The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-12-22
CHRISTMAS TOPICS.

Nineteen hundred and eleven years
ago, at Bethlehem, in Iudea, was born
unto the world new civilization. a new
Christianity and new hops II mliterS
little to our rejoicing whether the Child
was human or diyine-whether he was
God or Gods messenger Of love. Chris
tan or inidel alike agree that the life He
led was pure and blameleSs and the
principles He taught have blessed and
sanclihed the world. All over the coun-
try, and all over the world-a few years
hence it will be also all through the air
sounds the greeting, Merry Christmas.
On the sea and on the land, to the pal
ace and in The hovel. in the hospitals and
in the prisons, in the asylums amid the
orphans and in the homes OF the friend
less and for the aged. wherever even two
persons meet who know and love the
story of Christmas, the greeting is ex-
changed Where can there be a par
alel TO the universal greeting? Is there
any other sentiment that has the sover-
eighty OF this cheerful and heartfelt word?
1t travels through the mails like nothing
SO much as the. doves to the affairs of
which the Scriptures speaks, for surely
the sentiment fits from altar to altar of
the hearts of men and is as gentle as
the dove. Grudges and animosity vanish
before the waiting of Christmas greeting,
the smile of hope illumines the coun-
tenances of those under the pail Of de-
preston, the dImpled cheeks of the ba-
bles seem veriiable hooks for fairy hiding
as the lips COO in response to the Merry
Christmas, with the little emblem of
the day that comes to the infant from It's
loving parent. In the DAYS of romance
hostile forces passed upon the field
Sheathed their swords and clasped hands
across the battle line, greeting one an.
o.her with the sentiment OF universal
good will.
Christmas stands for love and for char
ity, for hope and for JOY at the fruiuon
Of that long made promise Of the prophet
OF the coming Of One who should bring
peace and good will to earth; so the
churches hold their services and the peo-
pie congregate to join in singing or TO
listen 10 the rendition of carols. some of
which have come down from the early
ages OF the church. The children have
their Christmas treats and they are the
very merriest ofthe merry in their partic.
lpation in these annual school festivals.
There is one way to make a white
Christmas. even though there may not
be fake of snow in sight Let the
wilderness be in your heart. Put aside
all thoughts of guile. Forget all of the
big or little bitterness that you may be
entertaining against some other person.
Cast out all envy. all covetousness. all
unkindness. Endeavor to harbor in your
heart only such thoughts and feelings as
the Nazarene knew when He dwell by
Galilee Cultivate human brotherhood.
Practice Christian charity Look beyond
and above yonr workaday horizon. Get
out Of yourself &c, into the hearts Of
others.
Bfotherly love was the one original con-
ception Of the Man whose birthday we
celebrate al the winter solstlce. He dis
covered no new law Of nature; He form
ulated no new principle of philosophy
He added njthng 10 science, nor did
He reveal the least mystery of the unseen
world When in the bitterness of His
cruel death, He reproached the Almighty
with deserving Him, science, philosophy
and theology stood exactly where they
were on that starry midnight thirty.three
years before, when the heavens opened
Fbesore the eyes Of the wondering shep.
herds and the shining angels proclaimed
His birth. But one thing was not the
same, and that thing was enough TO
make all OF the difference between the
ancient world and the modern. No Con-
fucius with all Of his golden rule had
ever dreamed Of it. No Socrates had
dragged it from the depths in the net of
his daletic. No stole ponderings on the
secret of the highest good had conceived
it. OF all the crucifed Saviours of the
world none had revealed it. The Shep-
herd of Gallilee alone of all the human
race perceived that all men are brothers.
In the solitudes ofthe Syrian desert with
struggles which the imagination can only
fypify as fought soul against soul with