Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-26

XIV to the straw-cradle. When 1t Is so
easv for God TO make a world that he
pnts eighteen millions Of them within
one sweep of the telescope, he could
certainly afford one silvery or merry
signal of some kind to point the
world TO the place where the Sow
| araipn of the Universe lay incar-
mated and infantile. If God could al
ford TO make an especial earthquake at
the crucifction (the aslant rocks on
Mount Calvary still showing that there
/ was a cOnvulsion OF nature at that par
! ticular spot which was felt In none OF
the surroundings then be could AFFORD
| something unusual, something brilliant,
something positive, something tremen-
dous. at the Nativity. II king at the
birth OF a son can have the palace
Illuminated and couriers sent with swift
disDatches to announce the gladness at
/ the gates and wake up an Empire with
| cannonade, | am not surprised that, at
the birth OF the Son OF God, there was
celestial agitation; and my only wonder
| is that instead Of one star or one meteor
giving signal, all worlds did not make
| demonstration. Why not other worlds
take interest in the event, when
CHRIST CANE FROM ANOTHER WORLD,
and another world was to get the souls
/ that would be saved by his celestial de-
scent? 1t would have been stellar
| disgrace, an astronomical scandal II,
/ when the Godhead lay compressed In
| the form OF an infant, something from
above had not pointed down as much as
/ To say: There he Isl Look, all earth
and heavenl Look all time and etern-
ity"
You see, the birth at Bethlehem must
have been more novel and startling to
the heavens than the crucifxion on Cal
vary. 1t was expected that Christ
/ would be maltreated. The world
always had maltreated its good
and great friends. Joseph hurled
into the pit, Shadrach put
4 into the fire, jeremiah lowered into
dungeon. David bounded from the
throne, Elijah compelled to starve or
/ take his food from the beak OF filthy
raven, and Socrates condemned TO
/ death, so that the Calvarian massacre
was in the same old line OF maltreat-
ment. But the novelty Of all the ages
was the conjunction of divinity and hu-
manity. Invisible deity, muscled and
nerved and feshed in masculine phys
| ioue. A child and yet God. Why, II
the meteor had not pointed down that
night, some angel would have rushed
| down and pointed with his glittering
Sceptre.
The second chapter OF the holidays
must speak OF annual decadence. This
i 81 ha
steps OF the year are getting short, for
Ii is old now. When 1t waved the
springtime blossoms, the year was
young, and when it swung the scythe
and cradle through the summer harvest
fields, the year was strong; but 1t is
getting out of breath now, and after six
more throbS Of the pulse will be dead.
We cannot stop this annual decadence
Set all the clocks back, set all the
watches back, set all the chronometerS
back, but you cannot set Time back.
For the old family clock you
might suppose that Time would have
especial respect and that If you took
hold Of those old hands on the face OF
that centenarian Of q time-piece, and
push them back, you might expect that
Time would stop or retreat for at least
few minutes. mo! MOI" says the old
family clock; 81 must go on. saw
your father and neither on their we'd
ding day. l struck the hour OF your
nativity. l counted the festal hours OF
the day in which you brought home a
bride. l sounded the Snell at your
fathers death. tolled at your mothers
departure. Yea, l must sound your
own going out Of life. must go on.
must go on.
TICK-ToCK! TICK-ToCR"
But on opening this subject, "In re-
spect OF holy-day," as my text puts it,
or holiday as We moderns write and
pronounce 1t, l advised that you divide
this season into three chapters: The
first a chapter Of illustrious birthday,
the second chapter Of annual deca-
dence, and the third a chapter of chron-
illogical introduction, aud this last chap
ter We have reached. In olden times
there was style Of closing an old year
and opening new one that was very
suggestive. The family would sit up
until twelve O'clock al night, and when
the clock struck twelve the family
would all 60 to the front door of the
house, take down the bar and turn
back the lock and swing the door wide
open 20 let the Old Year out and the New
Year in. And that is what we are going
TO do. With the same measured step
that Time has kept since it started, IT
will come to our door in the closing
night of this week. With what spirit
shall we let the New Year in? l have
already indicated that 1t is to be one Of
the greatest years Of all chronology.
"Why?" You ask. Have you any
forebodings or premontions?" No"
Are you expecting the millennium this
year?" mo" "Why, then, say this
about the coming year?" For the SIM
pie reason that find as the years go by
they become moro and more eventful.
Compare the nineteenth century with
the eighteenth century. Compare the
first half OF this century with the last
half. The surges of this ocean Of Time
are rolling higher and higher.
THE FORCES OF RIGHT
and wrong are rapidly multiplying and
their struggles must be intensified. 1t
is chronological fact that We are all
the time coming nearer to the worlds
EdenizatiOn first and then to its incin-
GRAFTON, to its redemption and its demo-
lition. And so 1 expect that 1898 will
be a greater year than 1892. Its we'd
ding bells will be merrier. It's obse-
Quies will be Ssdder. Its scientific dis
coyeries more brilliant. Its prospect
ties more significant. It's opening more
grand. Its termination more stipend
Gus. Look out for 1898! Let printers
have in their cases Of type plenty Of ex-
clamation points 10 set upa sudden