The news & observer., 1905-12-31

The Christmas is past, but It's too
early, at the time of this writing, to
tell how many presents the occasion
has brought or may yet bring The re-
turns are not all in yet; but / knew
l was elected SO soon as I heard from
Franklin ton. for the returns came
in all right in the shape of a turkey
gobbler; and that settled the matter.
Brother T. c. Joyner who has man.
aged my Christmas campaign, for
nigh on to twenty years, has been
heard to say, (and his word is as good
as his bondl that so long as he eats
turkey, at his house on Christmas, l
am to eat turkey too, at my house on
Christmas; So as | see it now. I'll be
elected just SO long as / continue to
run; and I've made up my mind that
I'll keep on running as long as | can
eat a Christmas turkey.
Yes, my long tried friend, T. c. JOY
ner, Esq, Of Franklinton, sent me a
Christmas turkey, thing he has done
annually for at least sixteen on seven
teen years in succession; and sent it
so far ahead of the day as to relieve
the mind of any uncertainty about get
ting the much priced Christmas tur-
key For which kindness and thought
fulness vote of thanks, by rising and
standing until counted, was given
when the turkey arrived-the tur-
key standing too. For strange as it
may sound, the turkey seemed to be
glad he'd come. The express man
came to the door and put down Che
bag. The turkey, whose head was
sticking out, so soon as he saw where
he was-that he'd got to the right
place.-rose up and walked right in. A
sort of a sack walk
No, a turkey wasn't all that / got
by a long shot A lady sent me pair
of kid gloves. another lady gave me
a book, a gentleman gave me a neck
tie, another gentleman gave me a box
of cigars, a sweet young girl gave
me pretty calendar, a nice young
man gave me a match safe, the wife
gave me a fountain pen and the
daughter gave me some collars and
cravat and a pair of cuff buttons. AS
! am away from home while writing
/ can't tell how many other things
old Santa left there for me.
In addition to the presents re-
ceived. not less than a dozen copies
of "Whitaker's "Reminiscences" have
been sold, within the last few days, to
people who wished to make presents
to their friends. Haven't / had a
a Christmas right?
That's not all of it. For the last
few days | have been visiting in Kin
enjoying the pleasure of meeting
them, but of partaking of the good
things which they had SO lavishl-- pre-
pared for the Christmas.
/ don't know whether I'll be among
the living next Christmas, or not but
this / can say: / cannot hope to spend
a more pleasant Christmas than this
has been.
| am sure the reader don't expect
,r;t Il of
ter this week. for he must know from
experience that, in the midst OF
Christmas festivities one. even an old
man, will become more or less de-
moraliZed.
| hope all the boys, old and young,
have behaved themselves, and all the
girls, from the little tot with her first
doll to the grandmother have acted
wisely and we'll before the boys, and
that everybody, everywhere has had a
merry Christmas.
I trust also that no Christian SO far
forgot his calling as to make himself
a stumbling block or an offence to his
sinner neighbor, by drinking and
drunkenness dueing the Christmas;
that no man, claiming to be a disci-
pie of the child Jesus, brought re-
proach, in any wise, upon his Chris
tian character, while celebrating the
world to seek and to save sinners.
The angels shouted: "Glory to God
in the highest, on earth peace, good
will toward men!" on that night when
the Child Jesus lay in the manger,
wrapped in swaddling clothes, giving
to earth a new creed and to human
life higher and holier ideals. Glory
the souls highest, holiest alteration,
to God; peace, a peace resembling that
which makes heaven happy, was to be
the grand and glorious achievement
of the gospel, while good will toward
man was to lay the golden rule to
every act of life-doing unto others
as you would that others should do
unto you.
That man is happy who gives COO
glory, who is at peace with God and
all men, and who, above all else, does
unto his fellow man as he would have
his fellow man do unto him. But, how
miserable is that man, though he may
dwell in a mansion, fare sumptuously
every day and dress in purple ana
fine linen, who knows thta he has de-
frauded, or, in any wise, taken the
advantage of his neighbor? He knows
that, while he processes to be guided
by the principles of the gospel OF
peace and good will, and, like the
Pharisee, is pretending, along certain
lines, to be holier than others, he is
rogue in disguise, murderer at heart.
a very devil in the garb of. saint;
and, if he believes the teachings of
the Bible, he knows that tract of land,