Show i. i CHRISTMAS f How clear the bells chime out today today today- and why do they have such a merry din When I think of how the procession of the months has held its glorious way through the melodious time spring-time through the fervent heat of making fruit-making summer through the yellow fields of the harvest through the rustling leaves of the woodland gentle heralds of winter winds and now arrives triumphant atthe at atthe t the climax of the year year Christmas Christmas time I appreciate then the happy chants across the snow The evergreen bough and garland are symbols sweet and true of the Christmas Christs Christ Christ- mas inas s time For while other of our holidays holidays holidays holi holi- days may have their gladness and tumultuous tumultuous tumultuous joys Christmas stands above all with the serenity of a festival supreme without a rival in universal participation and loyal devotion Its symbol of perpetual perpetual perpetual per per- life life life- the life the evergreen evergreen is is true because because because be be- cause childhood is the one stable thing in this world of change Evolution has not touched baby sweetness nor childish content with simple things it has not dimmed boyish wonder nor girlish de de- light Christmas and childhood are words to conjure with but there is not needed the magicians magician's wand to summon the spirit of Christmas and childhood they are areat areat areat at our beck waiting but an inviting glance to make merry and to bring the laurel of love the love the love that is in diffusion diffusion diffusion dif dif- fusion ever more intense To childhood childhood childhood child child- hood belongs the expanding imagination that can build a beauteous world anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where on any foundation and the child has too the vanishing memory to towards towards to- to F wards cruel words and tyrannies Christmas links us to the heart child-heart and may prove the magic potion that i will give us the vanishing memory to tor towards towards to- to r wards sorrows and struggles towards hurts and hatreds While Thile shepherds tended their flocks by night light angels sang together celebrating the nativity of the Christ Very cant is the association of the Savior and 1 the shepherd It is an illustration peculiarly peculiarly peculiarly forceful to the farm family where better than elsewhere is known the urgent urgent urgent ur ur- gent need which the sheep has for a shepherd Who Nho so well as the farmer knows that the sheep singularly like man has not the instinct of home which is so marked in other domestic animals The horse or the cow will find home unerringly unerringly un unerringly un- un despite distance or storm or perplexing route and it is said that the the- cat will cross a continent to purr by its accustomed fireside But not so with sheep While it is true that the flock may be taught routine of travel from pasture to barn yet if turned adrift they will wander ever and aimlessly So it itis itis itis is with man when lost he wanders wander in ina ina a circle having no instinct to guide him home In his larger social and spiritual needs man wants a shepherd or 1 l. l leader eider How mightily do we need to be le lein led ledin ledin in the Christmas times Who would not be willing to be called heretic if he could write so convincingly a as Drummond in that matchless homily on love The he Greatest Thing in the VV World orld Love is the ideal leader and his herald a gift gift the gift of sympathy and a helping hand the gift of comrade and brother The bringing of gifts is as old as history It Itis Itis Itis is an immemorial al custom about which cluster some of the brightest memories of the race Gifts have been the cement of friendship the diplomacy of ambassadors ambassadors ambassadors dors and the apologies of kings but the Christmas gift is a symbol of peace and god will and never bears so precious a message as when it speaks to a child of love that is tender and true And no noone noone noone one so well as a child c can n understand l land and respond worthily to this message The senti sentiment nent that draws us home at Christmas time centers about a little littie littlechild littlechild child as did the adoration of the wise men on that Christ And we are wise in the degree we surrender Christmas Christ Christ- mas and ourselves yes on that day to the children hildren The Santa Santa Clause legend i is it 1 r too enchanting to fall into disuse but it need not be burdened with more than legitimate le- le mystery The child is quite as enraptured when it knows that the portly figure in traditional disguise is father or uncle as when told it is is an impossible creature from an impossible land come comeby comeby comeby by an impossible route Laura Laura Christensen I tr |