Evening star., 1932-12-25
SWATHED IN MIST,
CITY CELEBRATES
QUIET CHRISTMAS
Solemn Reverence Mingles
With Good Cheer on
Holy Night.
SUFFERING GIVEN AID
IN SPIRIT OF CHRIST
Capital Pours Out Generous Gifts
to Poor-Curtis Leads Rites
Broadcast to Entire Nation.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

The goodness and mercy Of another
natal eve Of Jesus encompassed a mist
washed world last night like a celestial.
white cloud filled with singing.
The soul of Christianity passed
through its yearly baptism in Christ's
tenderness. was washed clean and born
again-with the chanting of robed
priests at midnight. the Transformation
of city streets into lanes of trees
covered with fire blossoms and the
bedtime prayers OF the Masters little
ones.
Washington shared in the mystical
baptism. A little weary from its gift
buying and bill-paying, the city's popu-
lace, mostly gathered at its firesides,
underwent that strange experience Of
Identification of its heart and mind
with the Wandering Preacher of Gal
lilee's shores-that inexplicable identi-
ication which Is Christmas.
This is not riotously joyful Christ
mas eve There was a persisting minor
chord in the music Perhaps just be-
cause Of this, it was more in the ancient
pattern of Christ's birth night. Plenty
may be a dense cloud across the star
vistas into eternity. When it is scat
tered by the wild winds of privation one
may see far into that reality Whlcn
lies behind The substance OF things.
Gifts called for sacrifice, and without
sacrifice there can be no true worship:
Tears are like jewels on the brow of
the spirit of Christmas.
Filled With Reverence.
This was a reverential Christmas
eve The night came not like a king
with a star-set crown. 1t was grey,
mist weeping, fog-caSsocked night--a
poor pilgrim night with love in its
heart and tired feet come for the
blessing OF the Christ of nights.
All over the city, as all over the world,
as re-enacted in some way that human
eternal drama of the stable at Bethle-
hem At midnight church bells rang
out the tiding of the birth of Savior
and organ chords out of great. dead
composers hearts caught up and ampl-
fed the theme.
In another sense it may not have
been the re-enactment but the actual
happening Of an event-the birth OF
Jesus again. his substance the souls Of
men. come once more to save deluded
and distracted world. For all troubles
are shadows before the light of his
spirit
Washington has its Christmas eve in
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and episodes it
has cherished and made its own through
the years. There is the lone high star
of the Cathedral shining far over the
city, there is the long midnight chant
ing of the White-robed friars of the Do
minican House of Studies in their
Brookland chapel which some have de-
clared one Of the most impressive
Christmas ceremonies on earth, there Is
the magnificent display of lighted
spruces and hemlocks with which Wes-
ley Heights observes the holy holidays,
there is the re-enactment of the Ma
tivity at the Franciscan Monastery.
Others will be recalled to other men,
orieS. Every spot in Christendom has
its Christmas individuality. like every
child in Christendom. The magic of
the night makes cities, villages and Ma
tions children, as it makes men and
women children.
LOvelest IndeScribable.
And the loveliest episode in the drama
of Christmas cannot be described be-
cause its actors are substanceless phan-
tastes and inviSible-the drama Of
dreams that is enacted over the blan-
kets of those whose like constitute the
Kingdom of Heaven. No man knows
what fair things they dreamed as they
slept close to Jesus. Such dreams are
too ethereal ever to be discernible to
minds eyes dulled with worldliness. The
story of those dreams would be the real
story of Christmas
No part of the city was without its
visible Christmas festivities and there
were few who did not take part in some
way-who did not serve in some way
at the rebirth of the Messiah, even if
only by standing and waiting.
The strains of Christmas carols sound
ed through many sections of the city as
choral groups wandered about like the
troubadourS of old bringing their an
nual Christmas Gift of Song"
Several hundred of them, garbed in
the fanciful costumes of the Middle
Ages. serenaded Washington with the
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