Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-25
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER %, 1889.
Christmas.

.Iikc circles widening round
4 pom clear b.ue river.
Orb after orb, the nitrous s0ua1
l. echoed GA forever;
Glory To God on high, On enrih bo peace
And love towards mcu Of lOy0-saiya'lnn ana
release
The festival Of festivals is again upon u
and the strains Of the hymn of promise
the celestial choir sang 10 the shepherds
nearly nineteen hundred years ago come
floating down through the corridors Of
time with an eyeT-incrcasing cadence to
find ioyous and comforting echo III mil
lions OF hearts.
And how shall we celebrate tho day (?
Christmas is religious festival, but reli-
gion is not confined to prayer and medita-
zion. Though hc was "a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief" he was the
Light of the world. The cxampls of His
life were love. charity, forgiveness; and
how often IN the inspired proclamations Of
HIS coming do We ind the notes OF glad
nos.
Yes. Christmas is a sea on for ioyou-ncss
n well az a season for prayer, season for
brightness rs well as q season for modlta-
tion. and season above all for the cxer-
cise IF that virtue IN which nearly all the
other virtues arecry stailizcd, charity
charity that makes others happy aud brings
e. the poor and needy, the gloomy and the
drspondont, the weak of faith, the slckand
suffering tins realization:
"Si,r unit, star speaks light, and world TO world
Rcpeats tho passago Of the universe
To God. tue name II Christine ono great
word
We'll w,rth oil languages in earth or Heaven
Christmas s. a season Of home gathering,
whom oft those VINO have for years ben
separated meet around the family board
and frcside. j. is season Of innocent
nirth for tho young and of memories for
The old. with some Of us the bitter
memory must be mingled with the sweet.
There are broken link, in the golden chain
and thorns ia the garland that connect us
with the past. There are vacant places at
the family al,ar. and there ~ n lUto that
has long been unswopt and "a harp that has
long been without strings in the house
hold. But Christmas is also season Of
hopc-a season that repeats the assurance
that beyond the Dark Valley radiance and
reunion are eternal. Let IL be remembered
that about IA are those who have drunk a.
deeply of the bitter chahce as have We,
and that there are few of us III whose
power it does not lie 70 Tighten the burden
of somo one else.
THOMAS A. KENuIs says: lie is truly
great that Is great in charity This Is a
noble truth; but n no less noble one is Al
DIsoN's definition that charity is a virtue
of the heart and not Of the hands, and
which places it within reach Of the poorest
and the humblcst 10 be great # his heart be
right. The rich. we are told. are the trus-
tees Of the Lord, so are the poor, and he
whoeiyes kind words out Of the abundance
81 his love is tho more faithful servant OF
the Master than he who gives gold ont Of
theabuudance Of hisprido. Then, however,
else we may observe the day let MS make a
record for true charity. and We viii not only
have rendered the world brighterfor others
and obeyed O Divine injunction typihed In
thelife Of the babe Of Bethlehem, but in tho
hearts of Che most downcast Of u5 " at eve
ming time 1t shall Toe light"