Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-12-05
Thoughts of a Day.

Thoughts Of Day.
To watch the movements of the stars,
even to those who have not made the
subject a study, can not but suggest in
Vulnerable thoughts, quiet thrillings,
mute instincts, which nevertheless dis
course volumes. You look and watch
the silent sentinels in their muffled
marches. The magnitude of the Uni
verse 0verwhelms you. You feel your
comparative smallness. Yet you feel
elevated, and larger, freer than at any
other time. Then watch the stars some
clear night this month. The planets,
those little worlds hung up for our OBJ
servation, are out in full force now.
Fine sights, some of them! Little dia-
mOnds of changing hue they are. The
handsomest you will see in many day.
Let us begin to name them. There
are Mercury, Jubiter and Mars, which
are all to be seen evenings now in the
west after sunset. Mercury is truant
little star. Not one person in thous-
and ever saw it. Everyone has heard
of it. But owing to the usual cloudi-
ness of our horizon at sunset 1t is most
difficult to find; for it never rises but
short ways. Now it is up however;
look for it a very little ways north of
the point where the sun disappears. 1t
you see little star there. that is Mer-
curry. Then there are Jubiter and Mars,
two of the brightest stars in the skies.
They were in conjunction" on Nov. -.
Now you will find them quite near to-
gether, in the constellation of Capricor-
nus. Look in the west third of the
way back on the path of the sun, and
you should find them. Jubiter Is of
an amber yellow, and Mars is golden
red. They are handsome pair. The
other stars you will have to get up in
the morning to see. Venus and Saturn
are the prettiest. Venus is that pretty
star you have seen all summer in the
west at about the place from whence
the sun disappeared. 1t has just be-
come morning star, and can be seen a
little while before the sun rises in the
east. Then there is Saturn. 1t is a
about IL o'clock at night now. 1t will
end of the month. 1t is grand sight
and you should not miss it.
~
Henceforth we can reckon our
selves within the grasp of winter. Now
sleighing parties, skating parties, and
even the rOllicking, smearing taffy-pulls
are all the order of the day. Then in a
few days comes Christmas with its half
struggled secrets, its vague hintings
and all its hurry and hustle. Why, we
should have Christmas entertainment
for the children! Christmas will be
here in trice. But time fits along so,
it has slipped away from us ere we
Of xxyill
have to let Kris Kringle do his mission
do. If only the smiling old gentleman
tend to hang up for him. We have
picked out good big one too. Santa
always fills the stocking you know.
Yes; for you happy little ones. Santa
has always been very generous with
you. But can it be that he dislikes the
poor little ones so that he does not treat
them to toys and sweetmeats, but re-
serves it for the wealthy boys and girls ?
Alas; that is the worst thing l know
about the kind old fellow. He causes
many signs and tears among the little
ones notwithstanding his good inten-
tiOns. There are many little children
who will find their stockings hanging
by the cold fire place on Christmas
morning as limp and lank as they were
the night before. Then what heart
burnings there will be within those
thin little breasts. "Does Santa Claus
also, just like every body else, hate poor
little children ?" 1t is this soaring of
the young hearts that hardens them.
Santa Claus has forgotten them; God
has forsaken them and cares not for
their suffering; Man is not troubled
about them however much they may
shiver with cold and hunger. Then
comes distrust and hatred. 1t grows to
that in the adult. Criminality is not
far away then. If only there was some
way to stop the suffering you would
stop the crime at once. Crime too Oft
ell is but the reflex action against the
abuses society has perpetrated Then,
little children, who have plenty of gifts
share them with your unfortunate lit
tie neighbors. Spare their suffering.
You will perhaps do much good. You
may soften heart. You will throw a
bright light within it. You may save
a SOul