The Washington herald., 1910-12-25
CHRIS TN S.
THE Day OF LOVE.


This is the beautiful season Of the year.
even for those who have lost their bloom.
embroidered wrinkles on their own faces,
and showed themselves under white hair.
But is it not better to feel young than TO
be beautiful to keep the spring in ones
step. and hold ones head like flower
atop a stem, and feel in ones soul pity
compassion, love of God and ones fellow
beings? There must be H. trail OF ED
these days OF beautiful. beautiful youth,
the time to trot around and get the red
holly and Waxen mistletoc and realize
how good the world is. Santa Claus. run
ming here and there. hunting the boy
that wants a football, and taking care
Of the baby doll, with such blue eyes
waiting for its little mother. and trying
10 find the little girl who wants TO read
ali about little Nell and her grandfather
and tiny Tim, and the Christmas trees
and Maggie hunting all through the
shops for Jimmies scarf pin, and every
heart trying TO be just as full OF happl-
ness as can be. And the secret OF It all
is giving, and giving with great JOY ana
gfadness The beautiful season OF youth
when love is the guiding principle and IL
is in our power 10 make some one happy;
the love We are to give, its inner meaning
widening until there will be unfolded In
the soul the perfect flower Of lovely ac-
ton and We put the blaze on some little
hearth in the back parlor Of somebody's
heart, kinding a big fire upon the altar
% love Oh. what joy! What JOY we
can find in it all-cOllccting the sticks of
good will and peace all Of Us laying on
},
the fame I'm some heart We have been
gathering driftwood all the year for this
Christmas fire, dried it IN the hot noon
sun Of our souls for this very Christmas
blaze and we want the flames to shoot
forth into emeralds and Tubies, sap
phires, topaz. and diamonds Of love; and
We want to hear its singing and its roar
ing up the chimney and sending out It's
warmth and cheer its spice and fra
GRANGE. with tie prayer that the hearth
may not be bare in any heart-home May
it reach the little children Of the poor
faint with hunger, the little window
Wishers" with fingers and lips blue with
cold May il reach the widow with
empty ldrder and from whose heart the
fire Of joy is quenchod May it reach the
stranger within our gates and the sick
and sOrTowing and the prisoner IN his cell.
oh, don't YOU hear the song Of Bethle-
hens angels? Behold I bring you It'd
ings OF great JOY" beautiful world Of
JOY and yuuth-a world of Christmas
trees shining with a thousand lights and
bearing all good gifts upon their
branches, 'inasmuch as Sc have done IL
unto one Of the least of these" The Christ
child has come. May every little orphan
be born into a new kingdom OF father
and mothers love-love that comes with
the Christmas chimes. with the CLASH 81
the great bells. the changing Of the deep
bells. the swift thrill OF faint bells, as
though all the sprites OF the air laughed
together. With q shout Of clarion voices,
with q rush OF tumultuOus voices. with a
concord OF jubiant voices, until there
viii be no silence anywhere, all things
dissolved into sound and this great CITY
OF Washington one triumphant voice
sounding the eternal Christmas carol
GLORY 10 God on the highest and on
earth peace good viii toward men" on,
let us look at life through loves eyes
and feel that everything is beautiful and
young, just as Christ is beautiful, just as
He is full OF music, gladacssi Victory
and joy. tho spirit of the Carpenters Son.
the spirit of Christmas, 90 feel All is
well, and be Fitted up and ennobled by
the love OF all humanity. The spirit OF
Christmas, the day Of love, Who can de-
scribe it, The sweet delight Of il all tht
gift thoughts over which hearts almost
burst open, and Santa Claus cheeks get
ting redd6r and redder and hearts grow
ing younger and younger and merrler
and merrier. There Is no brave heart hut
feels its influence. the common impulse
for the gladdening Of others by the sim
plest things We DO. as well as by the
greatest sacrifices We make And IL be
longs 10 each and all OF us 20 forget self
and let our JOY be untrammeled. no
spirit of barter or gain. Just the highest
and u0blest impulses. the spirit of the
Christ-chiid and beautiful, beautiful
youth In the air.
4 PAIR Of 1tordnsz. a little aid
And down on v7Trow gees the lid.
The stockings must have n1 holes in the tOs.
For down 60 The bottom Santa Claus goes
Heavenly Father, we thank thee for
this Christmas Day Of love. the blessing
OF the morn on which the Christ-child
was born. We praise Thee for all Thy
goodness in the years that are past. and
We seek Thy grace for all the DAYS before
as Give Us thankful hearts for Thy
meTCios that never fail Guide Us con
stantly by Thy holy spirit revealing Thy
truth ana make us feel Thy presence all
through the coming year. Nav Jesus
Christ our Saviour the Christ-child.
abide with us as our example our leader.
and our helper. Amen!
ALLIE SHARPE BALCH.
December, 1919.