The daily sentinel., 1912-12-21
A Thought For the
Sunday Before Christmas
THE MOST WONDERFUL MAN IN THE HISTORY OIL
THE WORLD

In the Christmas Womans Home Companion appears
traordnay of the birth of Christ written by Washington
GLADDEN.. The story told with completeness and ealust
might relate the story of the birth OF Lincoln any other
great
Joseph and Mary young people who lived Nazareth
OF GaIee which 90 miles north of Bethlehem hey had to
Bethlehem because the city in which their family be-
onged and the Roman emperor who making
in his empire required family be enrolled in its native place
So Joseph and Mary had come the middle of the winter
this old of Bethlehem 1t long journey for those
days and those roads far more weasom than trip to Denver
nectt If they travelled by the principal road doubtless they
did know exactly the they folowedacross the
country of udca the great city Of Jesaen then southwark
about miles from that city to Bethlehem.
Now let DR.. GLADDEN. proceed with his narratives
Whether Joseph and Mary had visited Bethlehem be-
fcre we do not know
The first thing DO find place where they could
have been full of people who had perhaps upon
the errand that brought them You imagine how it
would M of M al m the S G m m ne a5 once %
Deered Lcomnsterf all the descendants of all these fam
lies all of the country were ordered to go back there
80 it Bethlehem Very little dependence placed
inns or hotels by travellers in those days There were few
ced and kindly cared for such pilgrims CHANGED through
their neighborhood
But no matter how hospitabe men may be, when their
houses full overowng they take guests and
this the condition which Joseph and Mary found the homes
Bethlehem To the inn they made their but the
simply shete-a shed enclosing court with no furniture and
other provision for the comfort of the traveller than the
walls and the roof which protected him from the Here
the bare floor he could spread his for seep here he
could partake of the food that he had brought his hveck
and his beast could be left the within the building
Such the khans of the when Joseph and
Mary Bethlehem But such cold comfort this
for them This bare shelter crowded that there
no there The only place they could find
the stable and this probable kind Of
excavation in the side of the rock near the inn
at has been believed from the earliest times that the place
where Jesus born under sheltering rock his
story his followers hundred years after
his death and there doubt its truth twas per
rbNnce then npl
used to call "tugouta shelter partly underground where
and beast together sometimes forced to find protection
and Mary could find Bethehen and here it was that the won
derul Babe was born, and found His cradle in manger.
"Ihus that the life which and is the Light of Men
began here the earth Doubtless this the greatest
the worlds history Gould who looked this Babe
He lay the mangcr have dreamed Of the place he would
FILL of the changes He would bring of the kingdom that He would
establish in the world? Could anyone there have gues that
from that day five hundred millions of the hu-
would be calling themselves by His and than
half the eahs population would be reckoning their years from
the day of His birth that seventh day millions on millions
Sunday schools and missions all round the world that the nobst
music the world would hear would be music celebrating the
and purest art all would be that which story was
told Of the young Child and His mother that the nobest are
shrine for the worship of this Babe Of Bethlehem that His birth
day would be kept all over the world as day for giving gifts
and sharing pleasures and that would be the happes day
all the days Of the whole round year?
NO of could have conceived Of such a history as
that to whose beginnings we look back on Christmas day here
has been parallel to in the annals of the centuries The facts
which have reted give some indication OF the place that de has
the thought and affection OF manknd but there those
aeyed for only within generation that the real nature Of
His Kingdom has begun take possession of American thought
that really proposes shape the whole human society here
and now according to its law of good will that it calls sup
plant stre By and suspicion BY sympathy to make the
theworld long, long time to get held OF the real meaning
and teachings and death but begins dawn upon
these first years of the twentieth century, and when the Chris
ure learns the emphasis where belongs His king