Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-12-24
THURSDAY EVENING. DEC. "a, 1908
THE GAZETTE wishes its patrons and
friends one and all Merry Christmas.
CHRISTMAS.

Christmas. with all its .halloweo
memories, is again upon us, and wherever
the cross has been planted tomorrow
will be celebrated with mingling OF the
sacred and joyous. Nineteen hundred
wears have elapsed since the babe who
was to revolutionize the religious worid
was living in a hostelry in Bethlehem,
watched over by angels, although at
tracing little of the attention OF the
guests who had pre-empted all the ac-
commodations of the inn until there was
no place for the heaven-bOrn child but
manger. About four thousand years
had elapsed since the first prophecy hao
been uttered. It was proclaimed IN the
Garden of Eden-nOt through human
seer, but by the Creator himself. Inc
"fullness of time" had come and the
literal seed of the woman, destined to
bruise the serpents head, had been born
into the world, and the fact was being
proclaimed by angel voices on Judea''
mains in songs melodious. "Watch-
man. what of the night" had been
uttered by many pious souls who had
waited patiently for the iulhllment Of
the forecasts concerning Jehovah's idea
of the perfect man. All sorts of dreams
had been INDUCED as to his character ana
Offices. The exuberant Israelite imagined
a sort of invincible Judas Maccabeus
was 10 come into the world with a ret
niue of heavenly attendants, but when
the sound of the angel choir was heard
the directions to the shepherds were to
a humble inn where the long-expected
child would be found nesting in man
ger. From the dawn of history man
has been feeling after the invisible. The
powers and influences of the unseen
world we're apparent to the ancients as
they are to. us. All thinking people
realized then that superior beings existed
somewhere and men were ceasing to be-
lieve they dwelt upon Mount Olympus,
in tabled groves or enchanted brooks.
They studied the heavens, watched the
planets and consultations and imagined
the Milky Way was a highway OF the
Gods. It was, however, all speculation
nothing tangible-and imaginative peo-
pie continued to dream of deities with
passions likened unto their own.
Thoughtful souls were still thinking OF
the vast unknown when the first Christ
mas morn broke upon the world and the
star in the east glittered. We are told
that centuries ago Christopher Columbus
peered out upon the painless Atlantic
and was convinced there was another
world. So man, since he was placed upon
the earth, has involuntarily turned his
eyes to the starry heavens and looked for
other orbs and superior beings. Sad
ducees, agnostics Of other days, had
failed to stihe this belief when the angel
chorus announced the mingling again OF
the heavenly and earthly. The divini-
ties of the Acropolis have not a single
wOrshipper today, while the babe OF
Bethlehem has proven more powerful
than Samson in the temple Of Dagon.
The affairs of classic days have long since
crumbled while the teachings of the
Holy One of Israel are acknowledged
wherever civilization exists. There are
many joys incident to the anniversary
of His birth, while there is much in the
spiritual line profitable to the soul. To
morrow should reproduce to all the his
tory of the babe of Bethlehem. There
are many who are prone through afecta-
ton of learning to use the terms "Ecce
Homo when calling attention to Him.
The great majority, however, in the
honesty of soul prefer to say "Ecce
Deus Homo"