Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-12-30

Une IOWel lIilO L1dl uOfSe sue. lake
off that cllrbed bit from that bleeding
mouth. Remove that saddle from
that raw back Shoot not for fun that
! bird that is too small for food. For
get not to put water into the cage of
that canary. Throw out some crumbs
to those birds caught too far north in
the winters inclemency. Arrest that
man who is making that one horse
draw a load heavy enough for three.
Rush in upon that scene where boys
are torturing cat or transfxing
butterfly and grasshopper
Drive not off that old robin, for her
nest is a mothers cradle. and under
her wing there may be three or four
musicians Of the sky in training. In
your families and in your schools
teach the coming generation more
mercy than the present generation
has ever shown. and in this marvel
ous Bible picture of the Nativity.
while you point out to them the
angel, show them also the camel, and
while they hear the celestial chant
let them also hear the cows moan.
No more did Christ show interest
in the botanical world. when he said,
Consider the lilies, than he showed
sympathy for the ornithological,
when he said, Behold the fowls Of
the air. : and the quadrupedal world,
when he allowed himself to be called
in one place a lion and in another
place a lamb Meanwhile. may the
| Christ Of the Bethlehem cattle pen
have mercy on the suffering stock
yards that are preparing diseased
and feyered meat for our American
households.
GOD HoNoRED CHILDHOOD.
Behold. also. in this Bible scene,
how on that Christmas night God
honOred childhood. Christ might
have made his first visit to our world
in cloud, as he will descend on his
next visit in cloud. In what a
chariot of illumined vapor he might
have rolled down the sky, escorted by
mounted cavalry, with lightning for
drawn sword. Elijah had carriage
Of fire to take him up; why not Jesus
n carriage Of fire to fetch him down9
Or, over the arched bridge of rain
bow the Lord might have descended.
Or Christ might have had his NOR
tality built up on earth out of the
dust Of garden. as was Adam, in
fnll manhood at the start, without
the Introductory feebleness of in
fancy.
No, mol Childhood was to be hon.
ored by that advent. He must have
q chiId's light limbs, and child's
dimpled hand, and a child's beaming
eye. and a child's flaxen hair; and
babyhood was to be honored for all
time to come, and a cradle was to
mean more than a grave. Mighty
God May the reflection of that one
child's face be seen in all infantile
faces.
Enough have all those fathers and
mothers on hand if they have child
in the house. A throne. a crown, a
Gcepter, kingdom. under charge.
Be careful how you strike him across
the head, jar1ing the brain. What
you say to him will be centennial
and millennial, and hundred years
and thousand years will not stop
the echo and re-echo. Do not say,
1T is only child Rather say, 1T
is only an immortal" 1t is only a
masterpiece of Jehovah. It is only
a being that shall outlive sun and
moon and star and ages quadrennial.
God has infinite resources, and he
can give presents of great value; but
when he wants to give the richest
possible gift to household he looks
around all the worlds and all the uni
verse and then gives a child.
The greatest present that God ever
gave our world he gave about 1901
years ago, and he gave it on Christ
mas night, and it was of such value
that heaven adjourned for a recess
and came down and broke through
the clouds TO look at it. Yea, in all
ages God has honored childhood. He
makes almost every picture a failure
unless there be child either playing
ON the floor, or looking through the
window, or seated on the lap gazing
into the face of the mother.
A oHILD TOLD HIM THE WAY.
II was a child in Naamans kitchen
that told tho great Syrian warrior
where he might 60 and get cured of
the leprosy, which at his seventh
plunge in the jordan was left at the
bottom OF the river II was TO the
cradle of leaves. in which a child was
laid, rocked by the Nile, that God
called the attention of history. II
waa sick child that evoked Christ's
curative sympathies II was a child
that Christ set in the midst Of the
squabbling disciples, 10 teach tho les
son OF humility. We are informed
that wolf and leopard and lion shall
be yet 80 domesticated that little
child shall lead them.
A child decided Waterloo, showing
the army Of Blucher how they could
take a short cut through the fields,
when. If the old road had been fol
lowed, the Prussian general would
have come up too late tosave tho des-
tinies OF Europe Il was a child that
decided Gettysburg, he having over
heard two Confederate generals In a
conversation. in which they decided