Dodge City times., 1888-12-20

Lodge on last Monday evening at theil
regular meeting.
CHRISTMAS.
1t is almost here again. The fight OF
eighteen hundred and eighty eight has
not made it old Untouched by care, its
parental freshness is perpetual chal
lenge to cheerfulness, fraternity and JOY.
1t is a time for feast of reason and u
flow of soul 1t is time to receive and
give pleasure in that benevolent spirit OF
true brotherhood Life with all its du-
ties, tolls and cares glides swiftly away;
its lines should not be run cOnfusedly
together. There should be stops to so
divide it as to bring out its sense, its
rhetorical points. its graceful figures and
its brilliant lines Thus the latent forces
come forth-the tender sympathies, the
eloquent expressions Of kindly acts that
break the power of selfishness and ena-
BILE our being, We are but children OF
larger growth. still dependent upon one
anOther-some strong, relatively, some
weak: vet the strongest is absolutely
weak. and charity should be lesson to
the grandest minds and purest hearts
not alone that comparatively lnslgnlh-
cant charity which gives aims, but intel
lectual, moral. social and religious char
ity. which comprehends the many name
Bile and nameless relations and reciprocal
duties among mankind, which lift our
natures, aims and hopes beyond the
sphere of mere animal instincts and graf
ification, and seeks the empyrean lights
of the souls Immortality. To seek to
live within and OF ourselves is a most
beggarly conception Of human oppOrtu-
nifty, responsibility and destiny. We
should think much more than we do Of
home-we may make others happy.
Think of Christ and christianity in the
fullness of its perfection. Christ went
about doing good then, let the magnetism
of his noble charity enter our minds that
his natal day may find a just recognition
and that the habitations of men may be-
come picture, if but dim one, of that
peace on earth, good will toward men"
that will make the morning stars sing
together and all the sons of God shout
for joy.
Think of the precepts and examples Of
Christ in their true significance. and let
our hearts be free from the influence of
cold conventionalities. and be imbued
with something of divine inspiration.
Such is the occasion and opportunity
before this Christmas; then may we be
not unmindful of the responsibility. The
little children will, in their inmOst ex-
pectatiOns, look for beautiful gifts from
the mysterious Santa Claus Then may
we older ones strive to be worthy Of the
blessings of the Great Author of our be.
ing on whose bounty the rich and the
poor alike are constant pensioners. Then
may we all as brothers and fellOw-work-
men this Christmas strive to make all
within the circle of our influence happy,
and take new courage for improving the
time left this side of the mystic vale.
The record for 1888 is nearly made up.
Good or bad. the period must be made
and the volume closed-time and tide
wait for no man Without periods of
reckoning we can scarcely have proper
ideas of how we have acquitted ourselves
in the shoal of life We are liable to for
get how many black marks have justly
been put down against us, how defective
our knowledge, how many golden mo-
ments we have idly squandered as we
have drifted through another year. Then
has our advancement been commensurate
with our time and opportunity? 1t must
be progression or retrogressiOn. There
is nothing stationary. Motion is the law
of existence If retrOgressiOn reverse
the action change the motive power now
Let not the mistakes of 1888 be repeated
in 1899; we should become wiser ant
better each succeeding year Pick out
the errors of 1888 and resolve that 1885
shall not he marred by them. Wher
once a firm resolve is made then half thu
battle is over There is much more il
| resolution than many think. How aston
ingly firm exercise of the vii
power dissipatcs difficulties, overcome!
obstacles apparently insurmountable
and achieves great victories physically
| mentally and morally, To say l will
with the full consent of heart and min(
| is to snap asunder strong bands, is t.
throw off heavy burdens. is to dispel
| dark clouds and open up in e1ulgen
light the way of duty. manhood. liberty
and the charming successive blossoms o
the flowers and fruits of the tree, tn
beautiful and the good along the way
side of life Whatever may be claimed
on the score of good and bad luck, ou
lives are to a great extent what We MAKE
them. To seek true, rational life il
noble aim. 1t involves action, physical
| mental and moral. The beast Of the fell
ever looks down down toward the earth
then may we as an order bound togethe
by the ties of brotherhood look upwart
toward the stars and endeavor to reach
higher plane of existence.