The Monte Vista journal., 1898-01-01


Reed preached to large congregation
ut the Broadway theater yesterday on
ammo Domini. 1897" He spoke as
follows:
We read that they We're wise men
who found and recognized the babe
born in Bethlehem. They were men OF
observation and had made note of the
fact TINT size is not the principal thing.
Life is the chief thing. We read that
the babe was born In II manger. That
was not 50 humble birth as perhaps
1t seems. He was born to Il caravan
sarie N corral. The inn ut Bethlehem
was, l am told. similar to what the
traveller finds in some parts of Mexico.
l remember one. n square adobe house
or hut OF one room, unfurnished. II the
place was not filled one could go In,
and with what he brought with him
make himself at home. This time the
inn was full and we tried the corral.
among the horses and cattle swung
my hammock and crawled in. l was
conscious in the night of n wild racket
In my neighborhood, and In the morn
ing that u large Mexican family had
moved In and We're under and about
my hammock. They We're on their way
to some feast. They were polite people,
and l had breakfast with them. So
when we read that Jesus was born in
mangcr. we feel that II was not quite
like being born in n Vermont barn.
However II was u sufficiently hum
BILE birth. Perhaps 1t takes n wise man
! to recognize splendid future in little
I, beginning. think OF an abolition
meeting In 1893. \ dlsreputable. hated
assembly. The press OF Lovcjoy was
cast into the river and he into death.
1t is only n few years ago that Hen
ry George was n common sailor and
afterwards Il peddler. read the other
day his great book had been translated
into thirteen tongues. The Japanese
read him. The world is interested in
the question, Has a man right to
live:
Doubtless there is plenty Of cruelty
Oh the sea But it Is more dangerous
to abuse n sailor than when Dana was
two years before the mast or when
Herman Melville deserted his ship and
found his Islands of delight. Omoo and
Typee. When you are hunting for boys
, books. get the books of Melville and
the book Of Dana.
One swallow does not make a sum
mer. That depends on who sees the
little lonesome pilot OF the fleet. l am
trfie rusty in Tennyson. The pres
ent poet laureate interests me in n
way. / believe that Tcnnyson's Feb
ruary bird was throstle. and he In
the cold sang his prophecy
Summer is coming,
Summer is coming.
I know II, I know II.
1t is a small thing when Great Brit
ain steps between n landlord and n
tenant and says to n great man, Your
rent Is too high" but II Is the thin edge
OF n big wedge. and Is dangerous to n
descendant of Oliver Cromwell. who
thinks he owns lands that he does not
use.
4 prophet Is one who sees the signifi-
canoe OF an abolition meeting in 1896.
He sees In that the campaign OF 1876
Twenty years along that lire has ac-
complishcd something. and in four
years more. more Is done: and In 1S'I
more Is done. Tho warfare Of the old
abolitionist Is ended. lie could say. 1T
is finished" Many OF the men who at
ended the annual anti-slavery conven-
tons saw their labor Mt an end or In
sight and were silent. General Shcr-
man said. "a man can be n good sol
der In only one war; After black
.
chief occupation was gone.
Here /. the postal system Of the ma
tlon. ! believe the beginning was most
| feeble There was some place in Bos-
| ton where citizens left letters and an
swers 10 letters. You will find an nc
| count Of til" matter In YOUR cncyclo-
/ pciln. ont Of n very small. clumsy nr.
! rancemcnt has emerged the postotiicc.
The letter and bundle carrier Of this
city found Christmas not exactly mer-
| ry. although II l. worth wcarincss Of
| body 10 bc waited for and welcomed Mt
| every door II IL pleasant for the letter
carrier TO know tha, in holiday week
| he j. III" most expected and most
| missed. He has som" compensation be
sides his wages. For some days nt
| least he T. the chief man In town. We
NJ home had son on III" ocean or
somewhere. and lust ms dinner was
ready the carrier brought n letter post.
marked Paris. Th" boy had arrived
and also done n days work. Fifty
years Of invention has made the world
small I do not know yet how many
tons of manuscript and merchandise
have passed through the postofiicc Of
| Denver In these few days.
We who are. or are about to become
socialists wonder why The United
States pos,ofiicc cannot take care Of
| forty pounds as well ms four-or four
tons. ! see no reason for n private.
personal express company no more
than I see for n Western Union Telc-
graph Company. II II not up 10 date.
You commit anything To the care OF
the pos'oiiicc and let anything bc lost
strnycd or stolen. and 70.Dpo.0oo pco-
pie nrc taxed Ia md that thing.
No Intelligent thief robs n postofiicc.
a. remember. II IL sixty miles from
Santillo. Mexico. 10 Monterey. The
postage on mn ordinary letter from one
| city 10 the other '. or was 81 cents
| Therefore few letter. are written. II
used 10 cost ihnt To get a letter from
Vermont to Wisconsin. nnd n letter
not prepaid wns n calamity. for there
was not n quarter within mile. Put
the postage down 10 n couple Of cents
nnd everybody learns Ia write and
writes. nni nearly everybody hns 2
| cents.
Mark Twain hid himself In London
md wished 10 write book. Two
friend. In New York wished 10 write
him. They did 50. They knew he was
not on this side and So they addressed
"Mnrk Twain. over III" ocean. God
knows where" lie received II md re-.
piled: LONDON. Nov. ~. 1s0d.-Thnnk
you. dear hov.. for remembering me
md for the love thnt wn. hnrk of II.
These nrc heavy days. mud nii such
| helms an ~ ih,, t,tr,tuu That = stn,,1.e