The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-12-20

Il
show what this world would mean L
rs, now, II there haA never been !
first Christmas. OF no Carist hone ant
omiort IN II
rhoreh thls To hut 4 negative pNa
eufaGoa 81 ae subject. Il has ia
uace IT. snis advent season. And .
brief summary of that story, togeth
en- with its suggested thoughts and
teachings, is perhaps one Of the besl
ways OF dwelling upon the real mean
ing Of the approaching season pf gen
eral festivities.
The writer of tnat story pictures
himself at q time when Christmas
tide is near. All around him are cvi
1ences Of the coming festival; sprlgs
of holly and mistletoe, ards from
from friends. the sound of bells call
ing singers AMI others 10 practice ior
holiday proglams. while In the Street
below, hand.organs are playing as
best az they can the we'd known on
hymn O come, all ye faithful the
Old familiar "Adeste, Fdel $, of iEe
Middle Ages.
AS he sits there in bis study, he
opens his Testament, and after read
ing while, comes TO the words
quoted above: III | had not come.
All at once. the words take a new
meaning to him. He begins to think
OF what it would have meant I'll
Christ ha1 rot come what?" Ne asks
himself. And there he has a dream
that constitutes the chief feature OF
the story. NsN s M
IN that lream. the author fnas tl,u
pelf in WORLD WITHOUT CIiRlSi
there ~ no difference in the keeping
Of ;he day There are no rejolclngs
secular o. religious. Industrial life
goes on as before with its amazing
rush and crushing burdens. There is
no sign whatever OF any token OF Joy f;
life goes on with the usual monoton'
Gus, hopeless grind for the toiling
passes, and its imyaried round 70 re-
sponsibilties and cares for the en-
ployers.
In the homes of the people, the
same uniform routine Of life goes ON
uninterrupted. There are no signs OF
q festival; no preparations that often
are still more pleasureable than tne
actual enjoyment OF the day; no
Christmas. stockings; no telling of the
old. old story of the hid in the
manger tc eager little minds and no
faptTous thrills affect childish
hearts any more. There is no Christ,
and no Christmas.
Therei no special efforts made to
remember the poor and the needy
to make them partakers of the glad
ness of the season of all seasons. For
why should one be especially glad
or try to make others glad? There is
no Christmas any more. and, there
fore. no Christmas joy for any one.
Then, the dreamer goes outdoors
On one side of familiar street, a
great gap attracts his attention. For
q moment he stands there, bewldor
ed. What does II mean?
Then 1t all dawns upon him,
church used TO stand there; but II il
gone Since there never was any
Christmas, and no CORRESPONDING. OF
what use is church? Aud the Dire i'm
er goes on. and wher~.er a church
used 10 stand. he sees nothing but
rgly gaps. Every church. chapel. oI
christian edi;ice of any kind is gone
clean gone
A little further, is the prison build
ing. But the dispensary the hospital
and The orphanage are also gone
Thesr were insilinilcns built M rs
the resuli Of christian teachings sne
tne5 haze disappeared.
He meets OH els way suffering, des
pairing men and women, those who
bear mental and moral burdens fal
greater than the physical ones, ant
they are looking for relief. for som.
word or promise OF hope. But there
Is none. There Is no .ross, no hope
no crown.
Tired OF such soinber scenes, th'
dreamer returns TO the nuietness o
bis library, and strange sight con
fronts him again.
His one well-flled Dookshelyes ar
now showing hIdeous gaps, too Som'
Of the shelves are entirely empty. ~
takes Bible, and the whole New
Testament Is missing. II ends witt
Malachi and the promise OF the com
ing Messiah.
All books relating to the christial
religion, the numerous Lives o
Christ" that used 10 be on th
shelves. have disappeared
Comforting himself with th
thought that literature would affor'
him some relief, he turns to his FAY
orite authors, and there. the same r.
suit is apparent His copies Q
I Shakespeare. Mi,tOn, Tennysofl
Browning are there, but only in
mutilated condition. All passages q
Herring ia Christ, the christian eel
elon. 10 the New 'ricstainent to an
christian teaching, lave been tor
ont Of The books, or ~ some wa
erased Blank page after blank pag
meets his astonished eye.
/ Remembering that Tennyson
lpoem, "ln Mcmoram,' Is replctc wit
christian teachings and hopes. I'll
dreamer turns to II at once, tespecla
IS TO the opening stanza:
Strong Son OF Col, Immort'
Love-
But this. too, was missing.
Tho pictures on the wall, insplff
lby CHRISTIAN belief ors-. ents are all
gone. Noting Is eft aF0H4l him
rfniinii hint that chrllihas mll chrl
ever were realities. ii "
Meanwhile. a little girl comes
lt,o fto,,.o ~ aols him tn On aud "a