WILSON, N. C, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1910.
VOLUME 17 lib. 97
0
A Happy,
Merry
mas
to
You
Ml
him
0
0
THE VISION OF "THE "TREE
By Wilbur D. Nesbit.
g The Prince of Peace
LEAD KINDLY LIGHT
The tree was all a-twinkle , with. Its
candles here and there
And with a merry tinkle swayed the
gifts it had to bear,
And all was now completed for the
morrow that should be
With joyous welcome greeted by the
children round the tree.
When I may have dreamed it so,
But the grace of long ago
Came through the hush of midnight
and bided there with me. v
I sighed as does a sleeper when
dreams hold the heart of him;
The shadows grew the deeper till the
tree was blurred and dim
Then marvelously glowing as of the
stars and suns.
With a beauty past all knowing, with
the majesty that stuns,
Stood a cross of jewel-Fame
Which from out the shadow came
And softly came a chanting: "To
these, the little ones!"
Strange glory held the trifles that
- hung upon the tree;
The marveling that stifles all speech
laid hold on me;
I fe'c the impulse olden that led the
storied kings
To come with treasures golden and
precious offerings, ,
In the first gay Christmas dawn
Of the Centuries agone.
When all earth throbbed with music
and beat of angel wings.
I knew that I was dreaming but there
rose a glorious chime
And the morning stars were gleaming
in the field of space and time;
Then the heart-enthralling vision
slowly vanished quite away,
But upon a sight elysian it had been
for me to stray
And I heard all faintly far
. Music dropping from each star
The voice of children singing and it
was Christmas day.
By James Russell Lowell
'What means "this glory , round our
The Magi mused, "more bright than
3 morn?
$P And voices chanted clear and sweet.
"Today the Prince of Peace is born" ff
'What means that star,' the shep
herds said,
rrti . a i . . j . . a - i
inai unguiens mrougn me rocKy
glen?" . gg
And angels, answering overhead, l$gfc
San "Peace on earth good-will to.
0 men." ' - .
And they who do their souls no wrong
But keep at eve the faith of morn,
Shall daily hear the angel's song,
"Today the Prince of Peace is born."
"Send out thy. light and truth, let them lead me" Fs. 43:3.
John H. Newman. . " John B. Dyke.
Lead Kindly Light, amid th' encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from Home, Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see, The distant scenes;
One step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on.
;I loved the garnish day; and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will; remember not past years.
So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.
i 5
8?
1 WO
W
omen
II. E. Harman
The Christmas night was cold ;
'Twixt earth and sky snow's blooms in multitude
Fell fast, asgif t of Fate 's ingratitude,
Alike on rich and poor, relentless, damp and rude;
Each flake the storm foretold.
The flicker 'd gleams of light
. Flashed through the storm from out the house of mirth,
Where Joy had come to celebrate the birth
Of Song: and giddy Fashion sat beside its hearth
Of show, this op 'ning night.
Passing the gilt stained door ,
' A petted queen of fortune, wealth and pride,
i Bejeweled, sought the mirth and warmth inside ;
While just without, lonely, amid the snowy tide,
Went sister of the poor.
Their far-spent glances met ;
( She of the dazzling world, looked back with scorn
Upon the piteous one, whose pale face, worn, . g
Cast but a wistful glance,- then pass 'd along forlorn,
j Inter her world Regret.
j Into her world Regret!
For thus she thought the meager life of hers,
From which Fate every envied gift deters:
; And yet. she had Content and Love, which God confers,
Safe, like an amulet.
Here was a cottage fair, ?
Beside whose hearthstone, when the sirens call, "
Within whose door, when- twilight shadows fall,
Together, Peace,' Content and Gladness hover, all
f For love was master there, -' !
n .ill: ' .
The storm-swept night had waned: .
Twixt. earth and -sky snow's blossoms in multitude
: .Still - fell, as : gift of-Fate's ingratitude, .:- ,
1 ' Alike on rich .and poor, relentless," damp and rude:
j Revel's last cup is drained, - . . '
-f A palace welcome shields , - " " r . '
i- The queen of fortune, in its walls of white
j From winter 's cold without. ' There, warmth and light y ,
Give ease; but EnvyjHate upon the ceilings write
t JL-caef to -which tht yislda. . - i .--v I
iFor,;in4his mansion fair, ' " r! ".
No sirens call ' beside' the hearthstone glow
no lace 01 joy nere riser to snow - . ,
i Its welcome, and the dreary hours, like eons, go
- For Love 13 missing JLfiere. -
i-f:i. I l.-T. ,!iiF' Vis; , A Trtrit, IT-
ffl lfi!s ii&;1 " .rj h
f - . I till "I "'I 'i ' 'Vlni. 111 111 1. fc it 1.1M1. ..il Tiiimtmiiiiintm,!..,-!! 1 nun ' '
1 I 1 1 'f '""""i'Mi,i,1i,j",,i"iMi,imijijIt,iiiiiiiiiMiiMiiiniii. miiiii f '
tm ' ''i"'M....rlii.i...li-tiiitm,tiitii.;Jnm..i.itni;ij.i1i.i.ii.iiJ.niu..iin!.J.i.i: I j j 1
Gririst
mas
lary Groome M'Ninch
- A
"Hie.
, . , . sobel A- H. Fisher, in Westminister Gazette. '
It's h! to be young in a world grown old, .. , . ' -A
sober world and gray; a '
With chivalry banished, and love grown cold, : ,
; 1 And; the fairies fled away; " ' . . -flJ.
For the little people are over the sea, over, the sea to the West: v - - -
..... f ...... - - . - - - v -
A thousand leagues through the sunset gates they dwell in the isles qf the
It's to be young in a world grown , old, --
A world that once was fair; n
Che has painted her ace Uke an old-time qaeen, - r . , f
And tired her faded hair; v- . ' , ' f TTTrTTT
-And love, and laughter, and hope, and faith, arevwUnered and worn kt
For all sweet , things are fled away arith the little folk over the seaY
11 '
The festival of festivals at our doors again
When o'er the earth and in men's hearts-God's blessed
peace doth reign ;
To ICm the Highest, Triune one, all glory praise and
might, '
For that He gave Himself to us that far-off, starry ,
night. ' :. .... . ;
: - U . ' :
Oh! merry is this festival, and mellow sweet as old,
That Time has cherished like his wines arid like his. yel
low gold; , -Aye,
merry-every heart shall be and every lip shall -.
. smile . , " ,
For that with joy we celebrate the birthday of a Child, i
y in :
Now once again shall burst to white upon this hallowed
morn - ' '
Our love in Christmas blossom, like Glastonberry thorn;
And once again Good-will shall fly his emblems round
the world. -.
- - - - -" - -
While every potentate beside shall, stand with banners
furled... : .. I
' v : - '.V iv - -: , . , ". ..:
Come, bring the pearly mistletoe with glistening berries
three, j
' With emblem on each tiny bough of Holy Trinity;
We'll string it high, well-hang it I0W7 so that within
our home ; -.
No witch or evil spirit shall be bold enough to come.
' ' Yr " ;
And ho ! the fruited holly wreath with drops of crimson
- red, . . .'. - .
A token of the .thorny crown once plaited for His head;
And ho! the trailing ivy green eternal. life foretells,
' As, of the endless reign of Love, these joyous Christmas -bells.
. . . . . :
. With washen hands the pond 'rous yule upon the hearth
we'U light, '
JThat all our hopes and our desires may prosper from
this night; ' ' .... v.
Of all the feast's appointments this holds most of cheer
and, worth, . " " . x : , - j
: Commemorating as it glows, our holy Saviour's "birth.
J :: -: , " ' TO - - ;
Also within our hearts we know there burns the fire of
L love, . . '.-. r -'. : .. - ..' . '
For.; all the creatures of the earth' and God in heaven
above - .
And this it i3 makes Christmas-time so happy-and f.o
. dear ,
- That we shall sing' the while we serve through all the
coming yYar. .