The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-25
OUR SUNDAY COLUMN.
Original and Otherwise-Pres
pared by Mark.
No. 80.
CHRISTMAS.

Ihere Is music in the air, and on the
morrow sounds inharmonious will deaf
| on the ear and almost drive the business
man and the older folks of the family
mad. Bat it will not be tho madness
that seeks revenge. This is the season
! of gracious dispositions. "Peace on
earth and good will toward men" is the
sentiment that must fill the heart and
leap from the pen of every scribe and
grace and tone the speech of man.
Christmas-t happiest season of the
| year-has come again, und is knocking
at our doors. Let US open wide the
| doors of hearts and the doors of our
homes and welcome this annual Joy
bringer, with It's attendant train of
gladdening associations-the greeting
of friends, the gathering of children and
age once more around the family hearth
the interchange of kind wishes, and the
mingling of glad voices over the ban
quoting board-all this and much more
is the JOY Of the Christmas.
| But Chris tmas has source of glad
ness all its own; gladness that springs
not alone from tho assoc .ations already
mentioned. 1t has Joy and "a love
deeper and beyond this beyond all tn at
| human heart hath known. Ii is the Joy
of Love that was born far back in the
depths OF the ages. 1t was of humble
origin. No earthly splendor encircled
| its cradle.
"Low lies its head with the beasts OF the stall.
| And yet
at was the brightest and best of the sons of the
| morning.;
for at its word sorrow forgot its Tears
and despair smiled; tho lamo leaped
like the roe; the deaf listened to I'M
wonted harmonies; tho blind caught
visions of transcendant beauty; the
| dumb shouted for joy, and even the dead
left the dark prison house Of the grave!
1t was the birth of Jesus-the Christ
Even the angels were glad on that
| first Christmas me rning win new and
greater joy, and proclaimed peace on
earth anu good will toward men. Then
let good Will prevail. Let IL en-, women
and children, both young men and
maidens all of every ago in every
! cline be joyful and generous.
| If old Scrooge- that squeezing, wrench.
ing, grasping, scraping, clutching,
covetous old sinner introduced by
Dickens long ago-comes about de-
n ,unciDg Christmas as a humbug, let
us commit him to tho tendt marcles OF
the three ghosts" that took possession
of the Scrooge Of old and reformed him
by the lessons and duties taught him
in the lourneyings and visions Of that
terrible night.
The descendant OF Scrooge will say
with Judas. "Why all this waste2''
when he looks upon the multitudinous
variety of apparently useless articles
displayed in the show wind ws of every
shop in city, town, village and rural
store. But not so. There is no useless
waste. The articles are in demand and
are drafts on the bank of the heart that
opens freely at this season, in the long
calendar of the year, in charities and
tokens that make up in great measure
the social joys Of life.
Anything that opens the heart and
makes man generous is good for human
ity Money spent by the rich and the
poor in this way, and the gifts that fol-
! low, keep tie heart open, and streams
OF kindness. friendship and love are
flowing on and flowing over. And then
the manufacturers of these articles
! give employment to vast numbers OF
men, women and children all through
The year, whose daily bread ls depen-
| dent upon these factory orders which
the kind heart demands for 'Christm as
gifts" Cap ital is invested because
friendship and love will have these
articles to give and receive at this fes.
tive season
The hard earned wages of the poor.
the long saved pennies of the child, and
the ready cash of the rich arc freely eX-
changed fol these gifts and love toxic rs.
The giving is an ADDED blessing (for it
is more blessed to give than to receive),
and thus that which seems TO some a
useless Extravaganza is really la Of
| mutual helpfulnesS and serves we'll 10
keep the heart Open friendship green
and love warm. Christmas brings o
blessing every way.
Tho Christmas Of 1892 has come with
quicker step and moro urgent haste
than any of its predecessors. The year
has been q short race. 1--WE spend our
years as a tale that Is told" How the
years shorten as they count in number
IN our life. calendar! To some time is
slow. but not 10 the majority OF our
readers. AS year follows year, Time
seems to be in such & hurry that ne
hardly gives us time for anything. But
the event which makes Christmas whai
it is mitigates the flight of time
Meeting with Time. Slack thing said I,
Thy scythe is dull; whet it, for shame
No navel, sir he did reply,
IF II at length deserve some blame.
But, where one man would have mo grind It,
Twenty for one too sharp do find It,
perhaps some such of old did pass,
Who above all things lov'd this HE;
| TO whom thy scythc o hatchoL WAS,
Which now Is but pruning knife;
Christ's coming has made man thy debtor,
Since, by thy cutting, he grows BETTER"
This is the thirty third Sunday tall
the writer has had with the readers o.
THE TIMES, and from many sources have
come words OF approval and testimony
of helpfulness. We have striven Il
warn the unwary, and correct some
irregularities in society and in indi
viduals that needed attention, and WI
have now and then touched up the in
cnnaistant u h IL rch m am her and tho Lux q