Page Four
Thursday, December 19, 1918
EASTERN CLACKAMAS NEWS
R
From the Local
Committee
Y our C h r is t m a s
Groceries, Raisins,
Nut?, Oranges, etc.
“ Your b e n i g n a n t c o u n t e n a n c e a n d e x p a n s i v e s m i l e is as wel co me no w as
in by gon e y e a r s . ” I a m a c cu s e d of b e in g a “ l a u d a t o r t e m p o r i s a c t i . ” T h e
e xp e ri en c e of life s h o w s t h a t “ t h e old o r d e r c h a n g e s , y i e ld in g place to th e
n e w , ” a nd we who b e lon g to t h e f o r m e r m u s t c h a n g e a n d yield w i t h it with
good o r bad gr ace. So we c ry : ‘T h e K i n g is d e a d , long live t h e K i n g ! ’ Hail,
C h r i s t i n a s p r e s e n t ! Co m e a n d fill th e h e a r t s of t h e y o u n g wi th joy a n d
g l a d n e s s , a nd we t h e i r e l d e r s will r ej o ic e w i t h t h e m . You b e a r t h e s a m e
blessed m e s s a g e as t h a t of y o u r f o r r u n n e r s , of a ‘peace on e a r t h , goodw il l
t o w a r d m e n . ’ May you i m b u e o u r h e a r t s wi th t h e t r u e sp ir i t of t h e se ason.
May t h e y be filled with c h a r i t y t o w a r d s a ll ; t h e c h a r i t y w hi c h s u f f e r e t h
long a nd is k i n d ; which e n v i e t h not , wh ic h v a u n t e t h n o t itself a n d is no t
puffed up; wh ic h doetli not b e h a v e itse lf u n s e e m l y , s e e k e t h no t h e r ow n , is
n o t easily p ro v o k e d , t h i n k e t h no evil; w h i c h r e j o i c e t h n o t in i n iq u i ty b ut
r e jo ic e th in th e t r u t h ; which b e a r e t h all t h in g s , b e ll e v et h all t h in g s , h o p e t h
all t h in g s , e n d u r e t h all t h i n g s . ”
FROM
Do we realize w h a t a b le s s in g to h u m a n i t y is the C h r i s t m a s s e a s o n ?
It is like a w a r m , vigorous, h e a l t h y br eez e of l o v in g k i n d n e s s s w e e p i n g ov er
the l and , d i s p e r s in g the ch illing, p o i so n o u s m i a s m a s of envy, h a t r e d a n d u n
c h a r i t a b l e n e s s . Horne u po n its wings, t h e m e r c y -f u e ig h t e d c lo u ds of P r o v i
den ce a ri s e to de s ce n d in r e f r e s h i n g s h o w e r s of b r o t h e r l y love. F o r on e
day at least in t h e y e a r s w o r d s a r e t u r n e d i n to p l o u g h s h a r e s , a n d we p e r
ceive th e e a r n e s t of the ti m e fo re t o ld by th e p r o p h e t . A lit tle chil d s h a ll
lead us, a n d on this day o u r feet a r e g u i d e d by t h e Bab e of B e t h l e h e m into
th e way of peace.
W h e t h e r D e c e m b e r 2f»th was t h e a c t u a l d a t e of this e v e n t is a n op en
q u e s ti o n . S o m e a u t h o r i t i e s place it in t h e s p r i n g - t i m e a n d o t h e r s in t h e
autum n.
Hut th e weight of a u t h o r i t y rent ainb on t h e side of t h e t r a d i t i o n a l
d ate .
E d e r s h e i m s t a t e s : “ T h e r e is no a d e q u a t e r e a s o n f o r q u e s t i o n i n g
th e h is to ric a l a c c u r a c y of this d a t e . ” T h e m a t t e r is not i m p o r t a n t in itself,
but if De c e m b e r 2 5 t h lie t h e rea l day, it is s i n g u l a r l y a p p r o p r i a t e a n d b e a u
tif ully significant. One would fain not h a v e it o t h e r w i s e , as it t h e n c o in
cides with t h e a n c ie n t c e l e b r a t i o n by th e N o r t h m e n of the w i n t e r solstice.
As they rejo ice d for th e r e t u r n of th e s u n to c h e e r th e w i n t r y e a r t h , so
C h r i s t i a n s rej oi ce for th e r e t u r n of t h e S u n of R i g h t e o u s n e s s r is i n g wi th
h e a li n g in His wings.
1 was b r o u g h t up to go to c h u r c h on C h r i s t m a s Day. T h i s is on ly m e e t
a nd r ig h t , for C h r i s t m a s is e s s e n t ia l ly a r e l i g io u s festival. T h o u g h it m a y
• hav e displ ac ed it, ye t it is not t h e s a t u r n a l i a of t h e a n c i e n t R o m a n s in
a n o t h e r form.
I de em the m a i n t e n a n c e of its r e l i g io u s observancfe to be
most i m p o r t a n t , o t h e r w i s e it m ay d e g e n e r a t e i n to a s a t u r n a l i a . I n d i c a t i o n s
of this possibility u n f o r t u n a t e l y a r e n o t w a n t i n g , i love t h e C h r i s t m a s
service, a n d s o m e of my m os t p l e a s a n t re c o l le c ti o n s a r e a s s o c i a te d w i t h it.
liow willing we wer e to g a t h e r t h e holly a n d g r e e n s fo r d e c o r a t i o n s ; to
weave fes to on s a n d f a s h i o n v a ri o u s a p p r o p r i a t e e m b l e m s a n d o v e r s e e t h e i r
b a n g i n g a n d a r r a n g e m e n t ! T h o u g h this r e q u i r e d m u c h t im e a n d t h o u g h t ,
we felt well re p a i d , w h e n e v e r y t h i n g was finished a n d t h e c h u r c h s to od
a r r a y e d in festal dress. T h e c h o ir also, d i li g e n t l y p r a c t i c i n g , wou ld e n l i v e n
the t im e for t h o s e w o r k i n g at the r e a r of t h e c h u r c h w i t h carol, a n t h e m a n d
hy m n. T h e n , w h e n t h e m o r n i n g c a m e , a goodly c o n g r e g a t i o n a s s e m b l e d for
th e “ C h r i s t m n s s , ” to w o rs h ip a n d a d o r e the o r i g i n a l C h r i s t m a s G i v e r a n d
His U n s p e a k a b l e Gift. A f t e r which t h e y d e p a r t e d to t h b i r h om es , c a r r y i n g
with t h e m to a u g m e n t t h e joys of t h e day , t h e b l e s s i n g a n d p ea ce of God,
which p a s s e t h all u n d e r s t a n d i n g . S u r e ly s o m e t h i n g m u s t be missed, u n l e s s
C h r i s t m a s is t h u s h a llo w e d , b e c a u s e it is m e a n i n g l e s s if it be not a holy
day a n d kep t as such.
•
Many y e a rs h a v e p a s se d since I m a d e o n e of a b a n d of waifs, in a vi llag e
w he r e 1 f o r m e r l y lived. How p l e a s a n t it was to t r a m p t h r o u g h t h e s n o w in
th e crisp, frosty air, to s e r e n a d e o u r f r i e n d s a n d re c e iv e at e ach s t o p p i n g
place a w a r m C h r i s t m a s g r e e t i n g a n d welcome.
Hut w h e n I recall t h e s e
tim es a feeling of s a d n e s s comes o v e r m e as I t h i n k ho w m a n y of t h o s e
whose j o y lu l voices b r o k e on th e s ti l ln e s s of th e n i g h t a r e now s il e n t f o r e v e r
on e a r t h . W hil e a s h a d o w is t h u s cast o v e r t h e f o r m e r m e r r y p a r t y , how m u c h
d a r k e r would it be w e r e it not for t h e ligh t of t h e S t a r of B e t h l e h e m . Yes,
C h r i s t m a s ni ght b r i n g s p e a i c to all t h o s e wh o a r e a n y wa y s af f l ic te d o r dis-
tressed, in mind, body, o r estate. To t h e m , as to t h e s h e p h e r d s of old, f o r
co mf or t a n d fo r hope, is given t h e s ig n of t h e Babe, w h o is t h e e a r n e s t of a
new a n d a m o re a b u n d a n t life, t h e b r i n g e r of s w e e t n e s s a n d light. In t h e
babe all t h in g s a r e be c o m e new. Jle is t h e f u lf il lm e n t of th e past a n d t h e
gnldyii p r o m i s e of t h e fu tu r e . His very h e l p l e s s n e s s e n d o w s h im wi th
Hie peculiut p r o p e r t y o f c a p t u r i n g »lie aff ec tio ns a n d e n l i s t i n g t h e s e rv i c e s
o: men. He p e r s u a s i v e l y appe als to t h e w h o l e of h u m a n i t y . All s o r t s a n d
co n d it io n s of m e n r e s p o n d to th e cry of t h e babe. H e lays hold of t h e i r
h ea rts , e xe rc is in g a p u r if y in g a n d e l e v a t i n g in flu en ce o v e r t h e m .
It is a
babe who ca us e s tilt* mo th, r a n d f a t h e r love to s p r i n g up a n d blo ssom as
tlie rose. And no n e , no m a t t e r how r o u g h a n d i g n o r a n t , but su ch love re-
linos, m a k i n g t h e m less b r u t i s h a n d s o tt i s h a n d r a i s i n g t h e m to a h i g h e r
level. T h e force wh ic h thus t h e b a b e e x e r t s is m a n i f e s t l y not phy sical
n e i t h e r is it i n t e l l e c t u a l . It can o n l y be s p i r i t u a l , c o m i n g d o w n f r o m t h a t
Hod who is love, l ig h t a n d life. L e t us a c c e p t t h e si g n with t h a n k f u l n e s s
a n d in faith t h a t t h e r e sh all be “ n o g l o o m io h e r tlfht wa s in a n g u i s h , b o r
u n t o us a child la b o r n ami u n t o us a s o n is g i v e n . ”
•‘O holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend o n us, we p r a y .
Cast o u t o u r sin a n d e n t e r in,
Be b or n in us to da y .
W e h e a r t h e C h r i s t m a s a n g e ls !
Tht* g r e a t g la d t i d i n g s tell
O, c o m e to us, a b i d e with us.
Our Lord E m m a n u e l! ”
One!
Two!
Three!
Four!
Fi ve !
Six!
Se ve n !
Eight!
Ni ne !
Ten! Eleven! Tw el ve !
M id n ig h t! A n a p p y a n d a m e r r y C h r i s t m a s to all!
God bless us e v e ry one!
You'd hardly
know Pete
was chewin
'
Yet he says he gets
more satisfaction out of
his small chew of Gravely
than he ever got out of a
big chew of ordinary to
bacco. “Reel Gravely has
a pure, rich taste,” says
Pete. “It’s sweetened just
enough, and one sm all
chew holds its good taste
so long. I figure that this
class of tobacco costs me
nothing extra—maybeless
than I’d have to spend for
ordinary plug.”
•
l i e
Jt goes fu rth er — th a t’s why you
can get the good taste o f this class
o f tobacco to il’t ou t extra cost.
PEYTON BRAND
Real Gravely Chewing Plug
each piece packed in a pouch
~{7¡Te Hotel Oregon-
Respectfully solicits the patronage of the People of Es
tacada and Eastern Clackamas County,.when in Port
land.
»
The HOTEL OREGON has been for many years one of
Portland’s leading hotels and is located in the heart of
the business and theatre section, at the convenient
corner of Broadway and Stark.
You are assured a cordial welcome and your patronage
will be appreciated.
Stop at the HOTEL OREGON, the next time you are
in Portland.
Room s $1.25 and up
» i
Red Cross
E A D E R S of C h a r le s D ic k e ns will reca ll a t t h i s seas on , his ex q u is i te
“ C h r i s t m a s C a r o l ” w i t h its p a t h e t i c a c c o u n t of Tiny T i m , a n d t h e m y s
t e r i o u s visits of t h e t h r e e g h o s t s of C h r i s t m a s past, p r e s e n t a n d f u t u r e ,
which effected su ch a h a p p y t r a n s f o r m a t i o n of c h a r a c t e r in t h e m is e r
Scrooge. Such gh o stl y v i si ta tio ns a r e n o t p u r e l y fictional fo r I find, e s
pe cially of la te years, th a t as C h r i s t m a s E v e c o m e a r o u n d , t h e g h o s t of
( h r l s t m a s pa st, k n o c k s at m e m o r y ' s d o o r fo r a d m i t t a n c e . I h a s t e n to open
it. “ E n t e r old friend, m ay God bless y o u . ”
mu « h i m i
Bull a Membership
•
in the