National Republican., 1886-12-25
A CHRIS TMAs GREETING.
TIE NEW WORLD TO THE OLD.

20 laire pulc6ra, EIiid pulchrior"
HOrdtiis OiTmend I, rVi, l.
Poor pagan Puck when Shakespeare
His fairy dreams Of mild midsummer
Dreamed better than he saw or seemed
To know of natures latest conner
Forsooth his lore was little worth,
=, When maids first learned TO play on spinets,
He'd put girdle round the earth;'
For Oberon, ''in forty minutes"
Lol we who sit by iirelight dim
And ponder DER the wondrous stOry,
How angels sang their Heav'n.taught hymn
And shepherds sought the Lord OF Glory,
May sec the wide world girdled round
BY one swin spark its mission winging,
To wrap the earth with sacred sound
And set the chimes of Christmas ringing,
Veil, LIBERTY, thy torch Of light
That flames across the and-looked harbor
To them that toll, by day or night,
By snowy steepo or sunny arbor,
For 10 THE CHRIST CHILD sets 1t free,
The world wherein He loved TO linger,
And presses on the golden key
OF Hope with one dear dimpled finger
Ring joy.bells, ring the Christmas chime,
Where Trinity, with lofty steeple,
A triumph Of the olden time,
Scars DER million peerless people
Ring happy bells from London town;
Ope, bell of Bow, your lips of bistre,
Speak, Charleston; tune thy tongues OF brown
bLOut bOSlOut nun blstoNl
Ring out, ring out from banks OF Lea,
From Shandon bells Christmas dltty,
Prout praised the tongues from sea TO sea
Cork sent to cheer our Crescent Cityl
Peal. peal from far st. Lawrence tide
In "Embro Toun" the belfries quiyer,
While Yale swings out her echoes wide
To Oxford shrines by Isis river
III.
Ali was II that calm star we saw
Through yonder windows deep embrasure,
When ewes slow shadows gan to draw,
Come climbing up its arch Of azure
Not Mars, nor Venus, nor the rest,
But Hesper; soaring calm and slowly
To lead the shepherds from tho west
With gifts TO glad the nurseling Holy2
In distant olimes no starlit skies
Arch DER the spot where stood the stable,
And Bethlehem all sweltering lies
In glare of heat inhospitable:
But eyes nnointed, gazing through
The mists that make our earthly leaven,
May see II crown its arch OF blue,
A brilliant on the breast Of heavenl
Speak soft. speak soft. with trembling lips;
While all around are sweetly sleeping
Yon white cloud, heavens own ensign, dips
TO angel forms their vgils keeping.
The Baby Christ Is softly knocking;
Who blest the lids that lightly lie
A-dream beneath the baby's stocking.
Beaius sal ay, blest be God,
Who laid The Babe in lowly manger,
To lead us DER the sacred sod
By sweet hands Of the tiny stranger.
| BtdR tunti thrice blest are they
Who wake beneath the wintry weather,
| Lured by no human hand to stray,
But with the Christ Child walk together.
Sing soft, sing soft, all tongues are besty '
| or Saxon strong or liquid Latin;
| Coon WILL TO MEN from East to West
Rise vesper hymn or morning matin;
|
o, hearts that shink from mans expressing,
| Kneel, kneel, and trust that tender touch,
Ills baby hands are raised in blessingl
| w.
| Peal forth from lofty Notre Dame
Above the proud Partisan city,
| While priests still chant the stately psalm,
| The seasons psalm of peace and pity;
| Ring out from Berlin and from Berne,
From Rome and Milan and Vienna;
| While Madrid answers bleak Lucerne
Outburst the bells of old Siennal
Ring, ringers by blue Danube's wave,
While echoes DER the Indus quiver;
| Peal, Stanley, let the notes float brave
Across the Congos rapid river
| Ring out, ring out the Christmas chime
To tell the CHRIST CHILDs sacred story,
| While as one man, this golden time,
The wide world greets the King OF Glory!
WASHINGTON, D. @. EDWARD RENAUD.