The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-12-24


| till We get through"
And this brings to us the donlinsn
thought of this little Christmas preach
ment, our spasmcdic com p!iancs will
tho great command Of tho ANGEL,
song, cur Intermittent observance G
the spirit of Christmas. This, then, i
"a plea that it may not bc for da.
only, and that 1t may not be for chi
dren only that we keep the great holi
day of the world, with peace on cartl
and goodwill toward men.
1t is natural that We should wisl
that JOY might be unalloyed en- thi
day,and 1t is indubitabie tina. unallov
ed JOY may be had only by those who
are beginning life, not by those wht
haye experienced its troubles: Tiers
fore the spirit Of Christmas, which l.
to commemorate the birth of a Child
finds its sweetest manifestation in tn.
verdant heart, the youthful! mind, the
| happiness of children.
AS for ourselves, there is eyer .
touch OF sadness In our CLEO. We twins
| the cypress with the laurel. The mind
goes back to other days when wa we're
children we recall those no longe,
here wa fain would see again. The
vanished hand is extended on each re-
curing anniversary, the longing o!
tho stilled voice despens ever. But II
is not so with our children. There
arc no clouds upon their suns h inc
Let us maks them happy. But is that
all? Can we do more?
Are there no little children besides
thoss whose feet patter through our
own halls, those who clux:.. around
our own hearth, whose laugh rings
oIt under cur own roof tree, VII rm we
car make happy? Are there no I:trle
children who have not the advantages
that our own ENJOY with whom We
can share what we have On this day
YES. And is !hat all?
Arc there no others OF larger groE.h
to whom We may extend !he *"
feeling OF the sweetest day of he ,s . !:
Arc there no ranking diT*rcs cas- lbs
we may compose? No ancieat cnn.-
t:e' tina. VIC can dissolve? Nd burn
ing hatreds that we can s!ake in ::i..d
ness? No jagged breaks that VIC cat
knit together? No lives riven asurdyr,
no lover. parted, no friends severed,
that we can help to make ono again?
Can we not begin on this Ch,lstmae
Day, that "Truce of Goa," which sbals
Danish all that is selfish, mean, narrow,
and ignoble; which shall pave the
way for that profound alliance between
men and men which is yet but a
dream, hope? Shall there not be in
augurated brotherhood as eternal as
the message, as overwhelming as the
revelation?
Men and the world have M Chilly ad.
vancsd in nineteen hundred years
since those angels sang in the morning.
And we shall continue to advance
while creation endures. The law oi
life is upward. Bat We can make the
advance faster, bring the desired end
nearer, and so help the great consum-
nation, if we will but try.
The world is full of discord. Arms
in hand, nation confronts nation upon
many far flung frontiers combinations
face combinations with war the watc b.
word within many a natural border !;
power holds and opp.esses those WHO
would diminish it; aspiration grssps
at opportunity; weakness assemblies
desperately striving, fain to eni,y that
which it now repudiates. Private war
il still waged. Men are bsggared, wo
men shamed, children cursed, ia the
present strife of trade, commerce, labor,
capital, speculation, politics. The
world is still unkind. There is need @!
a new proclamation OF the old yet ever
marvellous story: Peacs on earth, good
will to men today, tomorrow, forever.
"Evsry REFORM" said great modern
philosopher, "was once private opin-
ion." When the man who holds 1t hes
communicated it to another man 80
that it becomes his private opinion,
the reform is ultimately assured
which il but another variation O: that
Child grown to manhood, "Where two
or three ars gathered together in my
Name, there am I In the midst of
them."
"Be kindly affectioned one to sn
other" on Christmas Day, and on all
the days that shall follow after. Let
the proclamation ct the herald angels
find resting place in your heart, and
do you "givs to the gracious message a
host Of tongues" so that not only the
heavens, but the earth itself, will
forever resouni with the glad aecla-
nation.