The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-01-13

human race up to the perfect nerve and |
perfect muscle. and perfect brain, and |
perfect form of that perfect child, be- !
fore whom, nigh twenty hundred years |
ago, the wise men bent their tired |
knees in worship.
Behold also in that first Christmas
night that God honored the fields. Come
in, shepherd boys, to Bethlehem and
see the child mo" they say, 1--WE are
not dressed good enough to come in"
"Yes, you are; come in" Sure enough,
the storms and the night dew and the
brambles have made rough work with
their apparel, but none have better
right to come in. They were the first
to hear the music of that Christmas
night. The first announcement of
Saviour's birth was made to those men
in the fields. There were wiseacres
that night in Bethlhhem and Jerusalem
snoring in deep sleep, and there were
salaried officers of government, who,
hearing of it afterward. may have
thought that they ought to have
had the first news of such
great event, some one dismounting
from a swift camel at their door and
knocking till, at some sentineps ques-
ton, "Who comes there?" the great
ones of the palace might have been told
of the celestial arrival. No; the shep-
herds heard the first two bars of the
music, the first in the major key and
the last in the subdued minor GLORY
| to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will to men," All, yes; the
| fields were honored.
The old shepherds with plaid and
crook have for the most part vanished,
but we have grazing-our United States
pasture fields and prairie. about forty
FIVE million Sheppard all their keep
ers ought to follow the shepherds of my
text, and all those who toll in the fields.
all vine-dressers, all orchardists all
husbandmen. Not only that Christmas
night, but all up and down the worlds
history God has been honoring the fields.
Nearly all the messiahs of reform and
| literature and eloquence and law and
benevolence have come from the fields.
| Washington from the fields, Jefferson
from the fields. The presidential mar
tyrs, Garfield and Lincoln, from the
fields Henry Clay from the fields.
Daniel Webster from the fields.
Martin Luther from the fields.
Before this world is right the over
flowing population of our crowded
cities will have to take to the fields
Instead of ten merchants in rivalry as
to who shall sell that one apple, we
want at least eight of them to go out
and raise apples Instead of ten mer-
chants desiring to sell that one bushel
of wheat, we want at least eight of
them to 90 out and raise wheat. The
world wants now more hard hands,
more bronzed cheeks. more muscular
arms. To the fields! God honored
them when he woke up the shepherds
by the midnight anthem, and he will.
while the world lasts, continue to honor
the fields. When the shepherds crook
was that famous night stood against
the wall of the Bethlehem khan, it was
prophecy of the time when thresher's
fail and farmers plow and woodlands
AK and ox's yoke and sheaf- binder s
rake shall surrender to the country, as
man made the town.
Behold also, that on Christmas night
God honored motherhood Two angels
on their wings might have brought the
infant Saviour to Bethlehem without
Mary's being there at all. Wheel the
II villagers, on the morning of December
N g. awoISe, by divine arrangement, ah6
in some unexplained way. the chile
Jesus might have been found in some
comfortable cradle in the village. But
no, MOI Motherhood was for all time
to be consecrated, and one OF the tender
est relations was to be the maternal II
; lation, and one of the sweetest words
mother" In all ages God has honor
ed good motherhood. John Wesley haC
a good mother: st, Bernard had Il goo(
mother: Samuel Budget, a good mother
Doddridge, good mother; Walter Scott
q good mothe; Benjamin West, q goot
mother. In n great audience, mos
| of whom were Christians, | asked
that all those who had been blessed o
, Christian mothers arise, end almost tht
entire assembly stood up. Don't yo,
see how important it is that all mother
; hood be consecrated? Why did Titan
, the Italian artist, when he sl1etched tn
t Madonna, make it an Italian face
| WHY did Rubens, the German artist. il
} his Madonna, make it German face
Why did Joshua Reynolds, the Englisl
,, artist, in his Madonna, make it an En-
glish face? Why did Murillo, the Span
ish artist. in his Madonna, make it
Spanish face? l never heard, but
: think they took their own mothers a
9 the type of Mary, the mother of Christ
When you hear some one, in sermon o
: grafton. speak in the abstract of a good
, faithful, honest mother, your eyes fl
up with tears, while you say to your
self, That was my mother"
The first word child utters is apt t
d be Mother" and the old man, in hi
e dying dream, calls Mother! mother.
D 1t matters not whether she wa
e brought up in the surroundings of
city, and in affluent home, and wa
Z dressed appropriately with reference t
the demands of modern life, or whethe
she wore the old-time cap and grea
round spectacles, and apron Of her ow
: make, and knit your socks with he
own needles, seated by the broad fire
c place, with great back log ablaze, on
S winter night. 1t matters not how man
r wrinkles crossed and recrossed he
face, or how much her shoulders stoope
with the burdens of a long life,
; you painted a Madonna, hers woul
: be the face. What gentle hand sh
!, had when we were sick, and what
!. voice to soothe pain, and was thcr
= anyone who could so fill up room wit
e peace. and purity, and light? And whs
J.. a sad day that was when we came HON
: and she could greet us not for her liz
were forever still. Come back. mothe
y, this Christmas day, and take your oil
place. and as ten, or twenty, or lift
y years ago. come and open the old Bib
S as you used to; read and kneel in til
q same place where you used to pra,
? and look upon us as OF old when yo
. wished us Merry Christmas or Hal
J. py New Year But, no! That woul
- not be fair to call you back. You ha
troubles enough, and aches enough