The Oakes times., 1915-02-04
CHAPTER X.
tn. Turn.

- HEN the turn Of the year comes
In: the year begins to mount
~ Birth IL III 1t: growth is im II
spring IL In II. Sometimes
awny buck In beginnings. they knew
this. They knew that the time of
the winter sOlstice Is in some strnnr,
fashion tue high moment uf the year
u" the beginning Of new activity III
nnturc and In the gods. They sol.
emnizcd the return OF the fiery SUI,
wheel: they traced In those solsticC
days the operations OH earth of Odin
anu bercttn: they knew In themselves
thing they could not nnmc and
when the supreme experience took
place In Christ they made the one cx
perichce typify the other and became
conscious Ut the divine nature of this
nutivity. So. by the illuminate. the
prophets. the adopts. the time that fol
lowed was yenriy set aside-forty days
of dwelling within the temple Of self,
forty days OF reverence for being, OF
consciousness Of new birth. Then the
ener1'cnce. then the npotheosis Of en-
PRESTON typifying and typiticd by
sprtng-the time when bursting. press
Ing life almost breuks bounds. when
birth and the impulse to birth are I'm
every form OF life. without and within.
These festivals nre not arbitrary in
date. They grow out OF the universal
experience.
Is 1t not then cause for stupcfaction
that this time Of "dlvine bcslowal"
should have become SO physical u
thing! From the ancient perception.
to have Slipped into II sense " annual
socinI comrndesliip and good will and
peace was natural and tiue-to live I'm
the little what will some day lc true
In the large. But from this to have
plunged down into II time of frantic
physical bestOwals. OF present trad
ing" OF lists OF Grace and Margaret
and Philip. Of teeming shops with
hunting aud hunted crcntlrcs within.
or sacrlficinl trees and beasts. Uf
sovereign sense of good for ME and
mine and ~ shameless show of Lord
aud Lady Bountiful-how can that
have come nb"ut! How can the great
festival have l,een so dishonorel:
Not all disllOnored. for within 1t is
its own vitality which nothing can dis
honor. Through all the curious vuria.
tions which 1t receives ut our hands.
something shines aud sings: self CIV
Ing. JOY giving. II vast. dim upiiickcr.
Ing Oh humanity Of what this thing
really H. that it seeks to observe. this
thing thnt grips inen SO that 10 mat
ter what they are about. they will drop
1t at the touch Of the gong und turn
to some expression. however crooked
and thwarted. Of tile rcul spirit Of
the time. III in war. then buyuncts
are stacked and holly wreMtheti. and
candles stuck ON each point. II mt sea
some sailor climbs out Oh the bow
slrtt with II wreath of green. II on
the western plains IL turkey wisl,bollr
for target will nuke the sport. ut fifty
PAGES; II at home. some great extrav
agance or some humble gift or some
poignant wish will point the dag. lf
at church. then mass aud carol: In GER
tain hearts reverence. Everywhere
the time takes hold OF folk and re-.
ceives whatever Of greatness or gro.
teSqueness they cllnDse to give it. So.
too. the actual and vital experience
which 1t brings to humanity fs univer
sal. Is offered with cOsmic regularity
cannot be escaped. Through all the
tumult Of the time Christmas week
and the time that lies near to 1t IL al.
ways waiting to claim It's own. to take
to Itself those who will not be decciv.
ell. who see In the stupcnd0us yearly
pageant only the usual spectacle uf hu.
manity trying to say divine things III
terms Of things physical. because the
time for the universal expression is
not get come.
When that time comes. when the
time of the worship Of things shall he
past. when the tribal sense OF holiday
shall have given place to the family
sense. and that family shall Le man.
kind: when Shall never be seen the
anomaly OF celebrating in n glOritlca
ton OF little family tables. whose
crumbs fail to those without. the birtl,
Of him who preached brotherhood. and
the mockery "f observing with wanton
spending the birth Of him who had not
where to lay his head: when the rudi.
ments OF divine perception. OF self per.
ception. OF social perception. shall have
grown to their next estate: when the
area OF consciousness shall be extend
ed yet farther toward the outermost
when that new knowledge with which
the air Is charged shall let man begin
to know what he il: when that time
comes they will look back with utmost
wonder at our uncOuth groupings to note