The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-12-26

Old place and as ten or twenty or fifty
years ago come and open the old BIZ
Die as you used to, read and kneel in
the same place where you used to pray
and look upon us as of old when you
wished us merry Christmas or a
happy New Year. But no. That would
not be fair to call you back You had
troubles enough and aches enough and
bereavements enough while you were
here. larry by the throne, mother,
I'LL we join you there, prayers all an
sWered, and in the eternal homestead
OF our God we shall again keep Christ
mas jubilee together But speak from
your thrones, al you glorifsd mothers,
and say to all these, your sons and
daughters, words of love, words of
Warming words of cheer. They need
your voice, for they have travelled far
and with many a heartbreak since
you left them, and you do well to call
from the heights of heaven to the val
leys of earth. Hail. enthroned ances-
try! We are coming Keep place
right beside you at the banquet.
Into the gold of that unsetting sun
Homesick we are for thee,
Calm land beyond the sea.
Behold also in that first Christmas
night that God honored the fields.
Come in, shepherd boys, to Bethlehem.
and see the child. No." they say;
I'VE are not dressed good enough to
come in Yes, you are. Come in
Sure enough, the storms and the night
dew and the brambles have made rough
work with their apparel, but none has
better right to come in. They were
the first to hear the music of that
Christmas night. The first announce
ment Of a Savior's birth was made to
those men in the fields. There were
wiseacres that night in Bethlehem and
Jerusalem snoring in deep sleep, and
there were salaried officers of govern
ment who, hearing of it afterward
may have thought that they ought to
have had the first news of such a great
event, some one dismounting from a
swift camel at their door and knock
ing till at some sentinePs question,
Who comes thare?' the great ones Of
the palace might have been told of the
celestial arrival. No; the shepherds
heard the first two bars of the music,
the first in the major key and the last
III the subdued minor, Glory to God
IN the highest and on earth peace,
good will to men, All, yes, the fields
were honored.
The old shepherds, with plaid and
crook, have for the most part van
ished, but we have grazing on our
United States pasture fields and prairie
about 42,o00,000 sheep, and all their
keepers ought 10 follow the shepherds
of my text and all those who toll in
fields-all vine dressers, all orchard
lists, all husbandmen. Not only that
Christmas night but all up and down
the worlds history. God has been hon
oring the fields Nearly all the mes
siahs of reform and literature and elo-
quence and law and benevolence have
come from the fields. Washington from
the fields. Jefferson from the fields
The presidential martyrs, Garfield and
Lincoln and Mckinley, from the fields.
Henry Clay from the fields. Daniel
Webster from Inc fields. Martin Lu-
Their from the fields. Before this world
is right the overlooking populations of
our crowded cities will have to take to
the fields. Instead Of ten merchants
in rivalry as to who shall sell that one
apple we want at least eight of them
+ to go out and raise apples Instead
of ten merchants desiring to sell that
one bushel OF wheat we want at least
eight of them to go out and raise
wheat. The world wants now more
hard hands, more bronzed cheeks, more
muscular arms. To the fields! God
honored them when he woke up the
shepherds by the midnight anthem.
and he will while the world lasts con-
tinue to honor the fields When the
shepherds crook was that famous
night stood against the wall of the
Bethlehem khan, it was a prophecy of
the time when thrasher's fail and
farmers pillow and woodlands ak and
oXs yoke and sheaf BINDERS rake shall
surrender to the God who made the
country as man made the town.