Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-12-20
sI.5o A YEAR, CASH.
NEW VOL. BONO. 8.


Scarcely less wonderful than the
mystery of the first Christmas night is
the mystery ofthe perpetuation of the
festival. 1t is far cry enough from
the shepherds who tended their focks
on the hillside of Judea, and the be-
lieving kings who followed the star
from the east, to, let us say, the aver
AGE American citizen, and the modern
rulers of kingdoms. Reverence and
simple faith are not exactly the pre-
vailing characteristics of the former,
nor do the latter betray sufficient keen
mes. of interest in things supernal 10
warrant the supposition that they
would leave their kingdoms and 90
forth laden with treasure, to follow
mysterious sign in the heavens. Yet
withal Christmas brings ITS message to
these as well as to their widely differ
ent prototypes of nearly two thousand
years ago. The echo of the angelic
voices that sang of peace on earth,
good will to men, still lesounds in the
heavens on Christmas night and broth
er is reconciled to brother, old enmi-
ties are laid away, past sins forgiven,
and the bonds of friendship and family
affection drawn tighter over the Christ
mas board and round the cheerful
hearth. The rich and powerful still
open their Golfers and, with large
handed hberality, scatter their goods
among the poor, thereby initiating the
Magi Of old for is It not written
Whatsoever We shall do unto the least
Of Nv brethren, ye shall do unto Me p
Thus, in spite of the evil forces with
which modern materialism and inf
deity are seeking to subvert the intiu-
ences Of Christianity, the Star of Beth
lehem is still in the ascendant, and
Christmas is the greatest and most JOY
ous festival known to the civilized
world
A Merry Christmas, then, let it be to
ALL 4 divine religion is not a sad one.
1t brings peace to the heart, and JOY is
an exuberance Of peace. Therefore
let the bells ring out, and hang out the
mistletoe, and bring on the smoking
turkey, and gather round the freside.
and Join in the frolics Of the young
sters-anything, everything, so that
the day be merry, and all hearts rejoice
because Christ the Lord was born.
Forget for time the cares of business,
the pressure of hard times, the threat
ening future. Lock upthe family skeI-
eton and, with it, all frowns and harsh
words aud the petty tyrannies and
lealousies of common days. lfyou can
lose the KEY of the closet, so much the
better. If not, even the brief respite
from ugly cares will leave its benedic-
tion in your heart. aud quicken your
longing for the return Of the festival
ofpeace.
If you have no freside of your own
to enlyen, seek out the desolate hearth
of some unfortunate brother There
are many forlorn little ones to whom
an orange and picturebook would be
a foretaste of Heaven. Play Santa
Claus to such, and you will find your
Merry Christmas in the reflection OF
their innocent delight or carry your
greeting and your gift to some aged
and lonely creature whose last Christ
mas IL will be on earth, and earn
blessing that will repay your efforts
hundredfold. There is, happily, no
monopoly Of the joys Of Christmas,
If they do not come to us, we can go
to them. We have but TO open our
hearts and stretch out our hands, and
the messengers Of peace will come
gladly trooping toward us. 1t will be
our own fault if we have not each and
all Merry Christmas.