Evening star., 1915-12-25
A CHRISTMAS VISION.
BY DIR, FRANK CRANE.
Copyright, 1851 )

1t was Christmas eve upon the field of
battle in the year Of our Lord one thou-
sand nine hundred and fifteen. Inc night
was clear and bitter cold.
myriad men lay watching IN grim
alertness, watching to kill
Suddenly, at midnight, firing ceased.
No shells screamed. No bombs exploded
in the air. Peace reigned, and Stiffness
uncanny, mysterious.
The forces on both sides looked ana iis-
tened intently. suspecting each some ruse
of the enemy.
And, behold. there appeared In the SKY
light. glow as OF white ciouu'
coming larger and larger:
And the white cloud as 1T came nearer
+o earth was seen to be made up OF man!
angel faces, a multitude OF the neavenS
host. and they sang an old song III "ol,-
drous harmony, such as no human
"riory to God in the highest. and on
earth peace, good will toward men
From the center of the host then ap-
reared a figure of man. not kingly hor
crowned, but garbed as workman.
His forehead was Scared as Win
tborns His ewes were luminous with IN
finite sorrows, and His hands wheh ne
spread them out were seen to be wounueu.
When He spoke His voice was low, yet
SO it was that every man nearo fn'i''
plainly, as if He were by his sioe'
And He said:
40 nv people, what is this that We do!
AZ came that We might learn what love
is. what love can do, and what signs anu
wonders love can perform. love aimighty
"And We have come out against one
another in causeless hate, TO say anu ~
destroy, ye know not why.
"Who hath bewitched you. that ye
leave your farms, your shops, your wives
and little ones. and come htner 10 10
the work of the devil2
"Ye have no human hate one toward
another. Ye know not one another. 1e
are kindly men.
YOU. A small number Of men. in the seats
of the mighty, have led you as sheep TO
the slaughter. to feed their pride. their
greed and their lust of glory.
"Ye speak of nations, OF Germany. OF
France, Of England. What are nations
to Me? 1 know them not. I know naught
but humanity. ! died not to save France.
but to save mankind. l came not 10
lead Germany, but the whole world, to
Il will tell you how to escape from this
hell We are in. He that hath ears to near
let him hear!
YOUR enemies as brothers, as We are. Go
back to your homes and refuse to come
out again to kill.
'If but two or three do this they will
be shot as traitors But if ye all do it,
your rulers will be appalled, and helpless:
Then must they perforce arrange their
quarrel some other way.
"And If only few heed My words
and cease to fight. and are killed by their
officers, what will ye? Will ye suffer
more than 1? Is the servant above his
Master?
$50 doing We will die for Me. AS it is.
We die for We know not what.
Come back to Me. I am not here.
am with your mothers that moan in sor-
row. with your wives whose eyes are
red with rust of tears, with your chill
dren left desolate
Fear not The nation that followeth
Me shall not perish. The people that
obey My words shall not be crushed.
They that go the way of the Cross shall
overcome them that take the Sword
"Ye are Mine. Shall it be said again:
He came unto His own, and His own
received Him not?
"will We be obedient to the heavenly
vision, or turn again to your madness?
20 people, My people. How often would
have gathered you together as hen
gathereth her chickens. and ye would not
Therefore see how great woe hath come
upon youi
who will follow Me?''
And the vision faded. And all the null
titude of men were in tears. And they
threw away their weapons. and shouted
with great shouts Of joy, as they cry out
who have been released from prison or
delivered from the pains of sickness. And
they rushed toward their enemies and
clasped hands and laughed and wept.
At first the officers shot down some but
seeing that so great a number were re-
voting from madness unto reason they
desisted and went their way amazed.
So the armies returned home. And the
world awoke out of its frightful dream.
And ferocious kings and rulers were de-
posed. and men chosen in their stead who
took counsel for humanity
For the Christ Of Humanity had spoken,
and the gods Of the nations fed into the
darkness Of the past, from whence they
came.
Even so. o vision Of Divine Wisdom.
come quickly!