Show cate it ills sald said tile the quiet voice of y tile the young nil minister nister to ills his waiting audience might inight ile he called A christmas meditation we shall try to give you merely a reverent rev orent f tho spirit of tile the sonson season A bit of enrol singing some ligh lighted lighta td c candles adles a reading from the 11 able and ono one tableau tn bleau there was a sort soft rustle rustic of expectation throughout the HIB church the lights snapped off all was lark dark and still like the slow uprising of a far wind came the sweet subdued voices of a hidden choir tile beautiful V ad og 6 ma floated over the heads of tile people like a benediction noiselessly candle after candle sprang into alame nt at the windows each taper lighted by the hand of a small boy then the screens breens about the san stags ze under tile pulpit were removed and there was the dear nuil and treasured scene so loved and so cherished at tills this season tile the manger mary lary benti bent s g over it joseph standing near by A soft glow from tito the rudo rude cradle suffused the facca rubout it ilnay all in spotless white joseph bearded and dressed in blue with a scarlet mantle over ills his shoulders hou n striped he and a broud iq ah about tills his waist vie the music slid into while ads watched their flocks by night from the front of the church came a tall figure with a crook A sh shepherd ephord from the hills who kriedt in front of the aringer and then near then another ani and ri nother rough men with kindly awkward manners two little fellor i followed their eyes round with arith aw again the music changet chang pt we three kings of the orient arf are A thrill passed through the church tho the fj aKo notes of thi aliis ls music uh ushered ered in nn impressive figure who d ral nit bcd l hi in with roval limi ltv nia ills dress dregs gleamed richly lie ile carried a gift high in tooth luinda then came the hr second king abw hearing bearing costly presents then a third who knelt with bowed head in tron froal of the stable the me tableau cameau took on a deeper and and more ore bendt r significance tho tha young minister read this the C christmas story from tho bible ills hid voice I 1 was as low arid clear keeping lc tn in perfect turie tune with the surroundings when lie he hall had finished soft music drifted down from tb the elioer loft oh little town of bethlehem the diotes seemed to caress the en tiro place A hush of reverence voloyed everyone silently from the side of the chure church 13 near the altar camo came a procession ot of white children ench each bearing a lighted taper they arranged themselves in a sort of frame about tho the manger scene standing one abbe the other on tio tie two flights of stairs lending leading up into the pulpit toils was the final impression tile transcend transcendent ont from froin the manger nin riger mary bending over it lost in rapt adoration jo joseph seph at her elbow the shepherds the wise nien men and tho the frame of lighted candles then tile the screens were again set up the eli hooded flooded with I 1 light ight tile minister dismissed the people with it a short prayer and benediction A simple service as lie he said but one olie which lert left an impression of the true reverence and of christmas on till all who ut ul tended 4 1926 1 W sarr newspaper union |