The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1918-12-27
"Grat l11r 5fururt"

~ ERHAPS the darkest Christmas Eve
a our beloved Nation has ever known was
that Of the bleak winter of 1777 when, i'll
clad and i'll fed, the soldiers of the reyolu-
ton were huddled together in their snow
bound camps at Valley Forge. There was
no sound of revelry or merry making with
in their midst nor were there candle light
ed fetal boards which groaned beneath good
things to eat or sparkling viands to quaff
in that p]erilous hour when the fate Of the
Republic hung by a slender thread and when
men loved liberty enough to leave their
crimson footprints in the snow. On the out
skirts of Philadelphia not so very far away
there was a different scene. Here, sur
rounded by every luxury and comfort the
human heart could wish, the legions of an
English king held forth and from their
midst there drifted out upon the still night
air the sound of music, ribald song and
laughter. Here were good things to eat in
plenty and here the popping of wine bottles
and the rythm of dancing feet continued
long past that holy hour when, centuries
before, the angels had sung for joy in Beth
lehem. And why not-for were they not
confident that victory would be theirs when
the lilacs should bloom again and when the
contemptuous task Of a proud kings SOL
diers should not be made unpleasant by the
winters biting cold?
And now let us return once more to the
first scene. The moon, surrounded by a
million glistening stars, looks down serene
ly and peacefully from above. The camp
fires are burning low at Valley Forge and
huddled around them, wrapped in their
blankets, lies the sleeping patriot band
dreaming, God knows what dreams on that
Christmas Eve back yonder in the bleak
winter of "77". who goes there ?" comes
the challenge of a pacing sentinel as a tall
figure with cooked hat and long cloak slow
ly approaches. at is l." comes the low re-
ply-and scarce are the words spoken when
the sentinel dofFs his hat and bows low with
a Difference that is instantaneous and UNI
mistakable, for the voice is the voice of the
beloved Washington. Onward the tall fig
ure trudges with measured step until the
sentinel and the camp nave been left far
behind-and then out there in the silent
woods where he thinks no one can see or
hear he kneels upon the snow and with up
lifted face he prays as man never prayed
before that the cause of American Liberty
might win-and God Who guides the desti-
ny Of Nations as well as the "sparrows
fall" heard and answered this, the most
precious Christmas prayer that ever fell
from human lips.
A great many things have happened since
then. The frail Republic born in the hearts
of men who were willing to die to the end
that here the Oppressed of all lands might
find sanctuary has grown until today it is
the mightiest force that civilization has ever
known. Where, not so very long ago the
savage Indian built his signal fires on the
mountain side, today great cities roar with
the wholesome thrift of modern commerce.
Where only yesterday great herds of buff
falo grazed in indolent content, there arises
today the smoke from the homes Of a mill
ion contented husbandmen-and even as
write, great ships are bearing homeward
our victorious legions from across the seas
where, upon a battlefield redder than hu-
mainly + ever seen, it was their lot to
v~anquish q mad autocracy which had sent
its challenge to all mankind. Proud in the
conscious knowledge of our might? Yea,
verify and with good cause for it has been
our glorious privilege to decide the fate of
civilization-and yet is it not meet that at
this holy season we should realize as never
before that the God of Hosts rather than
the god of battles decides the ultimate fate
Of Nations? Were this not true the desti-
ny Of Europe would have been decided at
the first battle of the Marine and the name
Of Foch, Pershing and Haig would not have
found a place in the gallery of the immor.
tails, If today ours is the voice to which
all other Nations must harken-if it is true
that we have become the custodians of tn,
Worlds gold-if it is true that today mill
ions in every cline bow to our flag in aw,
and reverence-then it is also true tina
these blessings have come to us becaus,
thus far in our career as a Nation we hav,
held fast to those things for which the Gal
hlean Shepherd came into the World nearl
two thousand years ago, And so in thi
hour Of triumph when arrogance and tn
knowledge of power well up in our heart,
may we not contemplate in our minds ey
the k%neeling figure Of the Father of hi
Country out there on the snow on that bless
ed Christmas Eve in the long ago-ant
contemplating it, learn from his uplifte
tear stained face that as Nations and q
individuals there is no victory, save the vi,
tory won at the foot Of the CROSSE
Missouri Farmer.