The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-12-24
; ~ WOULD COME
Would be Invited if
Christ Should Give a
Dinner?
For One Day at Least There Would be
Joy in the Homes Of Poverty, for
The Cold and Hungry Would be
Warmed and Fed.

To the Editor: Nineteen centuries
and more have passed since the first
Christmas day dawned on an earth
without light, on a world without
nope. Since then the light has
spread; the hope has grown, in some
measure. We no longer burn witches
or hang little boys. Ihe loot and the
thumb-ScreW are gone and rack as
plaIn salvation is out OF date. On
The anniversary OF Jemersons Dirtn-
DAY has followers still meet and drlnA
20 The memory OF the great Apostle
OF human Freedom.
Andrew Jackson's entrance into "a
word OF tribulatlon is duly celebrated;
but no anniversary in the Christian
world is So widely observed as the
birthday Oh the f>Ing Oh Kings.
This indicates progress though il
must be confessed That with very
many thousands it is customary to
marx the coming of Christmas sim
ply with a long Dottle and an elabo-
rate dinner. How many of His fol-
lowers celebrate the day as He would
| nave them do? HOW many spend il
as He himself would, ii he should
come back again and give a dinner
to Ills friends? Who would be His
guests on sucn momentous occa-
sion? Who would have the honor of
sitting down with the King of kings
| for a host? During these nineteen
| centuries the Christian religion has
grown in favor. Even the glittering
! throng OF fashion has extended it u
| languld patronage. The powerful
world OF finance acknowledges that
| it is suitable for one day OF the week
and on Sunday morning ostentatiously
and With lofty condensation passes
the plate among the richly dressed
congregation. SO we may presume
| that the Kingly Host might choose
among ''our best people" when He
came TO select his guests While it is
| esteemed an honor TO dine with King
| Edward, even society itself would
probably admit that Slight prefer
ence should be shown the King of
Heaven.
Who then would receive an invita-
! ton for that gathering. The Car of
| Russia?
We can hardly think SO. The Car
is not SO dominant as he once was.
Some of the tinsel has peeled from
his paste board crown and the frown-
ing Castle of AbSolutiSm, long the
terror of the nations, trembles and
rocks to its foundations Several Incl
dents in the Cars life lead to the be-
lief that he would mot be among the
favored Indeed We may well con-
clude that if he should receive an in
VitaJion, he would view it askance and
send the same message that greeted
the same Host at a former feast Il
pray thee have me excused"
The Car would have just ground
to fear that at the feast some awkward
topics might arise for discussion. The
Host might enquire the measuring of
those long rows of wooden crosses and
ideographed slabs that cluster about
] a Il. 1an l.. ~
plains about Lao Yang and Mukden.
He might ask why SO many women
in Russia wear mourning and why
the people are hungry. Then, too, He
might ask (for during His former So
journ on earth He gained a reputation
for plain speaking), what the news
is from Kishneiff and whether the
Jews still perescute His followers as
| they did in the days of Peter and An
drew No, however, flattered he might
| be to be asked to dine in such august
company we must think that the Car
would consider it wise, on the whole,
| to decline. AS for the Emperor Will
liam, his pride being something
| loftier than that of observation-disclosures
upon the completion of Babylon, we
could hardly expect him to attend a
function at which he could not rea-
| sonably hope to be the chief figure.
| King Leopold we may rest assured
would not be there. His operations in
| the Congo furnish a sufficient guar
antee that it will take something
stronger than any mere invitation to
drag him into the presence of the
Kingly Host.
In the distribution of cards, how
would our own land fare? Leaving the
heads of hereditary monarchies would
| the Host invite the uncrowned Kings
of the political and financial world?
| Could we look for Platt, Depew, Nc
| Call, McCurdy, Hyde and Alexander?
1t is not likely And they like the
| Car, if invited would be almost sure
to send regrets. No doubt they would
| feel fiattered but wisdom would sug-
gest the sacrifice of vanity to COM
i fort "The Host is closely related to
| the author of that obsolete saying:
Thou shalt not steal How do we
know that some untactful person
would not introduce the subject OF lie
| insurance? 2" Something like the fore
going we can imagine their reflections
would be. What of the glittering
butterflies of fashion. the society
| founded on wealth made by the sale
of mink skins, the operation of
Islaughter-houses and shady deals In
Wall street? Sad as it may seem we
could hardly hope to meet Americas
most exclusive set on that occasion.
The Host uttered some very harsh
things about divorce: insisted upon
rigid observance of the Seventh Com
mandment and used a plain old-fash-
toned word for the modern term "di-
vorcee" The Smart Set could explain
their failure to receive an invitation
by the plea that they had never been
introduced to the Host-did not know
Him at ALL in fact" an excuse which
r., the way. would be literally true, no
doubt concerning most of them.
Unless the preferences Of the Host
Continued on Page Three.)