Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-29


than musical. we wake up the night and
prolong the day. | wish you all in the
grandeSt. nObloSt and best sense. mer-
rs Christmas. The event commemorate
cd is the gladdeSt OF the centuries.
ChriSt'S cradle was rs wonderful as his
cross. Persuade me of the first and |
am not surprised at the last. The door
by which he entered was is tremendous
aS the door by which he went out.
| was last winter az the house where
Jesus lived when he was in Africa. 1t
was in Cairo, Egypt. the terminus Of
that terrible journey which he took
when Joseph and Mary fled with him
from Bethlehem TO Egypt to escape the
massacre Of Herod. All tradition as
we'll rs all history point out this house
i'm Cairo aS the one in which these three
fugitiveS lived while in Africa. The
room is nine steps down from the level
of the street. | measured the room
and found il twenty feet long and seven
and a half feet high. There are three
shelvingS OF rock. one of which think
was the cradle of our Lord. There is
no window and all the light must have
come from lantern or candle. The three
arrived here from Bethlehem having
crossed the awful desert.
TIE JOURNEY OF JOSEPH AND MARY.
on the Mediterranean steamer going
from Athens to Alexandra, | met the
eminent scholar and theolOgian, Doctor
Lansing. who for thirtY-fve years has
been a resident Of Cairo. and he told me
that he had been all over the road that
the three fugitiveS took from Bethle-
hem to Egypt. He says it is Il desert
way and that the forced journey OF the
infant Christ must have been terrible
Journey. Going up from Egypt, Doctor
Lansing met people from Bethlehem,
their tongues swollen and hanging out
from the inflammation OF thirst, and al
though his party had but one goat skin
OF water left. and that was important
for ourselves, he was 50 moved with the
spectacle of thirst in these poor pill
crimS that, though il excited the indig-
nation of his fellow travellers, he gave
water TO the strangers. over this dread
full route Joseph aud Mary started
for this land of Egypt. No time
to make much preparation. llerod was
after them, and what were these peas
ants before an irate king? Joseph, the
husband and father, one night Sprang
up from his mattress in great alarm,
the beads Of sweat on his forehead, and
his whole frame quaking. He had
dreamed Of maSSacreS Of his wife and
babe. They must be of, that night,
right away. Mary put up few things
and Joseph brought TO the door the
beast of burden, and helped his wife
and child 10 mount. Why those loaves
| of bread are not enough. those bottles
OF water will not last for such long
way. But there is no time 10 get any
thing more. Out and on. Goodbye TO
the dear home they expect never again
to see. Their hearts break. 1t does
not need that ours be 4 big house in
order TO make us sorry to leave it
/ over the hills and down through the
deep gorge they urge their way. BY
/ Hebron, by GAIA. through hot sand, un-
der bliStcrius sun. the babe crying,
the mother faint. the father exhausted.
I How slowly the days and weeks pass.
VIII the weary three ever reach the
banks Of the Nile? VIII they ever see
/ Cairoa VIII the desert ever end? When
! at last they cross the line beyond which
/ old HerOd has no right to pursue, their
/ joy is unbOunded. Free at last. Let
them dismOunt and rest. Now they re-
sumo their way with less anxiety. They
will find place somewhere for shelter
and the earning Of their bread. Here
they are at Cairo. Egypt.
They wind through the crooked
streets which are about ten feet wide,
and enter the humble house where |
have been to-day. But the terminus OF
the Journey of these three fugitiycS was
not as humble Is their starting point at
Bethlehem. II that journey across the
desert ended in cellar it started IRON
a barn. Inand around that barn in Beth
lehem we tarry to-day.
Everything humble around the barn
but everything glorious overhead.
ChriSt's advent was in the hoStelry
called the house OF called Chin Ham;
the night with diamonded finger point
ing down to the place: the door OF
heaven set wide open to look out; from
orchestral batons of light dripping the
oratorioS OF the Messiah; on lowest door
step Of heaven the minStrels OF God dis
coursing OF glory and good will. Soon
after the white-bearded a>trologiSts
kneel. and from the leathcrn pouch
chink the Shekels, and from open sacks
exhale the frank incense and rustic out
the bundles OF myrrh The lOoSened
star: the escaped dOXology OF celeStials;
the chill December night anush with
Nav morn: our world 4 lost star, aud
another star rushing down the sky that
nigut to beckOn the wanderer nome
again. shall yet make all nations keep
Christmas.
Are there no new lessons from the
story not yet hackneyed by oft re-
peatal? Oh, yes. Know IN the hrSt
place. it was Sideral appearance that
led the way. Why not Il black cloud IN
the shape OF a hand or finger pointing
down to the sacred birthplace? y cloud
means trouble. and the world had had
trouble enough. Why net 4 shaft OF
lightning quivering and flashing and
striking down to the sacred birthplace?
Lightning means destruction, shat
tering and consuming power, and the
world wanted no more destruction.
IltE STAR VI bt hLEhhN'
But il was star, and that means joy,
that means hope, that means good
cheer, that means ascendancy. a star.
fl.at means creative power, for did not
the morning stars sing together when
the portfolio OF the world was opened?
A star. That means defence, for did
not the stars fight in their courses
against SlSera and for the Lords peo-
pie? \ star. That means brilliant
for are not the righteous
10 shine as the stars forever and ever?
A star. That means the opening OF
eternal Joy. The day star in the heart
The morning star OF the Redeemer.
The unusual appearance that night
NAV have been strange conjunction OF
worlds. As the transit Of Venus in our
time was foretod many years ago by
astronomers, and astronomers can tell
what will be the conjunction oil
worlds a thousand years from now, so
they can calculate backward; and even