Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-12-26
Lines FOR . christma. Festlxal.

Again. again the year comes round. a. Other
| years have done,
Since from the forming hand Of God outnashed
1t brings to US Of good or Ill our share with al
| mankind;
But good or hit matters not. The philosophic
| mind
And heart all fortified with trust. can fully
| understand,
Alike they flow. with wise intent. from out q
Fathers hand.
The seasons come. the seasons 80. and warmth
Moons wax and wane, stars pale and faint, and
we are growing old.
The hearts that hate shall love again, where
And souls athiTst ' shah drink their Ill beyond
the starit skies.
The wilderness and barren land. where no glad
current flows,
In Gods own time and providence shall blossom
The little pilgrims sweet havs come around your
hearth this year;
The bent and batteref, weary in life's autumn
lone and sere,
Have laid their burden down; and well know,
They quair large draughts Of vigor now from
Youths eternal spring
New forms appear, new scenes arise, new birds
are on the wing;
New friends are found that all our lives shall
pleasant memories bring,
When other friends shall take their place In
years that are to be,
W no now. In seeming. claim our love that erst
flowed fresh and free
Toward those old friends Of other days who are
Who when we meet on life's rough ways just
say, "Hello''! and bow.
New hopes are framed, new ties are formed 30
IKE the ties that broke;
New schemes are laid like those old schemes that
ended all-in smoke.
Because they clashed with plans of Him who
never leads astray,
Who doth His viii and moldeth man as potters
The world is one vast checker. board-God NOV
eth night and day.
Boast not, o man! IL you be crowned. the Lord
Is In the play.
If you be jumped and come to grief while others
go Il" high,
Be meek as Moses, hold your tongue and eat
your humble pie.
New paths are tried, new thoughts engage-high
thoughts. unthought before,
Which speak the onward march or mind that
faters nevermore.
Life comes, life goes Death tiptoes DER the
stage; strikes when and where
And whom he will Of actors great and actors
And young, the old and faint. the tried and
true.
Some coming day or night he'll call for me, he'll
call for you.
What then3 The universe will move; the world
will still wag on,
And others act our part who never knew the
actors gone,
And feel no heavy weight Of grief because they
did not know.
December brings Its Christmas yet. ts frosts
and Ice and snow,
just as 1t did when we were young In the dead
years long ago,
When we. as little boys and girls, went coast,ng
down the hill,
just as 1t will when, labor done, were sleeping
calm and still.
And Christmas brings its Santa Claus-perhaps
he'll come tonight,
IN. - .ho,. N,tla ont,tto ,rarp, thaaa ntflo
faces bright.
This night this blessed Christmas night. is big
with Joy;
Men greet its advent glad. and angel bands their
In hymning songs Of peace and praise, with no
discordant sound.
Just as they sang when shep herds watched on
The day had dawned. they well might sing in
their sublimest strains;
The star appeared serene and high DER Judah's
sacred plains,
Adam fell
He'd come to break sims iron thrall and quench
the brands Of He'll.
very God in human form. He'd come to seek
And snatch victory from defeat, a victory DER
Or called defeat perhaps by little talking
tongues. Not SO,
For He Who hath created US defeat can never
know.
December wakes old. With unshed tears our
lids are wet.
What high resolves we've made this year, and
we're resolving yet.
And shall our lives be wasted SO? Our hearts
grow hard and dry?
Shall no good thing be found In us when the
angels see us die?
And shall we thus grope blndly on-no longings
for the light.
But heady, pulled and confident, dash out Into
the night?
And shall we pitch our tunes thus low! we
catch no purer tone
Than what Is taught in Satan's school-then,
tread the vale alone!
II we can say and truly say, we're doing what
we can
To heal the strife in neighborhoods and help our
brother man,
Death has no sting, the grave no gloom and life
no bitter Ill.
Lord. bring me down, or raise me up, and-do
Thy holy will.