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Show J t j A Merry Christmas nnmnniin All over the country, all over the world a few years hence it will be also all through the air sounds the greeting Merry Christmas! On the sea and land, in the palace and in the hovel. In the hospitals and In the prisons, pris-ons, In the asylums amid the orphans and In the homes for the friendless and for the aged, wherever even two persons meet who know and love the story of Christmas, the greeting is exchanged. ex-changed. Where can there bj a parallel par-allel to the universal greeting? Is there any other sentiment that has the sovereignty of this cheerful and heartfelt word? It travels through the malls like nothing so much as the doves to the altars of which the Scripture Scrip-ture speaks, for surely the sentiment flits from altar to altar of the hearts of men and is as gentle as the dove. Grudges and animosity vanish before the wafting of Christmas greeting, the smile of hope Illumines the countenances counte-nances of those under the pall of depression, de-pression, the dimpled cheeks of the babies seem like veritable nooks for fairy hiding as the lips coo In response to the Merry Christmas, with the little emblem of the day that comes to the Infant from Its loving paretjt. In the days of romance hostile forces passed upon the field, sheathed their swords and clasped hands across the battle line, greeting one another with the sentiment of universal good will. Merry Christmas has brightened more hearts, has healed more grievances, has brought more happiness to the lives of men and women, has proved to be the tallsmanlc sentiment for ' more home reunions than any other that has ever been heard In this old world. Christmas stands for love and for charity, for hope and for Joy at the fruition of that long-made promise of the prophet of the coming of one who should bring peace and good will to earth; so the churches hold their services serv-ices and the people congregate to Join in singing or to listen to the rendition ren-dition of carols, some of which have come down from the early ages of the church. The children have their Christmas treats, and they are the very merriest of the merry in their participation In these annual school festivals. |