The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-12-20

BY the Rev. Robert A. Brakeman. This Parable Was Sent
Out From the Baptist Parsonage at East Jaff
reg, N. H., Christmas, 1912

ICY, ~ H., ~
1t was flashed by the Associated
Press to all the great dailies of. the
world that Jesus would spend Christ
mas day in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.
And 1t was further reported that Jaff-
rey was the only place where he could
be seen. Naturally, there arise two
questions of absorbing interest-What
happened in Jaffrey? and how did the
people outside of Jaffrey receive this
remarkable announcement?
In the first place, just as soon as
the news reached town there was a
meeting of all the ministers. This
sounds dignified., but accuracy really
demands the statement that the min
listers met without appointment almost
in the center of the village while each
was hurrying to the home of one of
the others. And they tell us that at
that meeting the older brethren SEEM
ed to have forgotten entirely that
there was 'one among them who was
shaky on Regeneration and had pub
llcly admitted his inability to asso-
ciate the idea of Eternal Torment
with his Heavenly Father.
SO much of q bombshell at the very
start did the Associated Press hurl
into the midst Of a little village nest
ling peacefully at the foot of Monad-
mock. And then g. mass meeting of
all the people in all the churches was
held, for the Bishop had telephoned
permission to the good Father Of the
Roman Catholic parish that his peo-
pie might unite on this occasion with
the other churches In the village.
Committees were formed to look after
every detail.
A great chorus choir fnom all the
churches held rehearsals every night,
and it is only fair to say that kind
Of lofty, holy enthusiasm ran con-
tagiously through the community; the
censOrious harshness that makes so
many lives rasp and scrape, almost
entirely vanished and many people
took advantage of the few days of
grace before the coming Of the Master
and made bee-line for the homes
of those whom they had wronged and
whom they passed each day with lip
lightning flashed
And outside Of Jaffrey, as the news
was received in city and town. pill
grimages were arranged from every
section of the country and from every
country In the world. And their OBJ
jective point was Jaffrey, New Hamp-
shire. The telephone and telegraph
wires were buried with messages
The Ark and the Inn were deluged
with orders for accommodations. IN
heard-of prices were offered for every
inch Of space that could by the most
extravagant use Of the imagination
be considered possibility as q place
to lodge. Everybody who had rela-
tive that lived within striking distance
of Jaffrey was suddenly seized with
an overwhelming affection for him
they had planned to write him for
a long time, anyway"
And from the outside the movement
had taken larger form, for there had
come in from other towns and cities
and from the kings Of finance tre-
mendous contributions, with orders to
spare nothing to make the background
worthy of the event.
Skilled decorators were sent from
the large cities and every house was
decked with gorgeous colors and
striking inscriptions of welcome to
the King Of kings. The suggestion
was made and received immediate in
dorsement., that in this triumphal
procession, instead of the palm
branches, there be spread the whole
distance of the line of march the
finest of velvet carpeting, and so FOR
days the main street of the village
had been closed to- travel and now
for more than half a mile from church
to church there was one vast expanse
of rich softness.
Christmas Sunday came, and the
atmosphere of the crowded village
charged with an intensity that could
scarcely be suppressed. The churches
did not begin to be. large enough to
hold those who wished to come, and
many a man who had been one of
the emigrants from the churches five,
ten or twenty years before for one or
another of the reasons that have made
50 many emigrants in those twenty
years, made his way back into his old
pew.
The evening services were not dis
missed till midnight, and in the re-
naming hours a tired but expectant
community tried in vain to sleep.
When the first tinges of gold shot
through the eastern sky on Christmas
morning, from every turnpike and
crossroad they came-the winding
procession Of travellers .on foot and
in teams. And before the sun had
really had time to adjust himself once
more to the sight of his western con-
stituents the shrek of the special
trains was heard as they pulled up
to the depot and emptied themselves
Of the swarms from the cities. With
amazing quickness they lined up many
deep along the whole half-mile OF
| carpeted way. -,,.s-.~q
The sight was splendid. It could
not have failed to have drawn forth
response of appreciation from even
luxury-sated Emperor of the
Romans. Close by the station was
gathered the committee that was to