Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-03

brGte the birth OF Jesus i'm Bethlehem
of Judea, that we. through him, may
become one with God" oh. then, how
different We're the Christmas saluta-
tons with which we greeted our
friends, oh, then, how different were
the hopes with which we looked for
ward TO our sacred Christmases! Has
the angelic messenger appeared TO you Z
IL he has not, will you not pray that
he may appear TO YOU now, as he once
appeared 10 Mary TO tell her that the
child who was TO be born was the Son
OF God? But Mary kept all these
things and pondered them in her
heart"
There was another fact which must
have preyed much on Marys heart
and mind when she thought OF the
events preceding that first Christmas
day. That was the love and the gem
tleness and the falthfulness of her
companion and husband. Joseph, the
carpenter. who was TO her what no
other human being was I'm her time of
trial and distress. Whenever she
thought of him it was always as the
same dear. gentle, kind, low ing, faith
full husband. When he went TO Beth.
lehem he cOuld not leave her behind,
because her descent from David was
more important than his own. Then
he did rot want TO leave her behind
for fear she would not be treated we'll.
Then his gentlencSs on the journey!
In order TO make her trip easier Jo-
seph brought her Il donkey to ride.
That is the mode of transportation
which the poor in the east always use.
But, Joseph" | think l hear Mary
say. you cannot afford TO buy that
beast for me. Why. in all probability
to buy It you sold some of your car
penter tools" WELL" / think I hear
Joseph say, MARY, it is best. You
could never walk ali that long dis
lance in your present condition. Twill
be able to pay for him by working a
little later at night"
Mary and Joseph.
Then as Mary thinks of all that long
journey down to Bethlehem / think
she pictures Joseph as carefully lifting
her on the beast of burden. Then
when night comes and the camp has
to be made 1 think she sees him cook
ing the simple meal and carefully COW
ering her up to sleep in the great
warm blanket. He brings her water
TO drink. Then how careful and anx-
ious he is toward the end of the trip.
Yes, Mary could never think of the
events which led up to that first Christ
mas DAY without picturing Joseph, the
tender Joseph, the loving Joseph. the
protector and friend. Yet Mary's re-
membranes of Joseph are not unlike
those we have of our dear ones who
during the merry Christmases have
come and gone.
Have we not had our faithful Josephs
In our past Christmases? How kind
ard loving some OF them have beenl
There was your mother, the central fig.
ure of your chidhood's Christmases.
How she ever enjoyed those Christ.
masses Is beyond us. She used to work
SO hard to prepare for them that she
was more fitted to DC i'm bed than to
he moving around and making her
happy laugh the loudest OF the merry.
making. Can't you see her sitting up
and sewing? She used to think YOU
were asleep, but you were not. How
she ever got SO much together for that
Christmas tree was wonder. Talk
about geniuses OF finance! WHY. she
could make dollar go further than
any one you ever knew. And. then
there was your father, and there was
you Older sister. Don't you remember
how she sat down and cried when you
found out where some OF your presents
were kept? And she vowed she would
never give you Il thing because you
went and looked ut them. Then rs
time passed on other figures moved
around the Christmas tree. There were
your wife and your own babies. Christ
mas ought to have dear associations
for us ms ii had with Mary. She had
her Joseph To brighten that first Christ
mas morning. We have had our loved
ones many years with us to brighter
our Christmases in the past and in the
present Better ponder over that fact
my friend. You seem to have lot tC
complain about Better now for lit
tie while ponder over the fact thai
Jesus hath given to you many dear
ones TO brighten your Christmas fes
tivities.
The Wise Men From the East
But Joseph and the angelic mes
senger were not the only ones who np
peared unto Mary when she thought
OF that first Christmas day. There was
the star I'm the east, the wise mer
who came TO worship at the manger
and there were all the shepherds
Then there were the angels who SANG
above the hillside OF Judea ON tho
night Jesus was born. All those testi
fed to Mary that Jesus was the Son O,
God. She could not understand nj
these mysteries. She did not try I,
solve them. but she could not shut he
eyes to the many which were testified
to by those very witnesses. She coul.
not talk of them then, but she stored
those testimonies up in her memory
Mary Kept all these things and pom
dered them in her heart"
But there was another feeling O.
gratitude which crept over Mary when
ever she thought about the incidenti
preceding and succeeding that frs
Christmas morn. That WIS the thank
fniness In her heart because God ha(
cared for and protected her and he
dear family during all those days o.
trial and ignominy. Never was there
time when Gods eye was not watch
ing them and Gods ear listening t.
them and Gods hand guiding them
Some OF US may think that Mary ant
Joseph were forgotten of God merely
because Jesus was born in a manger
but that is not true. God was CAIRNS