Evening journal., 1900-12-24
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
Let the Bells Ring

influence of the time which calls mem
ories crowding from vaults of years
long gone by. and summons from the
year to come. Bells, ringing in joyous
unison. will hail the advent of another
anniversary OF Christs coming, but in
the souls of men, above and beyond
our understanding, bells will be ring
ing as memories come swarming up
from the mysterious recesses Of the
soul. They will toll, and toll slowly
and terribly solemn knells They will
peal and clash and dance in joyous dis
order. They Will chime and sing
smooth harmonies of pathos and love.
beauty and laughter.
Reason, the lessons Of the senses. the
exhaltat,ons of the grosser nature. Ell
compass and press about us. but be
yond and above this sordid air and ii
mists OF passion, fear, greed and cal
culation. the soul rises to clearer re
giOns. near we may hope and believe
TO the pure and everlasting throne
where the Eternal Power watches and
knows. We know that the temples Of
the human soul are peOpled by long
ings, yearnings, dreams and aspira-
tions, which live and are beautiful;
when elude us like spectres as we try
| l4lI
us upward and watt us onward above
and beyond the shadows and darkness
to all-pervadlng light
With them at this season mingle the
memories of the past, the hopes de-
scending in smiling hosts from the hill
tops Of the year beyond; and the
Christmas bells ring. in cadence and
/ rhythm, in the melodies of many
moods. Falling slowly as from vast
heights, come the mournful echoes Of
old sorTows, dying to solemn whispers
in the sequestered recesses, where sor-
rows linger again, the bells sing to
us Of beautiful memories, or of mer-
riment and music and the dancing Of
bright eyes and the happy beating Of
young hearts Yet, again, they are
sounding and resOunding the triumph
ant strains of TIE Deums and Hosannas
Of eXaltation All these belong to
Christmas. for il ia the time for mem
OrieS to come back and hopes to
throng, for musing, for rejoicing, and
light, and life, and laughter, and music
and mistletoe, and holly,
And let the shadows and the toiling
Of the bells and the echoes of old scr
rows be held within our own souls.
While looking out upon a Winter
landscape, or upon falling Goals, We
may muse upon schemes summoned by
the Power Of the day, and time may
toll backward to the shroud and pail
They may bring US Christmas days
from the past. the notes of voices
hushed forever, Of laughter which may
be heard no mere, of old happiness,
gone and buried hOpes-sounds
we loved returning to us as
r.f
forms we knew so we'll, now
shadows. For no one Of us has
escaped disappointment, and In the
graveyards Of many kind we find COM
( mon ground 10 which we return as we
e muse.
r Banishing the musing and sombre
r dirges, come the changing, the ordered
I disorder, the music of rejoicing. Lei
p the soul thrill responsive to it, and alb
{ sorb its meaning of new life ant
n bright hope. Let the bells within the
t SOUL not cast by mortal hand or to b,
8 heard by mortal ear. peal out glat
It strains it for the light. happy anC
4 strong to answer, befitting the red o
T. holly berries, and sparkling eyes. ant
, the glory and the beauty Of youth an,
L happiness. Let the bells Of the sou
! change from slow tolllng to the merr
i clashinga and changing notes of triumph
!, the rejoicing of a universe. the sing
: ing together of the vast choru
= Of the stars circling in their orbs ans
!, making unlimited space resound. Tn
= soul. too, is unlimited, unbOunded
eternal and destined to the everlasting
~ and all-prevading life Let all il
: heights and depths and recesses rim
= to the "Te Deum Laudamus."
y While the shepherds watched thei
=, dOcks by night the far spreading arc
=. Of the sky opened and the light of tn
- moon and stars was dimmed by tn
- effulgence of a new glory. In that "a
dance angels crOwed to the new port
to sing OF peace on earth and goct
a. a. will to men and the coming of the So
- of Mary. They sang to an unconsciol
"a world Of a new life and a new glory
te come from the death, agony and so
le' row OF the newborn then in ewa'
~ ding clothes in the manger at Beh
or lehem of Judea. The echo of tn.
oh mighty music of tenderful and wol
y derful love. generosity and pity, wild
y than the universe, should sound
III every soul at Chrlstmastide.
~ SO let the bells ring in the tempt
~ of cur souls. Let us mourn the de.
'n and buried hopes OF the past, welcoI
on .S the new hopes coming from the gl'
~ and glory OF the rising sun of a M
80 day Then let the bells clang Al
10 ,'s' clash and confusion of happy tun
- come merrily, and. spreading throu
- 20 all the soul. let the triumph. the :"
~ Deum Hosanna" rise.
,,s It is a time to remember the pi
- with love and tenderness. to look
Za-o - the future with hope and eagerness
~ spread about us while we may. hap
"a ness and kindly Aoushts and
"a seeds Of pleasant memories to bloss'
nm nm and be beautiful in the days conf
bar from beyond the East and the horii
.ior and the hill tops.
~ - II is a time to express in word a
deed the happier and the more 81
80 ious music of the bells within {
-. souls. to let the sweeA and solemn I,
~" ~, ing fall in silvery sprays Of benedict
oSi and benevolence on tie holly snd
lsn- mistletoe, on the happy heads Of e.