The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-12-21
THE INEVITABLE CHRISTMAS.
The International Sunday School es
son for December o6 Is The Birth
Of Christ Matt. 2:1-t2.
{By William 7. Ellis.

{By William 7. Ellis.
Christmas accentuates the peace Of
children in the home. Somehow,
Christmas does not seem Christmas
without their merry laughter and ex-
.citernent: the spirit of the day dWells
in the heart of the child. Ihat IS
why all the unfortunates who have
no children should make it their Hrst
concern to celebrate at least Il part
Of the great day in the presence or
little ones; and especially of little ones
whom their own f~orethought and
bounty has made glad.
The difference which a child makes
in a home has been noted by every
BODY. The babe is q heavenly mes
senger Of humanizing, l~OVe-eVokils,
youth-renewing, thought-provoking,
1amily-cementing powers. \ chlldless
home seems more like q hotel, a mere
habitatiOn, than like q true home.
Without a little one to keep them ten
der and SYMPATHETIC, men and women
grow neeyish and selfish and over
particular. And what q difference mas
been made in the whole world by the
Christmas Babe! All the Christmas
trees have been lighted by Him. All
the happy laughter of merry hearts
at his gladdest season is Of his IN
spiration. The loving g~ift-giving, the
noble sacrifices, the tender charity.
with which this season abound, all
nave lIlSIi 5oui AS ~ =
Whole nations, too, have found liberty
and life as they have followed the
Christmas star. The radiance OF that
star is today penetrating to the re-
hottest corners of earth. Let Us tarry,
in our own misunderstanding. to re-
call the significance OF the fact That
the same occasion is being observed
In all the continents Of earth today.
Tin Horns as Echoes.
All the joyous racket Of Christmas
morning-the footing OF tin horns,
the beating of toy drums. the whirr of
miniature machinery, and the whole
welcome medley Of Christmas sounds
is. after all, a real echo OF the an
gels song. This merry-making of the
little children, as truly as the superb
music Of the multitude OF especially
trained Christmas choirs, continues
the message of peace and good will,
which first sounded on the Judean
hills. II we do not find the Christ in
the life of today, we cannot tind him
back in Bethlehem.
By the days happiness Of little chill
dren. by the rude simplicity Of the
scenes OF the Advent. by the revela-
lions that come to plain men about
their common ways, Christmas sum-
mons this old world back to the heart
of childhood, n to the simple joys.
Let US away with the excessive sophis-
ttcation that Is ~suffOcating our real
life. Strip away the piled-up material
accessories that keep us in bondage.
Let US be brave enough to follow the
wise Men and the Star to the little
town of Bethlehem.
The World Needs Christmas.
When we come to think deeply on
the subject we see that this old world
just had to AVE a Christmas. to keep
it from wearing out. n renewing
power OF this festival OF love Is really
necessary to the maintenance Of life
on a high level. If we did not have
Christmas humanity would get the
heathendom. The Kings Birthday
would seem to be part of the Divine
plan to keep the world young.
In tho hands that were once
dimpled, baby hands, stretched out
with ,cooings and crowings toward
Mother Mary, is the key to all the
puzzling problems Of our time. A
Chinese scholar in Berlin has lately
written a noble book in German to
show how the Orient's CLAIMANT needs
cannot be met by mere culture; but
Christ, and Christ alone, can satisfy
the great demands Of his people. This
Is the faith which Christmas re-estab-
fishes. Civilization advances only as it
hastens, like the Magi OF old, to the
King of love. The imagination is be-
Wildered by the spectacle Of the fol-
lowers in the train of the Consumers
League, so active at Christmas time:
the many special Christmas charities;
the juvenile courts, children's asylums
o~rphanageS; the crusades against pre-
ventable diseases; the child labor laws;
the societies for the prevention of
cruelty to animals; the hospitals and
schools and churches-all these have
been called into existence by the Christ
who is in every sense the worlds
Saviour and King.
Following Dur Stars.
The wisdom of the Wise Men con-
sisted in their Willingness to pursue
the highest vision they knew. Christ
mas represents idealism. 1t is the day
sacred to all who are brave enough
to dream greatly One of its Lessons