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Show Announcing the Birth of a King and Savioi IN FACT and fancy, walk by nigh the squat-walled streets of old-timi Bethlehem. A bright star hangs abovi the house of .David the old Inn o Chimham. Homes are emptied. Witl fright and awe the people stand gaz ing at the flaming herald. To tin smith and west a cloud of fire hai lowered over the fields of Boaz, when once Ruth gleaned barley behind th reapers. The night air is burdenec with silent melodies. The strang starlight mantles the village with t stranger happiness. Strange omen! crowd the hour. People are gathering down by tin old Inn. They stand in silence; men are as voiceless as the night. Onlj .the few have dared to whisper. A man comes out of the Inn, now anc then he presses his lips against a neighbor's ear and whispers: "Strangers "Stran-gers from Nazareth a child is born." Now the people fall back to make room for a company of night watchers watch-ers from the sheep flocks, their begrimed be-grimed faces bright with excitement and wonder. They are from the Boa2 hills. They tell excidedly the story of angels singing praises to God and announcing an-nouncing the birth of a King and Savior. They have come to see. Follow Fol-low them through the old house into the adjoining caves, where even meek-eyed meek-eyed beasts share the wonder of the night. There are the strangers from Nazareth, and there in the manger their new-born Child. The simple shepherds kneel before the Child and tell the story of the sky. They declare de-clare the Child is a King. Scarcely are the shepherds gone before be-fore a slight commotion heralds the coming of bearded strangers, travel stained, but richly garbed. They had seen the star months before and they had followed from the east. It was a king they had come to find. They bow down and worship. They pile gold beside be-side the swaddled babe and till the cave with the odor of incense. An elder el-der from the synagogue brings a scroll and reads, "And His name shall be called Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the prince o Peace." Then understand you have witnessed the mightiest miracle of earth. Here is the .place where Divinity Divin-ity became humanity that humanity might - become divinity. William L. Gaston. (. 1927. Western Newspaper Union.) |