The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-26
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT"

and somehow we feel them near and listening while we sing the song we borrowed from them. Yes, our celes. tial neighbors are paying us visit, and our hearts are quivering with a | heavenly joy. This is the unique thing about Christmas, and is Christianity at flood-tide.
 Would that it might be Christmas all the year round" said Dr. Hendrix Well, one thing is sure, and that is, that The Christmas Spirit is prolong- ing its annual visitation to the chil- dren and men. It arrives earlier and tarries longer than in bygone years Every year it's headquarters comes ter where mankind suffers and strug- gles toward a better life for itself. When calamity and pestilence lay their dark shadows about some community. The Christmas Spirit hurries an army of rescuers to the scene of suffering.
 If we had eyes to see we might find out that some wise people have been bold enough to make room for The christmas Spirit and they are enjoying whole year because this spirit has, become a resident in their hearts and homes. Surely we will ere long make this transient visitor a permanent guest. The future happi- ness of the world is we'll secured in the final triumph of this Christmas Spirit
 In the light of that star
 l4ie the ages unpearled;e
 And that song from afar
 Has swept over the world
 Every hearth is aflame.
 And the beautiful sing
 In the homes of the nations
 That Jesus is King"
 There is Christmas poem writtan by Margaret Deland which should he more familiar to us than it is, think, because as much as any other Christ mas poem, have ever read (witb inc exception of The Little Town of Beth lehem," written by tho late revered Phillips Brooks), reveals the simplicity and the sweetness of "The Spirit of Cnristmas' It seems to fit in exastly with pr. Hendricks' thoughts.
 In the few verses the real" Christ mas spirit is shown in language that i, at once appealing and beautiful, and if one has failed to grasp "The Spirit of Christmas" surely when these line, are perused one must become imbued with it.
 The author thus interprets "The Spirit [. of Christmas:" Like some curled feathers, white and |
 soft,
 The little clouds went by Across the moon and past the stars.
 And down the western sky. In upland pastures, where the grass
 With frosted dew was white Ake snowy clouds the young sheep lay l That first. best Christmas night With finger on her solemn lip
 Night hushed the shadowy earth, And only stars and angels saw
 The little Saviour's birth; fhen came such flash of silvery light, Across the bending Skies, II The wandering shepherds woke, and hid Their frightened, dazzled eyes. ] ! Looked up, and slept again, ~~ sor knew the light that dimmed thu
 stars Brought endless peace to men; sor even heard the gracious words That down the ages ring |, The Christ is born, the Lord has come , Good will on earth to bring. Then OCT the moonlit misty fields,
 Dumb with the worlds great Joy. j( The shepherds sought the white-walled
 town,
 Where lay the baby boy. And oh! the gIadness of the world,
 The glory of the skies, |, 'ecause the longed-for Christ looked up In Mary's happy eyes,
 How greatly the world seems to re- Z emble that sleeping flock of sheep! ( Ve are awakened by the glory, lift our t reads, and keep awake a short time; { ut how soon do we forget 1t and go to leep again. It almost seems as if we ( were like those stupid animals and did Y ot know that the light and the glory t f that first great Christmas brought C endless peace to men," Ii Endless peace! Is there really such q f hing? Can there be such . thing in C his distraught world? If No matter how old we may be or how f Id we may feel, thore is something C formally young in the human heart that V omes out on Christmas Day. although it I T lay slumber for the other 364 days of the ear. Phillips Brooks expressed this feel F ,g when he wrote: The earth has grown old with its bur f
 den of care,
 'ut at Christmas it always Is young" Perhaps this feeling of rejuvenation Ia