Norwich bulletin., 1909-12-27
GREENEVELLE
Christmas Sermon at Congregational Churoh-SpeeiaI Service at St. An drew's Church-HoIiday Visitors About Town.

At the Greeneville Congregational church, Sunday morning, the special music was not attempted, as only part Of the choir was present Rev Charles H. Ricketts. however, preach ed regular sermon to the seventy who were present. His subject was A Babe the Sign of a Saviour. An angel had predicted the coming of a Lord who was to be the gift of God to the world. A sensation was produced when it was stated that this Redeemer was in the form of a babe and had been born in a manager.
 Everything about the coming of our Lord was unique. The annunciation Of His advent was not made to states men and nobles, but to shepherds watching their flocks. The headship of this kingdom was not proclaimed as the prerogative of a prince born in a nalace. surrounded with ponp and lux urv or clad in @ purple robe Hence the disappointment of the shepherds when they realized the lowliness of the Messiah's origin
 The speaker then showed that the coming of Christ was in harmony with the spirit of his life. The greatness of his kingdom was to be spiritual not material and the sign of that Kingdom was well illustrated by babe.
 l. A little babe is the depository oi unlimited possibilities.
 Heredity counts for something, but not so much as was formerly SUD- posed. Some years ago 1t was looked upon as explaining all the phenomena of individuality. The pendulum is now swinging back to the normal and science now looks upon heredity as modifying. not dominating, personali- ty. The child is now looked upon more as distinct spirit than science was ready to admit few years ago. The most striking feature of heredity seen in the offspring is the moral oharac- terfstics of the mother
 The Son of Mary was no exception to this rule as far as the human ele- ment of his nature was concerned. Like other children of powerful per- sonality he grew quite independent of his parentage. For some reason this child powerfully impressed the shep- herds. It could not have been his parentage, nor the surroundings. but the babe himself.
 ?. The greatest gift that can ever come to a family is a child.
 If statistics can be relied upon this is not a very popular statement. At least, 1t is not with native-born Amer jeans. It was far different once, and is even so now with Poles, Hungar- fans. Italians, and other races that do not boast their intellectual superiority. Whether this remark is popular or not, two things ought to be noted: First. those races of men in which the death rate is in excess of the birth rate are those races of mental and physical decay; and. secondly. the race in which there is the greatest number of children per family is always the race that rules the world. The birth rate in France Is decreasing. and France is dropping into second rate power. When Theodore Roosevelt -ad- vanced his ideas of trace suicide' a few years ago, the smart set of the country sneered at 1t as another of 'Teddy's vagaries"; but it was the de- lfberate opinion of one of the most far-sighted men this country has pro- dlS9ed. He had brains enough to see that the greatest asset of any nation is it's children, and no nation was ever better equipped for the largest per- centage of births than cur own.
 The home in which the little babe Is not because he cannot be is a home to be pitied, but the home in which he might be and is not is a home to be despised. The home in which the little voice, and the pattering of little feet are never heard because husband
 
 sary care and responsibility of parent hood, is the home of selfishness and cowardice. It is a betrayal of trust which wedlock owes to it's God-where husband and wife refuse to perpetu- ate their kind. The reason for this Is clear. Man is a part of society. So- ciety is an organism that has a right to demand certain duties of it's con- stltuents and the greatest of all it's claims is the right to live. In spite of this. thousands upon thousands of families are living the life of race as- sassna tion with the utmost delibera- tion. It certainly would be amusing if it were not so serious to hear peo- pie say that in time we shall be over run with Poles, Hungarians. and the like" Why not? Is 1t nob usually the Attest that survive? If the Ameri- can people believe in race suicide" and practice it. what must be the fu- ture of those races that do not believe in 1t. and certainly do not practice it? Do the words of the Bible apply to this point: "But whosover hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.'