Greene County herald., 1912-12-20

&<%Ol&ASf%rN&N the pretty customs
t&SkSSASsgZZHA of the German IA
therland b e
Christmas tree-Iaden with its nu-
merous gifts for family and friends;
the little ones will rejoice in toys and
candies; those bit older, in wealth
of books and games, while fathers and
mothers will have exhausted their In
genuity in discovering each others de-
E1res and those of their children IN
order that all may be gratified on
this anniversary of Christ's coming. In
well-ordered households those who
serve the family will be welcomed
around the tree and merriment and
song Will add to the gayety. II he In
whose name it will all be done were
right here in the midst Of them, what
more could he ask?
And l dreamed a dream-that he
had come once more upon earth, had
come right down among us and was
looking with eyes Of deep questioning
at what was being done in honor or
his former coming.
And as he walked around hidden
from all eyes but mine own, his glance
seemed to pierce beneath the seem
ing and reach the heart of the festival.
He passed by the well-warmed and
lighted homes, where all was hap
piness and content; he went into the
places where those Of whom he said
'fOf such is the kingdom of God"
were playing in the path Of death, ccd
his glance was stern as he saw one
OF f'these little ones" sweep into eter-
ity beneath the iron wheels which
crushed it's tiny form almost out or
all semblance of the beauty and sweet
ness which belonged to it. His look
said: What gift has been given to
this child in honor of my birthday?
Has 1t had not even that right of
every creature, safe place to expand
its nature in the play which it must
have in order to GROVE"
And he went among the homes of
those who serve the people in the
marts of trade, great and small.
Surely there we would find the
Christmas good cheer of which | had
been thinking. But in too many
households we found only worry and
anxious care for the morrow and for
the health of those who were tired
almost to death after their long hours
of labor for the thankless, rushing
crowd of searchers after Christmas
gifts" they were not thinking of
christmas festivities, but only Lord,
give rest and bread to eat-rest, Lord,
rest"
We left the middle-class homes and
wandered on our quest into that great
neighborhood of the weavers, men and
women by the thousands, who in the
best of times can never be sure that
the wolf is far from their doors, and
who, during these late years Of costly
living, have not often seen the best of
times. There were attempts in many
humble homes to celebrate the coming
OF the Prince of Peace, but, oh, how
pitiful was their setting forth of the
good things we all think belong Of
necessity to this blessed season!
What are you doing to these my
little ones?" said the sad eyes with
the deep questioning look. 'Ts this
the best you can give them in honor
of me? Why, these are no longer
children; they are dwarfed men and
women, with the spirit of play gone
from them and the weight of years
upon them in their very childhood"
And he went farther among the
weavers, and came to the homes of
those who had abandoned all hope of
better times; the homes where the
season of Christ's birth could not be
celebrated for even their utmost eff
forts could not still the howl of the
wolf right upon them, not at, but with
in the door. Theirs was the cry of
the poor women of the roads in the
German fatherland in century long
gone by, to the appeal of the priest
who consecrated his life to such as
they. Give us only bread and water.
and we will follow thee" And these
poor households said, "Give us to
know where tomorrows bread is to
come from, and we will be happy and
make a festival for thee; all we ask
it to be free from the wolf; we are
willing to work, but work is not plenti-
full enough, and some of us must al
ways go hungry" And the face of the
Christ grew sadder.
And we passed into the home OF
one Of those whose grief must be
greater than that other from whom
death has taken the husband and
he father OF her little ones; of one
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