The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-24
MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS.
Bab'S Tender Tribute to Bethlehem'S
Immortal Babe.

Practice Generosity, Loving Kindness
and Forgiveness on the Blessed
Christ Day-The Sweet Story Of the
Birth of Mankind's Redeemer Re-
called-Bab's Delightful Christmas
"reminiscences.
New York, Dec. 23.-They keep-on
Ginning Peace on earth!"
And yet there walks abroad the grim
spirit of hard times and of unbelief. But
the bells ring and ring, and ring just as
merrily as if the land were laughing with
richness, and as if all the world believed
in the little child who was born eighteen
hundred and ninety-three years ago.
Think how long ago that's been! Think
| of the people who have been born, who
have lived, and who have diedl Think
of the heart histories that have been
written in indelible letters that will stand
forever. For though unbelief may come
and go, though the days may be good or
bad, yet always will love live and always
will the bells ring back in answer to the
heavenly chimes, peace on earth and
good will to men,"
Are you giving good will? Are you
forgetting the little meannesses, the
petty spite, or the nasty envyl Are you
taking that great magnificent sponge of
tOrgeJfulneSS and Wiping out every dis
agreeable feeling from of the slate of life,
and leaving there only the words that
mean kindness, consideration, good will
and lovel Are you doing this, my friend2
You shrug your shoulders and laugh.
You say you did it last year, and that
after the Christmas sentiment had passed,
you drifted back to just where you were
before. But why did you let the Christ
mas sentiment pass} Why didn't you
keep it in your heart for all the year
aroundl Surely you must know that it
wears well. 1t has stood nearly nineteen
hundred years. Surely, you are not like
the fool who says it's all nonsense; it's
merely an excuse for spending money;
that it's time only suited for women
and children. You don't think that. You
have got too much brain and too much
heart.
OUR INFANT sAvIoUR's INFLUENCE.
How can you let the sentiment of low
ing kindness go from you when you think
of that little child who was born so many
hundred years ago to teach you and to
teach me how to live and how to die?
What have you suffered that you COM
plain so much? Have you seen
every friend go from youl Have you
been bleeding and torn, beaten and
bruised, and alone2 1 don't believe it.
If you are alone in its sorrow, it's be-
cause you have pushed from you those
loving ones that would have turned to
when you are bruised and sore physically,
it is because you laughed at all pain suf
fered by Others had no pity, and So by
all the laws of justice, when your time
| for suffering comes you are alone. But if
| you had been different, if you had dressed
the wounds of him who was in pain; if
| you consoled him who was in trouble; if
| you gave a helping hand to him who
needed it, don't you know as well as do
| to-day you wouln't be alone2 But around
| you would be the people to whom you had
been good, and who, remembering your
kindness, stood by you in your hour of
trouble.
Christmas is the day of compensations.
| There comes to you the love and good
will that you gave out years ago multi
tiplied many hundred times; and be
very sure that if you have been cruel and
hard-hearUed there will just as certainly
come back to you on that day all your
| brutality intensified hundred-fold. Per
haps you are brute. Perhaps you have
forbidden, calling them nonsense, the
holly leaves and berries, the Christmas
tree that bears such wonderful fruit, the
HANGING UP OF THE STOCKINGS,
that mystical ceremony that means so
much to all the little ones. Perhaps, al
though your dinner may be rich one,
you have forbidden the repentant prodi-
gal son to appear Perhaps you scof at
everything gentle, sweet and holy, and
object to the very babies being more
merry than usual because of Christmas
time. Oh, you beast! Do you know
what will come from all this2 Gas you
have done it unto the least of these, We
have done it unto me-" Think over that
for little while, and repent as soon as
you can. Deck the house with the
glossy leaves, and the red ber-
ries of the holly. Help trim the wonder
full Christmas tree, and steal quietly into
the nursery and put in each little stock
ing what The little hearts have been ask
ing for so long. You needn't wait for the
hereafter to get your reward it will
come while you are here; come in loving
thanks in bright eyes, and in apprecia-
tive words from those very children whom
you have kept so far from you. For the
sake of the little child born IL the stable,
make Christmas happy for the children
Away off some place, probably you
know where, there is boy or girl who
has disobeyed you; who had gone out
into the world, fought the fight and been
beaten; who only wants the invitation to
come back home. Are you going to let
Christmas day go by without giving it,
What good will come if your table is a
marvel of beauty Everything will taste
like ashes if you refuse to believe in the
repentance of the one sinner and have no
place at your board for that one who
went astray. Who are you who shall de-
eide the greatness of SIM Have you
never made mistake2
HAS ALL YOUR LIFE BEEN sPOTLEss2
Then how dare you set yourself up as a
judge, and say to that child, born of your
blood at is not fit that thou shouldst
be among thy brothers and thy sisters "
Can you be hard and cruel, while they
are rejoicing in heaven over the one sin
ner who repents, and while the Christ
mas bells are ringing 'Peace on earth2"
Wherever you are or wherever you may
be, get down on your knees and beg God
Almighty to forgive you for not being
more cpnsiderate, and entreat of him to
give you another chance to be merciful to
the stray lamb.
[ think it was a woman I heard who
said she didn't propose her children
should believe in Christmas. She looked
like woman, and was dressed like a
woman; but surely she couldn't have been
one IN reality. For it was the woman to
whom was given the glorious right to
suffer pain, and bring the Christ-Child
into the world. Can it be a woman who
would keep from her children the sweet
story of Christmas2 Who wouldn't tell
them of that little baby sleeping in the
| manger, before whom Ali tho dup1 h