The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1915-12-15

comes through the night from afar, with
it's dim seeming of words, suggesting
| thoughts divine-"On earth peace, good
will toward men,
The Figure is no longer bent but stands
| face upward to the sky, arms outstretched
| DO heaven. Words come from it's lips
Father forgive them, for they know not
what they do
| Closer, louder grows the mystic music.
1 Louder, clearer, sound the voices, singing.
Sweeter, stranger, sweIls the heavenly
harmony. Now the words are clear be-
yond mistake: ION EARTH PEACE,
GOOD WILL TOWARD MENU
The Figure with it's care-lined face and
plying eyes, faces now this way, now
that-arms stretched forth as in bene-
diction.
The teeming humanity in the trenches,
in the camps, in the hospitals, stirs from
its sleep. Suddenly, to humanity in the
grin VOLS of war, has come a new vision,
a new and superhuman capacity. Men
have strangely gained the power to see
into each others hearts, to read each
others souls. They find there, every
where, wherever they look, but one strain
ing, striving thought-PEACE! They look
into the hearts of their comrades, and
they see-PEACE! They look across the
trenches, and in the hearts of their enc
mics they see-PEACE!
misunderstanding is cleared away as by
magic. The long, painful teachings of
princes and ministers, of school men and
book men, of soldiers and statesmen, are
dropped like hateful garments. Men see
the truth at last-that they are not
strangers but brothers; not enemies, but
friends; hat the cause of humanity is not
to be served by strife and self-seeking,
but by sympathy; that the hope of man.
kind lies not in war, but in brotherhood.
Out from the trenches, across the blood
stained space between, rush the men of
the hostile armies, toward each other. But
weapons have been left behind. They meet
not as enemies, but as brothers. On the
soil where mingles he blood of their fell
lows they stand face to face, hand clasp
ing hand, grim features lit by unexpected
Joy, hearts warm with sudden love. Off
GERS vainly strive to drive their soldiers
back to their rat-holes the men laugh at
them jovially, and those just now enemies
stand bathed in the glory of their COM
mon humanity, souls uplifted and glori-
fled by the splendor of their common
brotherhood
The battlefield is turmoil. The ar
mics mingle in jovial comradery, guns
kicked aside forgotten; hands clasped,
arms locked, hearts a-tune.
There are no longer two armes-there
is but one.
There are no longer two causes-there
is but one; and that cause is PEACE.
Folly is ended; men see and know each
other as they are. The war is over Later
they are to learn that on every battlefield
this mystic night the same miracle has
come about, and that from every hard
fought field and fort men stream, laugh
ing, happy toward home and love and
PEACE.
Again, subtly stealing, the hushed mu-
sic, voices singing, an exquisite harmony,
faint like the mere fragrance of music
distant harmony, growing now more dis
tant still. AS it comes and goes, silence
broods over the field, and men strain their
ears to catch the glory of the fading sound
-"On earth peace, good will toward men"
The field catches up the strain as its last
sound echoes on the midnight air. From
near and far, from thousands upon thou
sands of hearts made glad in a mighty
chorus rises the song of souls made free
YIN EARlI1 IEaCE, NOOD WILL ~
WARD MEN,
A bent Figure, clad in the garments of
the humble, with face scanned by care,
with plying eyes now shining with new
splendor, lit by the glory of a new hope,
passes from the field unseen. No sentries
now bar the road. No challenge comes.
No password is demanded
But as the Figure goes it's way, and van
ishes in the dimness of the distant plain,
above it seems to march across the sky
mighty army of soldiers gone before, sol
diers of many tongues and times, march
ing beneath f1ame-colored banner bear
ing in white this eternal countersign of
human -"BROTHERHOOD
THE DAY WILL COME
\ DAY will come when the only battle
~ field will be the market open to COM
merce and the mind opening to new