The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

dies the world? What is the flag it. self? Cnly yard of cloth, but mems hearts would break if it were disgrac- ed, and for its honor the bravest sons of England have laid down their lives! Nothing but sentiment. Why should a peasant cling to a few acres of cold
 hillisde and a cottage of three rooms when he could have a slice of the
 prairie in another land and be prosper
 ous, with more to eat and better clothes to wear? What does it matter
 taht he was born in that glen. and that his fathers lived there before him. and
 that their dust Is lying in the kirkyard,
 and that the people of his blood are l round him? This also is only sentiment; |; senseless, uncommercial sentiment:
 but when 1t dies. and men care not where they live so long as they have
 plenty to eat, nations will also die, and
 heroism be buried in the grave.
 Does anyone say that sentiment Is not true, that we must keep to facts like that prosaic and conscientious
 mother who had caught the modern spirit and judged 1t wrong to give any countenance to Santa Claus? She wished the minds of ner children to be cleansed from all fables, and so poor
 Santa Claus was exposed and abolished Perhaps there Is not such a man; per
  ney and stand in the children's room
 when Christmas Day Is born with his long silver beard and his load of gifts. Perhaps ne does not go from bed to
 bed and give the children his blessing. If you have read a sixpenny handbook of scientific knowledge, and have learnt that nothing exists which you cannot weigh in a pair of scales, then you Will not believe in Santa Claus. But Santa Iz
 is only a simple form and parable Of the love which Is at the heart of things which has blessed us all our days. There may not have been garden or Eden, with its trees and rivers, and its gates and angels. But there is state of innocence wherin a child dwells be- fore 1t goes out on its wander year, and to which a man looks back with fond
 regret. There may not be a city of gold. with its open gates unto everyone who keeps the commandments of God. but there is a state where there shall be no more death nor sin nor sorrow nor crying, to which they who have the
 child heart shall one day come, There is such thing IS prose- ana there IS such a thing as poetry; and the poetry is trusr than the prose, because It IS deeper and higher, because It deals
 with the things which are unseen ana eternal.
 Once upon a time mother was sit | ting with her children at the table and
 1t was a poor home, where there was not much to eat. and nothing over for stranger. As the mother was diVid- | ing their portions to the children, and
 sorrowing in her heart that there was
 so little to give, a child came to the
 door, cold and hungry and begged for
 bread and shelter. Her Kind heart
 could not refuse the appeal on the
 childs face. and everyone at the table
 gave a little to the guest. And then
 the family closed their eyes and bowed
 their heads to thank God for His mer- cy, ewhen a voice, tender and beautiful beyond all words, blessed the mother and her children. They opened their eyes and looked. and behold the stran-
 ger had departed. Then they knew | that the Christ Child had come to them as He cometh at Cnristmas-tide to ev-
 eryone who is of simple and kindly | heart.