The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-21
White Christmas to Be Obserued
 Ln Churches Of Birmingham To-day
Special Programmes Ar ranged for Services and Fitting Decorations and Tableaux Arranged at Many of the Churches.
"Joy to the world, the Lord Is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, Aad heaven and nature sing"


 Let every heart prepare Him room,
 Aad heaven and nature sing.n
 In how many houses of worship will this song be sung today that heralds tho birth day of the King! How many voices will unite in such coronation of the one world hope, whose scepter is love, whose royal Kingdom. is in the heart, and whose ad- vent is a proclamation of Peace on earth, good will to men"
 Because they were glad on that first Christmas morning nearly 200O years ago. that Love was horn into the world, they brought gifts-the wise men, the shep- herds, great fcllS and humble folk, with large gifts and small, to honor the birth day Jf the Child But selected from all the others, there is only one gift that has always been perfect-a gift, strange to say, that is within the power of the poor est to give:
 . 'Tis not the gift we give. but the gift ws
 share, For she gift without the Giver is bare"
 This supreme gift of self, which is the consummation of the Christmas spirit, is the whitest of all white Christmas gifts.
 Perhaps most os us have heard legends of the White Christmas. Phebe A. Cur tiss tells one charmingIy in her book, "white Gifts for the King"
 There was once a strange country called Cathay,' so runs Mrs. Curtiss' story, and the great King thereof was one Kutla-Kahn. who, though mighty warrior. was a most kind and beneficent ruler. His subjects were all bound to him by the strong ties of love and loyalty.
 Every year was the kings birthday oo- served in the roy al palace, where, in the great white room, the king and his court assembled, all dressed in white apparel
 EVERYTHING WAS WHITE
 "Eveything was white-the floors or whitest marble, the windows draped Ill white embroidered silk, and the feast that was stread was called The White Feast
 ''All the kings subjects brought to their Ring d birthday gift. and every gift was a white gift to show that the love and loyalty of the giver was pure and without stain.
 "The rich brought strings of pearls, carvings of ivory, costly white garments, and spans of white horses, while the poor brought white pigeon or dove or per chance a mere handful of rice.
 'Nor did the great king regard one gift above another, so long as all were white!
 The Christmas that will be celebrated IT. most of the Sunday schools of the city today will he white Christmas, because of the three white gifts that will be of- fered the King-white gifts of self and service and substance.
 SOUTHSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH As the first gift of self includes the self possessions of service and substance, it seems fitting that the first Christmas service at the Southside Baptist church should be called "A conservation service at the morning hour of worship in the Sunday school. Following this, in the aft ernoon at 5:3o, the White Christmas cele- bration will he held today in. the main auditorium of the church.
 The organ prelude will be followed by the procession of Sunday school members from youngest to oldest, who will be seafsd in front of the beautiful altar glis- tening with it's decorations of white and green and silver After the Christmas greeting from the superintendent, MT. Marbury, carols will be sung by the inter- mediate, junior. primary, and beginners depa rtments, followed by "The Christmas Story"
 Tn the presentation of the impressive tableau, ''The Spirit of Christmas Joy will Ae represented by Miss Bessie Woo len: Love" by Miss Cecil Gray John ston; Service, by Miss Lorraine Webb, and Sacrifice" by Miss Adelia Brastielc. These young girls with the little Christ mas and Sunbeam fairies. will appear in the tableau which will be introduced " Mrs. J. F. Dillards bes utiful solo, "The Heralds of Heaven"
 Self, service and substance offerings will be made, the latter to be sent to the Bap- list orphanage at Evergreen. The South side programme vii, be closed by the mes sage from the pastor. Dr. J. E. Dillard xxrstf f1,o