Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-12-15


Il adoption and by education. 1T was a
- radiant night In sprngtime The hills
+ | Of Bethlehem were bathed IN mellow
/ | radiance and there the shepherls
| watched their floCks. The white roofs
Z Of Bethlehem glisJened IN the moon-
I light DT0wsIly the guard leaned on
his spear, watching the dying embers
OF the FIRE and listening 10 the faint
nibbiing of the browsing sheep Far.
far away In the infinite depths Of the
blue ether the stars blazed forth their
light shedding a mellow radiance on
hill and vale
But now the attention Of the guard
Is no longer ON browsing sheep and dy-
ing embers. In rapt amazement his
gaze is on the heavens. There. amid
the stars, Is "A point OF light no more
luminous than they. yet vastly differ
emit Gradually II descends toward the
group OF shepherds. They spring to
their feet In amazemcnt at another
| apparltiOn In the midst Of the light,
forming q nucleus 20 90, and conCentra-
ting It's brilliance about his person IS
an angel, his countenance like light
ming, his eyes like the sun al monday.
| But his aspect not his manner. Is ter
! ribe Voice and words are infinitely
| gracious and tender Fear not" he
| soothingly says 10 the quaklng shep-
herds. For today is born TO you in
| the city Of David. a king, who is Christ,
| the Lord Then the light breaks into
! innumerabe points. each one a oherubs
| visage, and from these assembled hosts
! bursts forth the chant OF praise: Glory
| TO God In the highest, and on earth
| peace, good viii 10 men, Then as the
| glory fades and the heavenly hosts re-
/ cede from the wondering gaze Of the
| shepherds fainter and fainter comes
the refrain, Glory to God In the high
est ana on earth peace, good viii to
men,
Such. o Herod," said the young man.
| his manner suddenly changing from
gravity 20 light ralllery, us the story
Sounds II not like a rhapsody born I'm
the minds Of ignorant Galileans, in
ilamed with the stronger vintage OF
Bethlehem
But Herod's manner did not change
80 readily During all the recital he /
had narrowly watched the face OF Syl- !
vanus, and had hung on every word |
with rapt attention And when the |
Jew appeared IN the looks and words I
OF his young officer, h. viewed the ex- /
preston with alarm; for he saw there /
In an echo OF the universal opinion of /
the Jews that q Messiah was 70 come /
and break the yoke Of Rome from the |
neck Of Israel, And this fact must be 4
unconscously manifested by one OF his
sworn officers, even while he was striv-
Ing to show himself a friend 10 Herod!
Sylvanus marked Herods apparent
suspicion, and proceeded 10 reassure
him, "Dost thou think O Herod, that |
believe this story? Roman as | am,
and thy officer may -- can - turn
from my allegiance 10 thee 20 follow
after fable? No, MOI The world has
but one emperor, the mighty Augustus.
Israel has but one king. the great Her
cd. When Augustus came to rule. he
was the promised Shiloh ushering I'm
the reign OF peace. In him the sceptre
has departed from Israel, and the only
law'giver we have, or care to have is
thou, my MASTER"
wilt thou prove thy deyotlon?" Her.
cd asked
Command me-" exclaimed the other
IF thou deslrest that this pulling infant
be found and slain"
Hold softly softly" whispered
Herod. "Be wise and not too hasty.
Bethlehem Is but six miles distant, and
news Of danger travels swiftly. But
have come from the east 10 visit and |
worship this Messiah? The wise are
duh enough 20 execute my design, and
these wise men shall use for my pur-
pose. Knowest thou that they lodge
az the neighbOring inn? Bring them
hither Sylyanus, that l may question
them"
As the young officer departed to per-
form his errand, the conflict Of emo
lions within his soul manifested itself
clearly in his face on the one hand
vas the hope born Of his Jewish origin
md training that at some time Israel
would be supreme, and her dellyerer !
iubdue all enemies under his feet. on
he other hand were the desires spring.
ng from his present worldly ambition q
o rise high IN the kingdom Of Herod I
md the empire OF Rome. But the strug- Q
lie was brief: and the question was de- :
ided as we weak mortals often decide O
hose questlons-from the standpoint Of '
he flesh, not Of the spirit.
In a few moments he returned. usher
ng the magl into Herod's presence, In =
he meantime the king had completely y
hanged his demeanor. Though still y
acked with pain. and loathsome with :
is disease, he assumed a calmness and =
D
red would confirm IN the minds OF the !,
rise men the idea he desired should be n
'idespread-that he was an orthodox n
onvert TO Judaism and a believer In "a
he expected Messiah. q
His interview with the wise men was
rief So successfully did he conceal o.
Is sinister purpose, that he exacted
rom them a promise 90 return 10 him G..
hen they had found the child. and y
ring him word that he might know v,
here 20 go, and pay similar devotion. &,
Diminishing the travellers, he called m
ylvanus close 10 his side, and together e,
icy talked I'm low tones OF the plot vi
erod had In mind. And 10 thee. Syl-
anus" he said. as their interview II
osed, Il trust its execution. Let these N
lpes but bring me word Of the where n
bouts OF this boosted king, and not all Ia
le thunders Of the Jews Jehovah shall
we him from my WRATH dc
As Sylyanus departed from the coun-
! chamber. his thoughts were IN a VI
mutt. Doubt and fear, love and hat vi
q, faith and unbelief struggled to- al
Their and Il required all his self-con- ye
oil 10 avoid a betrayal Of his emotions
the loiterers among whom he walked re-
NJ ringing In his mind. above all his ne
.ser thoughts, was the beautiful re-
ain he had repeated 20 Herod: GLORY ~,
God In the highest; and on earth th