Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-01-10
CHRISTMAS ECHOES.
CRRISTMAS-TlDE TOUCHES THE
HUMAN HEART.

Inc Hearts OF the Poor Made to Leap With
Joy - fiallowins influences Upon Those
Whom Christ Did Not Condemn-The Spirit
Touched the Executive Heart and Three
Families Are Uplifted With Exceeding Great
Joy-it Ceases Its Beats With This Act o.
Mercy Giving Impulse to Its Last Throb.
The spirit of the holiday season fills
the air, gladdens the heart, quickens
love and good will and puts new face
upon the race; and yet, but for the
magic touch of the mystical tube,
much OF its beauty might be forever
hidden in the heart of the individual,
and find no record in the annals OF
time, or more important, in the I'M
perishable record of the STANDARD.
The Spirit led the principal of one
OF our schools out into the byways of
our prosperous little city, where,
thanks be to God, so little of want and
poverty is found. But still they can
be found, if hunted for, and three FAM
lilies, fifteen little ones, were found
who had been forgotten by the Patron
Saint OF the Christmas season. Now
childhood is always responsive to good,
when properly presented, and the way
the Eighth grade responded-and the
way those fifteen little ones rejoiced,
and the Joy of those three families
on Christmas morning!
The Spirit stepped into the assem-
bly, room OF the Olympia hotel. A lit
tie waif, a raggy, barefooted boy, sat
and gazed with hungry eyes. The
lights, the warmth, the pictures, the
glow, filled his little soul. But his
little toes peeped out of his ragged
shoes, and he was shabbily clad, and it
was chilly outside. The Spirit tapped
a we'll known Spokane man on the
shoulder, and pointed to the boy. 1t
was enough. Said the man, to him.
SELF" why wouldn't nice warm pair
of shoes and some clothing give that
little child a Christmas heart? and
taking the youngster by the hand he
started ont. As they reached the door,
the boy turned and took one earnest,
longing, lingering look, and as the
door closed he said, ooh, myl amt it
nice in there" What a wealth of
poverty in that little exclamation!
The Spirit descended below the
Qor Christmas, with it's
foodtide of love, knows not the bar
riers of sin) and touched the hearts of
the beautiful girls. A hush fell upon
the revelry. One, a blonde with lovely
blue eyes and auburn hair, said DWELL,
dear old mother is thinking of her
girl tonight" "And girls" said she,
what would you give to be again the
innocent little child of few short
years ago, when Christmas morn
brought no sting of remorse, no blush
of shame to your cheeks" No one
spoke, but the tear that sparkled in
each eye showed that love of good still
had place in those hearts. "My
thinks am engaged in honest
TOLL" said a black-eyed brunette, "and
l sent her nice new dress. 1 would
not, for ten thousand worlds. have her
know where l am to night" And so
each, in turn, told of the old home
and the pure young life. Again a
hush fell upon the company, when the
soul OF a beautiful young girl, just sew
enteeu, sweetly flowed out in the old
song
" Mid pleasures and palaces though 1
may roam,
Be it ever so humble there's no place
like home"
One by one, as the song was sung,
the girls, with streaming eyes and
sobbing hearts left the room. The
singer finished her song and turning
round, saw that she was alone. The
tears were streaming down her cheeks.
With great sob she fell on her knees,
her long hair like q halo covered
her bare shoulders and heaving bosom,
and this was the prayer that fell from
her lips:
"God be merciful to me q woman"
and the Spirit OF Christmas passed on.
The Spirit tapped lightly at the ex-
ecutive heart. Stern Justice, cold,
calm. dignifed, had long reigned there.
Law, positive, unyielding, impartial,
must be maintained. Penalties must
follow violated law. "The
way OF the transgressor is hard" But
the Spirit touched his heart. Three
men were serving life sentences at
Walla Walla; one had for twenty years
looked out upon hopeless life and all
that time faithful wife had stood by
him, believed in him, worked to raise
their family in honesty, and was still
and watching and hoping for
The return OF the man she loved. 1t was
The Christmas-tide. 1t was in the air.
It was in the community. 1t was in
every heart, and Justice wept and was
The law had been vindicat.
ed and.smiled approval; sufficient PEN
atty had been paid. The Spirit
touched the Executive heart and out
upon the wings OF Mercy three pardons
we're borne to the prison walls. To
three families there never dawned
sweeter Christmas morn. Freed from
The law; the penalty paid; the stains
wiped out, from the prison walls three
men went out with the Spirit of Christ
mas in their hearts-free men.
And the Angel of Death, seeking
shining mark, touched the Executive
heart and claimed him for his own.
GEO. Cottrell, Of Seattle, usually so
accurate in all his writing, seems to