The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-01-02

spirit abide!
The world on this day is not the
world of yesterday, nor will it be the
world of tomorrow. This is the birth
day of a new world. The worlds EX
changes and clearing houses are
closed; the worlds marts, crowds that
jostled and trampled upon each other
in the mad rush for gain are aban-
doned; on this day the clutch of greed
is loosened and the hand of giving is
wide open; on this day the toiler in
shop and field takes rest, the pupil
lays aside his books. the Judge doffs
his robes, the sentence of the law is
suspended the halls of legislation are
closed, the chief executive turns from
affairs of the state. On this day wrong
suffered are forgotten and kindnesses
received are recalled; light shines in
the dark places, hope speaks good
cheer to the discouraged and lays
gentle hand on despair and bids ii lift
it's head, plenty smiles in the home of
want, flowers blossom in the desert.
On this day the children come home
again, the broken family ties are re-
united, old age joins in the prattle
and play of childhood, and life is
sweetened by the fragrance OF friend
ship. In cathedral, and church, and
chaple, and about family altar, gifts
more precious than gold and franklin
cense and myrrh are brought by pious
hearts, with praise and Thanksgiving,
to the cradle OF the child; the whole
world is akin and glad.
What does 1t all mean? 1t is birth
day, but every birth is mo
mentous event, for it brings into life
a human body-the most wonderful
organism ever fashioned by the
plastic hand of the Creator; human
mind that can think the thoughts Of
God; a human spirit that may live
while God lives.
1t means that the star that shone
in the Eastern sky on the first Chris
mas day has never gone down; that
the angels song that rang out on the
Judean plains has never silenced.
1t means that on that day the divine
came down from heaven to earth and
was made human that the human
might be lifted up from earth to
heaven ard made divine. 1t means
that He whose birthday is celebrated
lives after nineteen hundred years
have come and gone and the kingdom
He founded is an everlasting king
dom. 1t is humanity's tribute not TO
a man, but to the man, to the man OF
men.
1t means that love is the greatest
power in heaven and on earth; that
endless life is but another name for
perfect love; that though the honest
doubtCr may pause and the Skeptic
may scoff, deep down in the heart of
humanity there is n recognition of the
truth that the first Christmas morn
ing brought to earth heavens best
gift.
Yes, Christmas Day has passed, but
let the Christmas spirit abide, for the
need of it is yet among us and every
where around us. There are the nun
Try to be fed, the naked to be clothed,
the sick to be ministered to, the temp
ted to be succored the discouraged to
be cheered. The Jerusalem road to
Jericho is yet open and infesed by
thieves who are willing to trip the
traveller along its highway of his gar
ments; the race of priest and Levite,
who passed by on the othyr side is
not yet extinct; humanity and help
lessness, in plaintive cry, call aloud
for the coed Samaritan.
Let us learn the true significance of
Christmas Day and remember that 1t
is better to love than TO hate, to bless
than TO curse, to do right than wrong
to minister than to be ministered un-
to. Let us practice the gospel Of the
basin and the towel; let us learn
there is Joy and luxury in doing and
sorrow and bitterness in doing wrong,
that he who wrongs another more
wrongs himself.
Let us be kind in speech. Words
degrade or ennoble; .hey hurt or they
heal; they blister and burn like fire
or cure and comfort like ointment;
they are like the poison OF asps or the
elixir of life.
Let us learn that & kindness or a
courtesy, a friendly word, or a smile
may heal a wounded spirit and bind
up a broken heart, may rekindle i'm
the ashes of a smothered hope the
fame of holy purpose and bring
back to life a dead soul.
Let us learn not to cherish the
memory of an injury or a slight and
not to forget a courtesy or a kindness.
Let us cultivate the charity that
en- yieth not; that vaunteth not it
self; that is no puffcd up; that doth
not behave itself unseemly; that
thinketh no evil; that never faileth
that abideth when prophecies shall
fail and tongues shall cease, and
and wisdom shall vanish.
Let every day in the calendar of
life be i'll spirit a Christmas Day.