Year: 1876

CHRISTMAS MOURN AND AT TIL


CLOSE EACH ONE WAS PREsENTE


WITH A HANDSOME AND vALUABL


GIFT AS A MEMORIAL OF THE oC


cAsIoN.


This day 1872 years ago CAV


birth to one of the greatest men tha


ever lived before or since the crea


ton of the world-his BIRTH gave ris


to a new era which has filled tn


world with wonder and astonish


ment. No King, Monarch or Poten


tate of the past or in the future ha


or can ever yield such influence fo


good, as was and is still manifested


among the people Of the world BY


and through HIM who was born in I


stable on bed of straw and hav


and who is known as the babe ol


RETHLEHAM. At his birth The Angel


in heaven sang glory to God in the


highest and peace and good will t.


men, because it was the unlocking


of the door unto a sinstricken worlC


the way Of escape from the wrath O.


an offended. Bv the disobedienee O


our first Parents-Adam and Eve


ali mankind were put under the curse


then pronounced by the Almighty


dust thou art and unto dust thou
shalt return Death ever since ha:
gone forth doing its fearful work
among all classes and conditions Of
men, not even sparing the innocent
babe in the arms of its loving mother
The whole world is vast field oi
graves. We have the places of the
dead around us here ia Shippens-
burg. Who among US have not ex.
perienced the sad event Of the death
of some loved one at whose open
grave the burning tears of sorrow
were made to flow from the inward
anguish felt at the last sad sight of a
departed dear mother, father, sister,
brother or some cherished friends
Yes! we are all mourners and will re-
main so until we to- are numbered
with the pale nations of the earth.
But, thank God, although we are
mourners. we are not without hope.
The birth of Jesus, whose coming in
TO the world we celebrate to-day, has
brought life and mortality into the
world-gladness to the hearts OF
whose faith in the great Re-
deemer has carried them through
the storms and vicissitudes of life in
to that better home, that house not
made with hands, eternal in the
heavens, where the glory Of the
Father is sung in anthems of praise
oy angels for ever and ever. Have
We not reason to be glad to-day, in
view of the glorious gift of the Son
Of God Jesus became a poor child
bad even a stable for his birthplace
that he might make all poor chill
dren good, rich and happy; but not
only children-he also calls on all
young men and women, even the
boary-headed of all clases, whose sill
very locks and wrinkled faces admon-
Ish that the end of time is near at
hand, that they, too, even heavily la
den with sin, may prepare to enjoy
The rest which remaineth for the peo-
pie Of God, and which alone can be
secured through the merits of the Son
)f God-Jesus the Redeemer of the
world.


This is the 69th christmas | have
been permitted to see, whilst nearly
All the comrades of my young days
IRE dead, a fact that fills me with
sadness, hot, however, without
houghts of thankfulness to God for
having spared my life to see assem-
lied around me so many 'fesh of my
iesh and bone of my bone" whose
milling faces indicate the inward
Measure they feel on this occasion of
'ur meeting Whether We shall all
meet again is only known to Him
Who is over and above us all. Be
his as it may, let US be admonished
o have our house in readiness, so
hat if we shall not meet on earth
gain on Christmas occasion, we
ball have the assurance of meeting
ach other in that better land where
here are joys evermore


In the days of my boyhood our
were not attended with |
be presentation of gifts such as are !
ow the custom TO give. A few
axes, nuts, maple sugar and the like,
vas about all that was then given
nd received, and with this the little /
'lks were as well pleased, as those
you now are on the presentation of
ostly jewelry, &c. The people in
be DAYS of my youth were different-
7 trained from the habits and Gus
pms now prevailing. Then the
trictest economy in household af-
airs was inculeated by all classes
ch and poor mingled and commin-
led with each other as neighbors
nd friends without any marked dis
notion in dress--all appearing in
eat and plain habiliments, with few
'inkets adorning their persons. Then
,ere was little or nothing known of
rtifcial hair, false teeth and all the
ther fashionable folleys of dress
nd disguise of persons Then
,ere were no oyster, beer and ice
,eam saloons to visit and spend
Ioney by, which the mast pernicious
abits of extravaganza and ruin are
by thousands of young
eople, who, were il not for these in
ucements might prove themselves
rnaments to society and blessing
} their friends. Then young ladies
rided themselves more in the per-
rmance of household duties than
arading the streets with greeian
ends and head dresses that would
r more become a grenadier of the
my. The people in those days
we'd in one and two-story houses