The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17

Light out of darkness; summer out of winter. days longer and years larger, such is the burden of the Christmas ode. It is light and life and hope which give the joy to the Christmas holiday. Yes! and light and life and hope belong to Christmas when 1t is at the longest day of the year. quite as well as if were the shortest
 Of the twentieth century Christmas this is to be said or sung by poet or preacher, in Greenland or in Wilkes Land,-that the world is now one world. Perfected in one" and that with every year the union of contin- ents and islands is more perfect. To take little instance. which Is a pret- ty one, from the moment when Green began correcting the longitudes of the world by the electric telegraph. men have known as they did not know be- fore how the clocking Is beating at Greenwich, though they be living themselves on an island in the Pacific or on the edge of an ice floe in Alas ka. That the world may be one," that was the Saviour's prayer; and with every new wire laid under the ocean, with every pulse flashing un- seen from mast to mast, the prayer is answered. Men may be as cynical as they choose. or as selfish as the devil would have them, but in spite of cy-
 
 each others burden. to live each oth- er's lives and enjoy with each others joys. as they never did before. Two hundred years ago. no less a person than MT. Alexander Pope thought it good joke to write: ..t.
 ''Ye Gods! annihilate but space and
 time.
 And make two lovers happy"
 And an admiring world of readers year after year quoted his lines with q laugh as fine burlesque on the hopes and wishes of lovers. But now space Is annihilated; time is annihil- ated; and men and women know now that they are their brothers and sis ters. They could not help it if they would. They would not help 1t if they could. The plough boy in Dakota sends her daily bread to the old Scotch widow in the Highlands, who has prayed for 1t to the Father of them both. The oil which the sailor boy sends from Alaska. is sent half across the world pint of 1t is en- ongh for a thousand workshops. and because the boy did his duty. there off the North Cape, the balance wheel of my watch Is running right today. and the balance wheel of Janes watch is running right today, and Jane and meet each other at the trySting place on Christmas morning. without the loss of a second from our Christ mas kiss. Indeed, I cannot be selfish if I would. l cannot steal away and complain to the good God that He has left me alone. I cannot say that care for nobody and nobody cares for me.
 Dear Reader. before you kindle your fire with this journal. if you read in Labrador. or before you pin up the sheet to screen the suns rays as they pass too hotly through the window of your house on the Island of Antipo- des. take to mind on your Christmas day. that we are indeed one. Find out how you can consecrate the long day or the long night to this mutual ser- vice. What are you doing. old fell low. in drawing people even closer and closer? The century has to build the four great railway systems. First the four track railway from Hudson's Bay to Patagonia. Second. the four track railway from Hamburg to Kamschat- ka. Third. the railway which shall bind Europe with Syria. Babylon. Af- ghanistan and Burmah. Fourth. the railway from Cairo to the Cape Are you doing your share about this? Are you writing a song about it. or are you turning sod. or are you filing a rivet?
 Or without thinking of the Cape or of Beloochistan or Beled -el- -Jered. how is it about old Caesar in the "Hol- low" behind your cedars? Or is it in Antactic Hollow" on the other side of a Mango grove? Sarah. dear. how long is it since anybody has seen old Caesars people? Whatever be- came of that boy of old Caesars who shipped on the Carmorant. or that girl of his who went up to the Four corners to find q place? Sarah. dear let us have the Jinrikisha or the Vic- toria or the buggy. and see how old Caesar is getting on? For each of us has his old Caesar and each of us can tie up his own particular knot in the wrap of life and each of us can throw across the warp the shuttle which bears the Christmas thread. And all this means that boy or girl. young man or maiden. father or mother. sol dier; merchant, machinist. teacher or pupil-all of us. up to the old men of four score, and their contemporaries among the old women, are to look around on Christmas day and see what we have to do for peace among the nations. Somebody, somewherek sang Christmas morning. Glory 10 God in the highest and on earth peace good will to man" Somebody somewhere. dear reader, can and ought to sing this song. again today and what is more. you and I are