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Show CHI'.IST.MAS I With hearts filled with gratitude we again upproch tlie coming of another Christmas Day. Never before be-fore have we had greater cause to be happy than today; today when peace iflt'ni ho universally in our own dear native laud. This is Impressed un hundred fold more vividly upon our minds in eotrast with the terrible conillet now raging death-like in Europe, Eu-rope, among nations, !(& per cent of , whose inhabitants profess belief in , the Son of Cod, in whose honor we celebrate. What a change from a year ago. Then hundreds of millions j of professing Christians were making elaborate preparations for their annual an-nual celebration. They had thoughts and dreams of family re-unions, of repasts, of worship in song and story of the lowly Nazarene, of present-making present-making of all, in fact, that bring joy to the heart and makes for, "Peace on Earth and Clood Will towards Men." The sound of the loom and factory in every line of indusry, mingled in peaceful harmony with the song of the peasant, the laborer, the merchant, and those in every humble calling of life; this universal unison was wafted on by the breezi and the bird, arid the mountain am' the doll, and then borne by heavenl hosts to the throne of Him in whosv name all mingled together in om grand chorus. But the change! So terrible in it; scope that the human mind become; dazed; the heart faints and all won der what has happened? What do we hear from the Christian land? All the world is amazed paralyzed. None can answer. All stand helplet at the world's greatest calamity; a!! ' gaze in awful pity at the slaughtei of human souls as the wicked avalanche ava-lanche rushes on to sorrow and death. Those who would stretch forth their hands to save are caugh. in the path of ruin and whirled in! oblivion. i The world must look down upo fallen humanity in pity. Nor ca-hey ca-hey sing with the same spirit, thr vis; that has brought cheer to lb 'Vts of millions since its angelic. TgT"v.-ds echoed on Judea's plains at the '.nto the world of the Redeem-jn Redeem-jn they praiseed the Lord ant1 Sfot 'Glory to God in the Highest ft. Js. a Earth Peace, Good Will to-f!wmt to-f!wmt xden." Notwithstanding America, the favored fa-vored land, enjoys a period of plenty, and peace toward all men; yet there lies wi:hin every American heart a spark of divine pity that reaches out toward our unfortunate neighbors and which must of necessity detract from the otherwise perfect Christian Day, which is here. While we may rot be nblp to stop the war now in progress, we can assist the poor, " helpless, starving widow and orphan by sharing with them the bounties that have been so obundantly bestowed be-stowed by an allwise and beneficient Father. In 'hi"1 wnv we rnn enjoy the day with a knowledge that we have done to. others what is required requir-ed at our luuids, and enjoy the peact and plenty that are ours, as best we may, under the apalling conditions that exist. May there speedily come to pass a culminaiion of the strife and contention con-tention wh.ch ii- now alTlirt ut, re whole world, and with riRh t-ousress, Peace on earth and Ooo: Will to Men. tffl |