Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-23

And what a journey il must have
been. 1t was in the depth OF winter
II u celebration of Christmas is
rightly placed.
The air of his altitude was sting
ing cold. Joseph and Mary were hit
terly poor. They must have been at
least four days on the journey and
doubtless on foot. over the miry
plains of Esdraelon and across the
bleak mountains of Samaria and
down through the tangled passes of
the Judean hills these humble and
devout pilgrims took this compulsory
journey.
Well it has been declared that he
extreme simplicity of the story as
told by the Evangelist Luke stamps
origin as divine.
1t was a strange and unneighborly
multitude that had come from the
farthest corner Of the province.
Joseph and Mary were among the
late corners. The village was already
thar filed. Again and again
the keeper of the public place had re-
fused entrance to new arrivals. The
inn, before which Joseph and his
wife finally halted, vas similar to
hundreds Of Others i'm other towns
a long. one-story, flat rooted. rough
shelter unbroken by a single window
Into which one came only by a
gateway which served for both light
and exit.
The kahn even was full. But Mary
could not pass the winter night yon-
der on the hillside-it would endan-
ger her life. At length the keeper
is moved by the statement that both
Joseph and his wife are of the house
of David. Although a thousand years
had passed and strange history had
been recorded, since the boyish shep-
herd had become the successor of the
insane king OF Isarel, his descendants
could not become unknown-and.. as
General Wallace has pointed out.
wherever they went in Isarel, ac-
quaintance drew after 1t a respect
amounting to reverence"
After a time the twain and two
friends are given leave to enter and
appropriate any Of the stone stalls
and heaps OF fodder as yet unoceu-
pied
The simple evening meal is soon
eaten and the weary pilgrims gladly
lie down to rest after the tiresome
from Nazareth.
The hours of the winter night
march on with unacclerated step even
though all earth and cav and the
unknown realms beyond the ken OF
mans latest vision are being hushed
unwonted stiffness to mark the
hour for which eternities have inn
patiently waited.
Joseph was "A heavy sleeper and
Mary must needs have spoken more
than nee to rouse him from the deep
of the midnight hour. Her
neighbor, who had lain down near at
hand, soon has reused a few of the
acquaintances they had made In the
evening. and these good women,
whose names are unknown, made well
the little Jesus as he opened his
baby eyes upon the crude surround
Ings of the sin entangled world.
The little Jesus came to town,
With OK and sheep he laid him down,
Peace to the byre. peace to the fold,
For they housed Him from the
It's but a little while until the
whole khan Is aroused and there is a
strange light bathing all the place
a s%plendor their eyes could not
understand. Some who were sleeping
the roof, who were the first to
see it said it was "A star that had
burst and fallen. Others said it
be a light kindled by the shep-
nerds yonder on the hills to Tighten
beasts of prey. After that-as
viii recall, how the author of
Ben Hur puts II. another said, mo,
Though all the wood in the val
Ieys in Judah were brought together
one pile and fired, the blaze would
1ot throw a light so strong and
Brethren what we see is the lad
der u Father Jacob saw in his
Blessed be the Lord God OF
lur fathers"
And so IL was. The star. the star
)f Bethlehem had arisen and shed
It's benign light not only over the
nils and wales of judah but far adown
all the coming centuries of the unsi
born millions.
The Christ was born. He, the long
expected. the wonderful counsellor,
the everlasting father and the prince
Of Fac
Across the valley separating the
near by hills from Bethlehem Judean
shepherds had been for some days
their hocks as they sought
pasturage for them
Early this same evening they had
their sheep in the rude pro-
lection provided for such a purpose.
All but one of them-the Waterman
whose watch would be ended with
midnight. was fast asleep.
The heavens were brilliant with a
OF glittering stars. The air
crisp and cold. Stealthily an
underlined fear clutched this mans
heart. He knew not what nor how,
he became conscious that things
had changed. Even the stars as he
looked up we're gone; and in their
place a light, so strange and unknown
feared the more, was blazing into
splendOr. In terror he aroused the
men within. Awake. awake" They
TO their feet, well used to such
cries OF alarm. But never had they
such a sight. The whole sky
Rblaze with an inenable glory
and wen while they gazed In wonder
so enranL. the hllndlng light made