The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-12-31

tidings: Peace on earth. good will
towards all mankind
How wretchedly -lequlpped were the
rulers, the Caesars and the Nsros, OF
ancient times, 10 fully prepare the
minds of the people for the celebration
of the hallowed Christmas time. Let
Us only recall the event when the null
titude Of heavenly messengers, nearly
two hundred decennaries ago. lowered
over the barren hills Of Judea pro-
claiming 70 the sorely afraid shep-
herds: unto the world Is born this
day a Savior, which Is Christ the Lord.
Glory to God on high. on earth peace,
coed will toward men.
When on this coming Christmas morn
our Father who art in heaven sends
His hea enly host singing and praising
| the Lord down to this beautiful and
fruitful earth, which He has given man
I to occupy and fructify, the sccompani-
ment TO the divine hymn shall not.
thanks be to the Kaiser, be lacking in
solemnity. What glorious combina-
tion Of harmonies and symphonies
when steel-jacketed leaden messen.
gers, bursting bombs and shrapnel
shells blend their melodious chords
with the pure, sweet voices of the
angelic singersi And we may imagine
the holy felicity filling the noble soul
of the inspired author of this world
concert when hearing his fortunate
subjects in water lilled trenches with
happiness and gladness expressed in
every word as they join the singing
throng: "Unto the world is born this
day Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on
earth peace, good will toward meni"
Peace on earth and good will towards
all mankind
hear you say, or maybe you only
think so: What's the use Of railing at
something which have no more power
to change than | have the power to
empty the Pacific into the Atlantic?
You are most likely right. Yet there
are those who would remind you of
that in the realm Of the mind, the
thought sphere, humanity is still as a
lost shield in a primeval forest. | will
try to make clear to you what | mean.
Suppose one hundred million people
tonight concentrated their mind on
one single point and the very point of
that point was a damnation hurled at
the head of the worlds evil geniuses,
the Kaiser. What would be the result?
wonder if he wouldn't feel uncom-
Portable Christmas morning when the
joyful Christmas bells proclaimed to
the Christian world that peace on
earth and good will toward all mankind
is the true and only meaning of this
mortal life.
will not now go further into this |
subject because the way has no appar-
ent end and the darkness is impene. |
trable. How this world chaos will end |
no one knows.
We are both in good health and spir-
its, Eta and /. The weather is as
usual this time of the year, mild with
rains. We have had only
two or three days frosty weather, not
enough to kill the roses which are bud
ding by the thousands in the parks and
gardens.
Life in all its phases is going on as
usual, though there is slackening in
he industries and all other branches of
work. However, there seems to be no
want among the people: 1heaters,
moving picture shows and
,ther public entertainments are draw
ng goodly crowds as though nothing
lad happened or was going to happen.
Prices on food stuff have gone up and
ire still rising. 1t is very fortunate
hat America had a record crop of
wheat and corn this year, otherwise
,ur bread rations might have been
ather short. In CONSEQUENCE of an ex-
eedingly. dry and warm summer the
,rops in Sweden and most of the other
european countries we're only about 10
ler cent of the normal So you see
America will have to feed us for a
while.
And think she is very willing to do
10, or ought to be, considering the
,rices she gets for her stuff. But
whether Europe will have much money
o spare for Injuries such as apples
md other fruits is perhaps a debatable
question. Still, if the American apples
ire offered at reasonable prices think
fairly good market can be expected
within a certain limit.
II we were tolerably good sailors
here would now be fine chances to go
N board boat in Sweden and land in
frisco or on the Puget Sound. There
5 line of boats started between this
ountry and the Pacific Coast via the
'anama Canal. These boats are driven
With motors and are as clean and
pruce as pleasure yacht. But what's
he use, we get sick at the very
bought Of such venture. | will now
ct Eta have the floor.
Wishing you Merry Christmas, a
lappy New Year and health and pros.
erity for the coming twelfth month,