Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-12-21
CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS.
BY G. GRosvENoR DAVE.

peoples, hack further than we can trace
have, in vague way, understood that the
rising of the sun further and further north
after mid winter, was a promise of the
triumph of light and heat over the cruel
rigors of the cold, consequently they flung
themselves with complete abandon into
celebration that from its very wildness was
an endeavor to express the Importance
they attached to the sun above them. The
somew hat worldlywise old fathers of the
modern church grated upon the earlier
celebration their own later one, in which
the Creator supplanted the creature as
worshipful.
How poetic was their thought! The Sun
Of righteousness by His declaration of the
fatherhood of God and the brot herhood of
man. was to melt away the superstitions
that chilled the human heart; and where
woe and waste once held sway, there
should under His benign influence spring
up very garden of the Lord. The heather
worshiped the material, but they set up
for worship the spiritual, The result we
know. The wild orgies of the early days
have given place to the beauty of fireside
joys. Christmas, therefore, marks the
growth and change OF humanity away
from the noisy and temporal onward to
the quietly good and eternal.
Regard, if you will, the past times OF ig
norance with plying eye, but be not too
quick to Judge, for these wild roisterers Of
ancient days simply lived according to the
light that they had. They are not to be
estimated by the vision and the progress
which we enjoy Darkened though their
minds We're, they form part of the history
of humanity, and our records would be i'm
perfect without them. Old things pass
away in order to sustain the things
that are yet to be. Life itself depends on
death-the new resting on the old-the
new impossible except the old had gone
before and prepared the way.
In taking this view of Christmas. it is
right to understand how much more is ex-
peeteG from those who see than from those
who were blind. We have carried over
into our day the signing pine tree as an
emblem. We have Hastings, also. But
beyond this there is in our modern cele-
bration the sanity of rest, whose sweetness
is only fully known by those W no toll. We
also try to express not only to our neigh
bors and clansmen las they did, but also
to all men of all classes, a hearty good
will, in which there is no hypocrisy. Yet |
in all this advance there is not hing to |
boast Of
Still more is expected of US. Let US be |
greater than formal religion; where it tells I
US to walk, let US ron where it compels
the giving of one thought of kindnes, let
us throw out two deeds. Let us he wider
than our own theology, so that no limita-
lions of divine mercy set up by human
lmaginings shall satisfy US. Let US refuse
to think of God as one whose movements I
and will and power can be hedged around |
by the DEGREES of any one man or any
council of men. Let US declare that the
unmeasured might seen and wondered at
by the heather, was less than immeasura-
BILE mercy.
Throw out of the book OF your remem- |
brance all uncancelled debts of ill-will As |
the enshrouding snow spreads The mantle |
of purity over stained and weary nature, !
let the dark stains of unkind thought van
ish from your heart beneath a permanent |
mantle of charity towards all Set hard |
your heel upon the canker- worm of envy
Fling into the flowing stream of life for
Others the best that you have. No respon-
sibility attaches to US for the deeds OF
which we are incapable. But remember
that even the narrowed way must be filed,
or we prove quite unworthy OF limited op-
portunities. If, perchance, Hfe's power is
great within you live largely
Make no Borrowing world around YOU
Just because you are heavy within. Sorrow
viii dwell in the castle of your heart until
some stronger motive drives it out. Let
that motive be TO live worthy of the one
Tor v HON you sorrow; the heart will rise
from oppressive thought to be expressive
of an IDEAL, grand, hopeful, purposeful,
worthy. Neither power on earth can turn
a noble purpose from its final accomplish
ment somew mere, some day, nor power in
heaven will fail to note the aspiration
Perchance the sorrow is not for the noble
dead bat for an ignoble past; look no
longer backward, but forward. this holy
Christmastide.
\ long, long rest remains TO the fields
bat have done their task. A rest remains
for you, so swing out witt straining effort
and sweaty brow, for the evening of life
draws on space. After your day will be
others, aud men and women as good as you
10 u ok in them. So look not backward
for earlier standards to excuse your own
nor forward with doubt as
TO whether the task uDdone will be taken
up. Bend to your own. This is Gods
world or no ones; and the majestic prog
ress OF humanity from fierce hatings to
gentle Kindness will not cease because your
own work ends.
slowly the purposes of the age work out
too slowly for eager hearts. But the
great progress is grandly sure. II for each
u us to attain our highest hopes and ac-
raFs tsIish all yxa set ont IN do Il i;ta "a /, |