Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-28

cheek and robust OF chest and bound
ing of foot, and the last pauper will
get his palace. and the last sinner
taken unto the warm bosom OF par
donlng God! Where did all this start?
In that cradle within sound OF bleat-
Ing sheep and believing cattle and
amid rough bantcring Of herdsmen and
camel drivers. What II low place to
start for such great heights! o artists.
turn your camera obscura on that vii
lage of Bethlehem! Take II all In
the wintry skies lowering, the nocks
shlvering In the chill air. Mary the pale
mother. and Jesus the child.
An Eternal Jubilee.
SO I have shown you the shadows
and the sunshine OF that Christie era
die of Bethlehem. In these Christmas
times realize that there are many era
dies under shadows. Oh. the story of
empty cradles all up and down the
earth, In cabins and palaces! There
are standing In garrets or in store
rooms cradles that will never rock
again. "Rachel mourning for her chill
dren and will not be comforted be-
cause they are not" But through all
the shadows break CLEANS of sunshine
as the clouds of the Christie cradle
were cleft by glorious light. Escaped
from the struggles through which we
have all passed and must yet pass,
those little ones took heaven at one
bound. Instead Of an earthly career
1t is n heavenly career, with capacities,
with velocities, with opportunities be-
yond our rcomprehension. Instead of cell
ebrating on earth the Savi0ur's birth
they stand in the Saviour's presence.
Instead Of the holiday celebrations of
the old homestead it is to them eternal
jubilee at n table where the angels of
God are the cupbearers and amid fes-
tivites that resound with a laughter
and n music and blaze with brilliance
and glory that eye hath not seen
nor ear heard" No use In wishing
them merry Christmas. for the mer-
riments of heaven ring out upon them
from temples that are always open.
amid pleasures that never die. Oh. it
is not dull heaven, but lively heav-
en-, for there are so many children
there! They throng the streets. They
look out of the "House of Many Man
sions" They stand on the beach to see
the fleets cast anchor within the vale.
They crowd the gates with greetings
when the old folks come in. They clap
their hands i'm an eternal gladness.
They dance in an eternal glee. See
you not the sunshine that pours into
the shadows of that cradle until they
are all gone?
But shadows have their uses. There
must be background to every good
picture. Turner always put at least
fleck of cloud on his canvas, and the
clouds of earth will be the background
to bring out more nightly the bright
ness of heaven. And will it not be glo-
rious If after all this scene of earthly
vicissitude we meet again in our Fa-
TIERS house and talk over the past In
an everlasting holiday? But mean
while look out for the cradles. How
much they decide for this world and
the next! When Wellington was born
Mt Mornington. Eiigland, that decided
Waterloo and saved Europe. When
Handel was born in Halle Saxony.
that decided the oratorios of "Judas
Maccabnus" and "Esther" and 'Israel
In Egypt" nndqa aJephthah" and "Mes-
slah." WHEN Ell Whitney was born at
Westboro, that decided the wealth of
all the cotton fields of the south. When
Gutenberg was born at Metz, Germany.
that decided the libraries of all Chris
tendon. When Clarkson was born in
Cambridgeshire, England, that decided
the doom Of human bondage. When
Morse was born at Breeds Hill, Mass,
that decided that the lightnings of
heaven should become galloping couri-
ers or stretch n throbbing iron nerve
clear under the sea. When Washing
ton was born at Westmoreland, Va.
that decided American Independence.
When Christ was born at Bethlehem.
that decided the redemption of the
world. Oh, look out for the cradles!
May a Bethlehem star of hope point
down to each one of them and every
lowering cloud be filed wiki chanting
angels of merry.