to lay in humt
Offering at the feet Of the Infa
Christ, you can bring the franki
" cense of grateful praise the myrrh
l. loving service. And how better Ct
70 you serve Him than by ministeril