Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-28

no substitute.
ped up so that ne could kneel at that
cradle. We have to smile at what the
imperial villain said when he ordered,
go and search diligently for the young
child, and when We have found him
bring me word, that | may 90 and wor-
ship him also"
Dore's picture OF the Massacre of the
Innocents" at Herod's command, pic
ture full of children hurled over walls
and dashed against streets and writing
under assassn's foot, gives us a little
impression of the manner in which Her
cd would have treated the real child il
he could once have got his hand on it.
But uerod could not find that cradle.
All the detectives he sent out failed in
the search. Yet it had been pointed out
by 1ashlight from the midnight heavens
All the neighborhood knew about it. The
angelic chorus in the cloud had called
musical attention to it. No sentinel
guarded it with drawn sword, passing
up and down by the pillow of that Beth
lehem caravansary. Why, then, was it
that the cradle was not despoled of its
treasure? Because it was divinely pro-
tected. There were wings lowering that
mortal eye could not see There were
armed immortals whose brandished
sword mortal eye could not follow. There
were chamots Of the omnipotent, the rum
BILE of whose wheels only supernaturals
could hear. God had started through
the cradle to save our world, and moth
ing could stop him.
You cannot reasonably account for that
unhurt cradle except on the theory of a
special divine protection. And most era
dies are likewise defended. Can you I'M
derstand why so many children. with all
the epidemics thai assail them and all,
their climbing to dangerous heights and
all their perilous experiments with eX-
plosives ana their running against horses
hoofs and daring of trolleys and carts
fast driven, yet somehow get through,
especially boys of high spirit and that
are going to amount to much? | ac-
count for their coming through all right,
with only a few wounds and bruises. by
the fact that they are dviney protected.
All your charges of Don't do this" and
Don't do that" and Don't 20 there"
seem to amount to nothing. They are
the same reckless creatures about whom
you are constantly anxious and wonder
ing what is the matter now. Divinely
protected. The most of yoir children
would have been dead long ago but for
that.
They can 90 through more perils and
fall from more heights and stumble into
more holes and cough with more intlucn-
zas and endure more earaches and suffer
with more runrounds and burn with more
fcvers and get through not permanently
damaged. How many children go through
all the accidents of childhood without
an eye dimmed or a limb fractured OF
finger broken? Every healthy boy is
miracle of divine protection. Be thank
full all parents. that it is SO and trust
your darlings under what the book OF
Ruth calls the wings of the Almighty
Nearly all cradles pass under six old
fashioned ailments. 1t always has been
so. They may be called by different
names, but we all had them, and we got
through, and yours, hope, will get
through. Young mothers, be not at
frighted. Through the clouds of invalid
ism lowering over your cradles catch a
little Of this sunshine of consolation.
The Starting Place.
Another CLEAN of light scattering some
of the gloom of that Christie pillow in
Bethlehem was the fact that it was the
starting place Of the most wonderful of
all careers Looking at Christs life from
mere worldly standponts, it was amaz-
ing beyond all capacity of pen or tongue
or canvas to express. Without taking a
years curriculum in any college, or even
day at any school, yet saying things
that the mightiest ntellects Of subse-
quent days have quoted and tried to ex-
pound. Great literary works have for
the most part been the result Of much
elaboration. Edmund Burke rewrote the
conclusion of his speech against Warren
Hastings 16 times. Lord Brougham re-
wrote his speech in behalf of Queen Car.
oline 20 times but the sermon on the
mount seemed eXtemporaneous. Christ
was eloquent without ever having studied
one of the laws OF oratory. He was the
greatest orator that ever lived. 1t was
not an eloquence Domosthenic or Cice.
ronic or like that of Jean Baptiste Mas
sillon or like that which William Writ
himself great orator, was overcome
with in log cabin meeting houses OF Vr.
ginia when the blind preacher cried out
in his sermon, Socrates died like a phi
losopher. but Jesus Christ died like q
God"
Christ's oratory was unlike anything
that went before or came after. Even
the criticism OF the world said. "NeveI
man spake like this man" Dramatici
Why. he took up child out of the au
dience and set him on a table and by the
embarrassed look Of the child taught
humility. He sent the prosecutors of q
poor, sinful woman, blushing and con
founded, out of the room by one sentence
of sarcasm Notice his power of EN-
| phasis and enunciation when he revealed
himself after his resurrection by the
peculiar way he pronounced the one WORD
Mary" His power of look shown by
the way Peter, the great apostle, wiltel
under 1t. The book says. The Lore
turned and looked upon Peter" II was
an Omnipotent facial expression. xIt
looked upon Peter. Power OF distinct
utterance. so that every one could hear
He opened his mouth, saying" NC
munbling and indistinct uttsTARss. IL