Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-12-18


poor widows of Zarephath, and his
Enochs, and his Josephs of Nazareth,
and his Cushis, as well as for his Joabs,
and Abishais, and Ittais. and Davids.
All, yes, the work of Joseph the car
penter caring for the helpless Christ
during his years Of infancy should
teach US all to honor God in our own
work in life, no matter how insignif-
cant it may be.
Canst thou not seize the inspiration
of this lesson for the coming Christmas
day? One of the most beautiful pic
lures ever painted is that called 1.-The
Carpenter Shop Of Nazareth There
the great Master opens the humble door
for all the world to look in and see
beautiful family scene. On one side of
the room sits woman sewing. Her
eyes are cast down, but her face is a
beautiful face-so pure. so gentle. so
truthful. Her fingers are busy. The
financial struggle of that home is a
heavy one to bear "She layeth her
hands to the spindle, and her hands
hold the diStaff." She is Mary. the
mother of Jesus. At her feet is a little
fiaxen haired child playing. The face
is that of a child, but as YOU gaze on
those eyes and that wondrous face you
feel that you are watching a perfect
child-aye, supernatural one The lit
tie child, of course is Jesus The floor
is covered with shavings. The carpen-
terS implements are scattered around.
A strong, powerful limbed workman
is bending over workman's table join
ing together two pieces of wood. This
Hebrew face is that of Joseph the car
penter-Joseph, who is earning bread
for the infant Christ. "Ah," l said to
myself as / watched that picture,
would that 1 might be able to have
some soul leaning on me as the infant
Christ was dependent upon Joseph.
Would that l might lead some one to
Christ and then carefully protect him
and help him during his years of temp
tation, even as Joseph protected Jesus
during his years of childhood helpless
ness" Do you wonder that Joseph had
right to be standing near to the man
ger on the first Christmas morn?
A Noble and Manly Character.
The ennobling example of a pure
marital love was furnished by Joseph's
journey to the Bethlehem manger. The
gentle love which bound your father
and mother together and nodded you
and your brothers and sisters in a
moral and spiritual way was the same
kind of gentle love that bound Joseph
to Mary and helped to mold the mental
life Of the infant Christ, for, though
Joseph the carpenter was not the IA
Their of Jesus, he gave him parental
care and must have received from that
loving nature a boys gratitude. Still
more as Jesus grew to years of discre-
ton and learned the circumstances of
his birth would his love for his mother
include also the man who had protect
! ed her. Nothing more manly is found
| in all history than Joseph's attitude to-
| ward Mary when he found out she was
| to become the mother of the infant
| Christ
Let me explain to you this history
more in detail. Joseph was an intense
man. He was one Of those men whom
women have hard work to influence.
He was evidently an elderly man,
probably fifty years Of age, but he
was one who when he did surrender
his heart to woman gave to her his
whole heart and not d part. He loved
Mary with that deep, tender, holy af-
lection which only a true, strong man
can give to truly good, noble, beauti-
full woman. He loved her with a love
that would willingly lay down his life
! if he could make the loved one happier
| by the sacrifice. He loved her so much
that her companionship became the
hope, the joy and the heart of his very
/ existence. He loved her for time and
for eternity.
Now, when Mary was about to be-
come the mother of Christ all the peo-
pie of her village knew it. They Cos
! siped about it. They at once looked,
| upon her as a bad woman. In the
| sight of those Hebrew people she was
| social outcast. Joseph was at first
| much troubled The Bible tells US that
| he was about to break the bonds Of the
| marital engagement and put her away
| privily," but when an angel of the
Lord appeared unto him and said that
| Mary was to become the mother of
| the Son of God, ''for that which is con-
| ceived in her is of the Holy Spirit at
| once this brave, noble carpenter he
came her protector. He knew that he
would be despised for marrying her
yet he hesitated not one instant He
stepped right up to her side. He mt
his arm about her He said: MARRY
me, Mary, and SANDER shall not touch
| thee. l shall give thee the protection
of my name" Then he turned and
! faced the cynical, sneering, scoffing
deriding world az with flashing eve
he said: This is my wife. He who
strikes at her strikes at mer' Did
YOU ever read Of more noble and
manly act than this of Joseph. VINO
gave to this trembling girl the protec-
!. ton of his name at the most sacred
/. moment of her life?
I am glad that the man who stood to