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The Clinton News Record, 1937-12-23, Page 7` THURS.DEC.' 23, 1937, THE CLINTON NEWS -RECORD. PAGE 7 POETIC OTJGRTTS FOR THEN AND NOW '`If I had, been a shepherd boy Out on the hills that Christmas. night, And heard the angels' song of .joy .'t And seen the heavens flaming white, 1 think I never could forget; I know I'd be remembering. yet. "I.could net be a shepherd boy, For that was long and long ago. But.still the angels' chant of joy Comes echoing across the snow, And I can listen if I will ,. And hear their Holy Anthem still. 'If I had been a sleeping guest Lodged at the inn that Christmas night Whenthe new Lord was laid to rest In. the cold stall in humble plight, I know I would have waked instead And. given Himmy warm, soft bed.... 'FBut I was not n lodger there, It was so long ago indeed, Yet all around me everywhere Are little children still in need, And when I love and, cherish them I serve the Babe of Bethlehem." —Nancy Byrd Turner. THE OTHER SHEPHERD When glory burst upon. Judea's hills, When trembling shepharde saw the star -strewn sky Riven by angel figures heard the song Of angel voices on the vibrant air; When, at the sweet behest, they took their way .. Down to the quiet plains of Bethle hem, Found the low stable brooded by the star And stood in awe before the new-born Ring— I like to think that one was left be- hind Upon the rocky hillside in the night, To watch the patient sheep and help- less lambs, , Huddled and silent on the wfatrir ground. His brethren saw tee hang.: toe' sae star, The `Mother, lovely in her tender joy, The strange, tall kings, who laid their bostly gifts Humbly before the sorrow -destined Child. And he? Ile saW the grasses on the hill Bending to hearken to the wind's low song, "The blue, far reaches of the quiet night, And trusting creatures, needful of his care. I think that he was glad and proud to keep 'The mandate of the ages; Feed my sheep. —S, Buck Fellows. CHRISTMAS EVE ...At midnight when it's Christmas Eve, When shining stars are frosty bright, • They say the cattle all kneel down . In memory of a Holy Night. I do not know if this be true, But if the patient creatures pra4 1 can understand their pleas, I can know the words they. say. 140h, God,:•look down on us tonight. With pity in Thine eyes, If Thou hast timewe beg of Thee, Hear; our anguished -cries. ""Not always are we cared for well, Many and cruel the stripes we bear; Many of us are hungry, cold, Many are dying everywhere, "Soften the hearts of men for us, For we have served man. well, .And :often the sorrows that we know ` Are More than words can tell." :Under the cold and frosty stars, ' Think of the cattle kneeling, While children sing of joyous things, And Christmas bells are pealing. ---Judy Van Der Veer. 0 le .0% Settee iteafir.r.artie.Statierearelette.• CHRISTMAS Sian, imigh. mow. "map sealereeles.....lesesete ieeteeeseee • 5 4 4 A Christmas Carol This response, made nearly thirty years ago by Mr. Frank P. Church to a little girl who wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Sun, saying: "My father says, if you see it in the Sun it's so; tell me truly, is there a Santa Claus?" is as .well worth repeating annually, as "The Night Before Christmas": "Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affect- ed by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which' is not comprehen- sible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the bound less world about him, as measured by the intelligence callable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge. "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claps. Ire exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist; and you know ,that they abound and give to our life its highest beauty and joy. ° Alas! how, dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no child- like faith then, no poetry, no romance, to make tolerable this exis- tence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extin- guished, "Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? No body sees Santa Clausbut that is no sign there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? ?. Of course not; but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in : the world. "You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not even the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain: and view and pic- ture the supernal beauty. and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ab, 'Vir- ginia; ,in, all this world there isnothing else real and abiding. ' "No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from: now, Virginia; -nay, ten thousand years from now, he willcontinue to make glad the hearts of childhood." .w.:.�wc+�.mia.:�:.r»,�;an�,ma.si.,an tanr.ce::a;::n:�p.4 A Ballad of Bethlehem A King was born in Bethlehem long centuries ago—, No pealing bells announced His birth nor did the trumpets blow; But to the lowly shepherds sang the shining seraphim, And on the starlit silence came that wondrous Christmas hymn: 0 tidings, glad tidings Of peace and joy we bring— To you is born in Bethlehem A Saviour and a King. Good will be unto- all men And peace be on the earth— Let all the sons of men rejoice To hail Messiah's birth! Three Wise Men came from out the east to hail the new-born King, And preeious. gifts of gold and myrrh and incense did they bring; They found Him not in palaces' nor in the monarch's hall, But, guided by the shining star, they found Him in the stall. 0 lowly,. so lowly Came Mary's Son to earth; The shepherds of Judaea were The courtiers at His birth. Above the star was shining, And sang the angel throng -- "Oh earth be peace, goodwill to men"— The splendor of their song. O joyful was the homage that the Wise Men paid the King, And joyful was the message that the angel choir did sing, And still adown the centuries, through clouds of wrack and wrong, We see the Star of Bethlehem and hear the angels' song: O glory, give glory To God this merry morn— In yonder town of Bethlehem The Saviour -Ring is born. Good will be unto all. men, Letstrife and sorrow cease; And all the sons of men rejoice To hail the Prince of Peace. -W. F. WIGGINS, In The New .Outlook. tetelewM-s;tet'ta ecH tilegte? d¢ aWe!eteke ie .'t1t enterecese; Ki sane eeee :.t emetetetesauce ; tete 4,; ' etet,:e eteeeter eget, THE NATAL DAT Again the choirs in anthems, praise; The Christmas chimesin rhythm, ring, While children's voices round thel world Extol in chants the Infant King. The Holy Child of sinless birth, Incarnate Son of woman born, To whom the wise men from afar Gave precious gifts on Christmas morn, The infant Ring to manhood grew, The world's best gift from Heaven above. Mankind he told where'er He went Of God's most wondrous, living love. The stars that in the heavens shone Upon the babe in swaddling clothes Have through the ages vigil kept Until the world His message knows. To be the Christ to earth He came; His followers in all the world Until He comes to be the King Will keep the Christian's flag un-. furled. Again the children carols sing In every land and every state; Again love token gifts are made His natal day to celebrate. —Margaret A. Baldwin. *-1 MARY SPEARS FOR THE 1 INNKEEPER et She said: "The shepherds had thei,l certain sign, The .kings, their certain prophets td obey, How might he guess that it was Soni of mine He turned away?" 'Not with harsh words he bade us from his door, Having na little pjty for our plight, Only he spake, 'My inn. will hold na more,' - As was his right." "How many a poor, soul that night," she said, "Crouched, all unsheltered, on the open way, But this man gave us alt he had—si shed, And fragrant hay." She said: "This man unto his beasts was good, Well -stalled they were, and very fair . to see,' And his great oxen, moving from their food, Made room for me." "My thanks," she said, "My pity over all, :For one who never knew that he pos- sessed That night within his gracious oxen's! stall, My Son for guest."' Theodosia Garrison. BEFORE THE PALING OF THE ;; STARS Before the paling of the stars, Before the winter morn, Before the earliest cock -crow, Jesus Christ was born; Born in a stable, Cradled in'a manger, In the world Ilis hands had made, Born a stranger. , Priest and king Iay fast asleep In Jerusalem, Young and old lay fast asleep In crowded Bethlehem. Saint and angel, ox and ass, Kept a watch together Before the Christmas daybreak In the wintry weather. seettsteeteeM Jesus on His Mother's breast In the stable cold, 1 Spotless Lamb of God was He, Shepherd of the fold; Let us kneel with Mary Maid, 1 With Joseph bent and hoary, ' With saint and angel, ox and ass, To hail the King of Glory. —Christina E. Remark The Origin of The Christmas Card Why Christmas Collies on December 25 While Christmas had always been joyously celebrated throughout the world, it was not until the year 1846 that the idea of sending a printed message of good -will and cheer was conceived. In. 1846, Sir Henry Cole of Eng- land, , suggested to J. C. Horsley, Member of the Royal Academy, that he design an appropriate greeting. The illustration has been reproduc- ed by the Mutual Life Assurance Company for their Christmas greet- ing to policyholders. Three panels make'un, the card, one represents "Feedin.g the Hungry", the, centre panel portrays a group of happy pee plc celebrating the Christmastide; and the panel on the right, "Clothing the Naked." Of the originai cad only 1,00e copies of the card were distributed. • The enthusiasm. with which Sir Hen- ry's greeting card was reeeived prompted others to follow his exam- ple, and today the friendly habit of remembering one's family, friends and business acquaintances at Christmas time is widespread. Christmas, which seems to have' been first officially instituted, a church feast day by a decree of Pope Telesphorus, between 142 A.D. and 154 A.D., was a movable • feast. In- deed, it was the most movable of all the Christian festivals. It was usual- ly celebrated by the eastern branches of the Christian Church in April or lilay, while inthe western part cif Eurepe days in January or other months were observed, as Christmas Day. In A.D. 337,St. Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, ,obtained from. Pope Julius 1, authority to appoint a commission to determine, if possible, the precise day of Christ's nativity. From the chronological archives of the Roman censors,. establishing' the times of oceurrence' of certain eventsof the. same period of the Roman govern- ment of Palestine, the theologians of the eastern and western divisions of the Christian chureh agreed upon De- cember 25 as the date of the birth of Jesus, and thereupon; this became the officially decreed and generally. ac- cepted Christmas Day.