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Show :mSsS)nary Lifrf i?r. , g - . v i A Dissertation on HxistiiiR livils in OM England. Pciir .Banner: I'erhnpi n few linen wVAild'rirJt b3 nniiss, tolling nlout n fow ot tlio events nml happenings In tlila p.trt.of .the world, for Irded thero fire mnnyj nnd eomo vrhicli nro worth) of TiottrJefc On among tlio ni,nny is thnt great day6f Chrlst.nns, which all Hit Christian world look forward to. itow-ercr, itow-ercr, ntnong the learned ol tho' dny the 6th of December la not believed to I'd Gbrlst'sblrthdiiy.From.Jsctstnkenfroiii r. trclailnsticnl history provo it to be lomo time In April, still If tlio 25th ol 1'ecemberyla not the correct dny it brines -to our minds tho sweet memorise et the past when an nnccl surroniide'd by the glory ot Hod nn-noitnctd nn-noitnctd to n few ehepht-rds who were watching their flocks at night saying, "Fear lflit, for bsliold I bring jou good tidings p( great Joy,' which Bhnll be to nil people", for unto you is born this dny in the city of David n Savior, which Is Christ tin Lord, and Una ehnll b,q a sign unto you ; ye ehnll llnd a bubo wrappid in swaddling elothos lying In n manger " And suddenly themwero with tho nngel n multitude of tho lirnvtnly host praising 0:d imd Milling "Olory to Clod In the highest, and on earth, pence, good will toward nun." Hut a elnglo glance In a huge city like Birmingham confirm the belief that there nro not many who think or reflect on such thoughts ns named above. For nights before Christmas one can hear groups and companies of Choral SIngcis in nil parts of town, and a person is often nwakcntd Irom bis peaceful inidiiiclit slumbers by their fair but more times hideous tinging. Ilrass bands nrf also Heard in nitous pnits. Httwecn Chilmni and Now Years those companies go around in the neighborhood neighbor-hood where they have been singing or playing and lies pennies fiom the people, whom they luxvo disturbed by their unncisoiiicil night howHng. Jinny among tho tducfited classes havt noticed in year pnsl Bomo grcnt calnmitv Jnt before -Christmas. Thi v two Ctl.rislmasda I li.no r pent hi England' I'bave, witnessed ll(o Sainp,' '2. aauiofteVilio' 23niip1JjeMmlerI4'MiliBJi' ,'wrws5ljf;i5ji;y I killed nir.Wnf.trvil. -I.ast Christmas-- Christmas-- tho sad accidents hnppincd at eoa. A week before Ch.istmna tho nligiy aea began rolling and every day grew worsonnd nliiiosl hourly now report oamo In of toino one losing their li.es Many who had looked forwajd nml anticipated spending ft merry Christmas Christ-mas are now found In various" parts of tho country with drooping bends mourning over fathers, molhois, brothers, sisters and lovers mid tin widows weeping, children Innii-ntiuif rtud the distress of tlio tronbjed tins 10 it nglcon over tho cntiro countiy. This Ch'istmns brings sadness to ninnj homos as well ns hnppinnss to othcrr. However, wo (that Is I and Fillers Mousley and Hooth) wero more fortunate for we had n very plcnB.mt tlmo nnd one thing inlselonnrv .mjoys is to placa his feet beneath ' table when thero is plenty of eatablei-on eatablei-on it. TliU tlmo wo partook of tin hospitality of Hrother and Slater Oake and we li.'l.cll and partook of oine-thing oine-thing that is rarely placed before n inlssonaryi it was a turkey. About t. v. m. tho eandles on tho Christnuu troo wero lighted which illuminated tin room nnrl wo drow for tho small presents which wero placed upon It. J representing "-Santa Clans." The jiext day was Band holiday nnd tin last one of 85, so every body kept uj foisting and pleiuuring. Wo spent tin day at tho Confcronco Homo nnd in thacvening we went to the Town Hall where "Tho Messiah" waj to b, rendered by the Birmingham Fottlvrl Ohornl Society. The society has nlwui three hundred members, nil tnleutcrt ulngors. Th9 chief artists wero MWfc Anna Williams and Mls Hannah Jones who hmo a good reputation nnd th") loeeived loud jmd long applause. Tn entertainment was gi-""' nll throujh mid wo voro ull well sat it (led wltlill. Going home ulwut 11 p. m. wo saw some of th moat degrading sight, we luive witneMod In this countiy. 'Tall about the abominations of tin . nnUdlluvhiiis, the corruption of Bodou. jnd OomoriMli, tho wickedness ot JeruMliim ami tho llendish dlbolieal itiocltlt.s of Home, then glancing at tliopiuout wo llnd ucnily all of the nbovo evils nnd crimos practiced in oui inklit under tho llctltions nnmo o. Ohrlitnnllj. While omo of the JHInlstcrH and riloits of tl o reri nro flipping their wlno in' their' vlt'iungOb nnd deanery the people are onjiagel nt tlm Tublie. Hoiib bars. It iudo- ttrnd)B enough to sto hundreds ol men- or lioys staggering under the huluoncflof It'iuoM, but when it comes to mother with brd'63 In their nrtm untl-'diiUgbters by tliolr sides Etiidiuy Ht lira Iwr bibhllng wtuu nitid Imki nnd reeling to and fro ono is at a loi- Xurwoids to xprM tho fueling that m-Usin liislieut. While we see mei noitumiiiid children wallowing i th ' tiuk of the liolr "I conupii'jii th est,' creation Is ,r.o comparison for they set examples unto thousands who nro every day degrading humanity, Tliesa' are some of tho sights that' confront us, nnd you can form nn idi n foryoureolf wlnn'l tell youthatthere aro more than twlcn as many l'ublic Houses in Birmingham than there ntc dwelling houses m Lchj, nnd surely ono might say ns Byron did, "There is the moral of nil human talcs; Tho llrst freedom and then glory, When that fails, wealth, corruption, Barbarlsn at last, nnd history, With all her volumes vast, Hath but one page." Valuable lessons might bo learned nnd math misery shunned if nations ot peoplo would only profit by tho er-P'-riences of tho past. New Year's clay coiuea nu.l wo find local evils about the same, while nil of England is In a cloud of war alarms Mot only docs the war scare tomo from Amorlca but the African Transvaal news Is more threatening. In Turkey the situation is not less grave but more threatening of all, though least noticed by tho organs ot public opinion though it is enough to make nny nation hang Its head with sliamo to allow such barbarous cold blooded aiurdtra. .surely the wars nnd rumors of wars, famines, pestilence nnd Latter-day Judgements ns predicted by sclent nnd modem prophets n.c coming to past. I nin greatly enjoying my missionary labors so 1 will conclude- for the present wishing nil a happy and prosperous New Year. I nui Yours Friitornnlly, IMwnrd Southwiek. Rirmlughnm, .Inn. -1, 18U0. |