,,the    ,,spirit ,,of ,,christmas      
,,by    ,,henry ,,van ,,dyke            
,illustration3 7,frontispiece7          
,,new ,,york    ,,charles ,,scribner',s 
,,sons    #aiaa           99       99   
99       99       99      ,copyright1   
#aije1 by ,charles ,scribner's ,sons    
,published1 ,october1 #aije           99
       99       99       99       99    
,,contents      ,a ,,dream-,,story      
,,the ,,christmas ,,angel #c      ,a    
,,little ,,essay                        
,,christmas-,,giving ,,and              
,,christmas-,,living #cc      ,a ,,short
 ,,christmas ,,sermon        ,,keeping  
,,christmas #de      ,,two ,,christmas  
,,prayers        ,a ,,christmas ,,prayer
 ,,for ,,the ,,home #ea        ,a       
,,christmas ,,prayer ,,for ,,lonely     
,,folks #ef           99       99       
99       99       99          ,a        
,,dream-,,story          ,,the          
,,christmas ,,angel      ,it was the    
hour of rest in the ,country ,beyond the
 ,stars4 ,all the  silver bells that    

swing with the turning of the great ring
 of light  which lies around that land  
were softly chiming2 and the sound of   
their commotion went down like dew upon 
the golden ways of the city1  and the   
long alleys of blossoming trees1 and the
 meadows of asphodel1  and the curving  
shores of the ,river of ,life4    ,at   
the hearing of that chime1 all the      
angels who had been working  turned to  
play1 and all who had been playing gave 
themselves joyfully  to work4 ,those who
 had been singing1 and making melody on 
different  instruments1 fell silent and 
began to listen4 ,those who had been    
walking alone in meditation met together
 in companies to talk4 ,and  those who  
had been far away on errands to the     
,earth and other planets  came homeward 
like a flight of swallows to the high   
cliff when the day  is over4    ,it was 
not that they needed to be restored from
 weariness1 for the  inhabitants of that
 country never say1 ,i am tired4 ,but   
there1 as  here1 the law of change is   

the secret of happiness1 and the joy    
that  never ends is woven of mingled    
strands of labour and repose1 society   
and solitude1 music and silence4 ,sleep 
comes to them not as it does to  us1    
with a darkening of the vision and a    
folding of the wings of the  spirit1 but
 with an opening of the eyes to deeper  
and fuller light1  and with an          
effortless outgoing of the soul upon    
broader currents  of life1 as the       
sun-loving bird poises and circles      
upward1 without a  wing-beat1 on the    
upholding air4    ,it was in one of the 
quiet corners of the green valley called
  ,peacefield1 where the little brook of
 ,brighthopes runs smoothly down  to    
join the ,river of ,life1 that ,i saw a 
company of angels1 returned  from       
various labours on ,earth1 sitting in   
friendly converse on the  hill-side1    
where cyclamens and arbutus and violets 
and fringed orchids  and pale           
lady's-tresses1 and all the             
sweet-smelling flowers which are        

separated in the lower world by the     
seasons1 were thrown together in  a     
harmony of fragrance4 ,there were three 
of the company who seemed  to be        
leaders1 distinguished not only by more 
radiant and powerful  looks1 but by a   
tone of authority in their speech and by
 the willing  attention with which the  
others listened to them1 as they talked 
of their earthly tasks1 of the tangles  
and troubles1 the wars and  miseries    
that they had seen among men1 and of the
 best way to get rid  of them and bring 
sorrow to an end4    ,the ,earth is full
 of oppression and unrighteousness1 said
 the  tallest and most powerful of the  
angels4 ,his voice was deep and  strong1
 and by his shining armour and the long 
two-handed sword  hanging over his      
shoulder ,i knew that he was the        
archangel ,michael1  the mightiest one  
among the warriors of the ,king1 and the
 executor  of the divine judgments upon 
the unjust4 ,the ,earth is tormented    
with  injustice1 he cried1 and the great

 misery that ,i have seen among  men is 
that the evil hand is often stronger    
than the good hand and can  beat it     
down4    ,the arm of the cruel is       
heavier than the arm of the kind4 ,the  
unjust  get the better of the just and  
tread on them4 ,i have seen tyrant kings
  crush their helpless folk4 ,i have    
seen the fields of the innocent         
trampled into bloody ruin by the feet of
 conquering armies4 ,i have  seen the   
wicked nation overcome the peoples that 
loved liberty1 and  take away their     
treasure by force of arms4 ,i have seen 
poverty mocked  by arrogant wealth1 and 
purity deflowered by brute violence1 and
  gentleness and fair-dealing bruised in
 the winepress of iniquity and  pride4  
,there is no cure for this evil1 but by 
the giving of greater force to  the good
 hand4 ,the righteous cause must be     
strengthened with might to  resist the  
wicked1 to defend the helpless1 to      
punish all cruelty and  unfairness1 to  
uphold the right everywhere1 and to     

enforce justice  with unconquerable     
arms4 ,oh1 that the host of ,heaven     
might be called1  arrayed1 and sent to  
mingle in the wars of men1 to make the  
good  victorious1 to destroy all evil1  
and to make the will of the ,king       
prevail6    ,we would shake down the    
thrones of tyrants1 and loose the bands 
of  the oppressed4 ,we would hold the   
cruel and violent with the bit of  fear1
 and drive the greedy and fierce-minded 
men with the whip of  terror4 ,we would 
stand guard1 with weapons drawn1 about  
the innocent1  the gentle1 the kind1 and
 keep the peace of ,god with the sword  
of the  angels6    ,as he spoke1 his    
hands were lifted to the hilt of his    
long blade1 and  he raised it above him1
 straight and shining1 throwing sparkles
 of  light around it1 like the spray    
from the sharp prow of a moving ship4   
,bright flames of heavenly ardour leaped
 in the eyes of the listening  angels2 a
 martial air passed over their faces as 
if they longed for  the call to war4    

,but no silver trumpet blared from the  
battlements of the ,city of ,god2  no   
crimson flag was unfurled on those high1
 secret walls2 no thrilling  drum-beat  
echoed over the smooth meadow4 ,only the
 sound of the brook  of ,brighthopes was
 heard tinkling and murmuring among the 
roots of the  grasses and flowers2 and  
far off a cadence of song drifted down  
from  the inner courts of the ,palace of
 the ,king4    ,then another angel began
 to speak1 and made answer to ,michael4 
,he1  too1 was tall and wore the look of
 power4 ,but it was power of the  mind  
rather than of the hand4 ,his face was  
clear and glistening1 and  his eyes were
 lit with a steady flame which neither  
leaped nor fell4  ,of flame also were   
his garments1 which clung about him as  
the fire  enwraps a torch burning where 
there is no wind2 and his great wings1  
spiring to a point far above his head1  
were like a living lamp before  the     
altar of the ,most ,high4 ,by this sign 
,i knew that it was the  archangel      

,uriel1 the spirit of the ,sun1 clearest
 in vision1 deepest  in wisdom of all   
the spirits that surround the throne4   
,i hold not the same thought1 said he1  
as the great archangel  ,michael2 nor1  
though ,i desire the same end which he  
desires1 would ,i  seek it by the same  
way4 ,for ,i know how often power has   
been given to  the good1 and how often  
it has been turned aside and used for   
evil4  ,i know that the host of ,heaven1
 and the very stars in their courses1   
have fought on the side of a favoured   
nation2 yet pride has followed  triumph 
and oppression has been the first-born  
child of victory4  ,i know that the     
deliverers of the people have become    
tyrants over  those whom they have set  
free1 and the fighters for liberty have 
been  changed into the soldiers of      
fortune4 ,power corrupts itself1 and    
might  cannot save4    ,does not the    
,prince ,michael remember how the angel 
of the ,lord led  the armies of ,israel1
 and gave them the battle against every 

foe1  except the enemy within the camp8 
,and how they robbed and crushed  the   
peoples against whom they had fought for
 freedom8 ,and how the  wickedness of   
the tribes of ,canaan survived their    
conquest and  overcame their conquerors1
 so that the children of ,israel learned
 to  worship the idols of their enemies1
 ,moloch1 and ,baal1 and ,ashtoreth8    
,power corrupts itself1 and might cannot
 save4 ,was not ,persia the  destroyer  
of ,babylon1 and did not the tyranny of 
,persia cry aloud for  destruction8 ,did
 not ,rome break the yoke of the ,east1 
and does not the  yoke of ,rome lie     
heavy on the shoulders of the world8    
,listen6    ,there was silence for a    
moment on the slopes of ,peacefield1 and
 then  over the encircling hills a cool 
wind brought the sound of chains        
clanking in prisons and galleys1 the    
sighing of millions of slaves1  the     
weeping of wretched women and children1 
the blows of hammers  nailing men to    
their crosses4 ,then the sound passed by

 with the wind1  and ,uriel spoke again3
    ,power corrupts itself1 and might   
cannot save4 ,the ,earth is full of     
ignorant strife1 and for this evil there
 is no cure but by the giving  of       
greater knowledge4 ,it is because men do
 not understand evil that  they yield   
themselves to its power4 ,wickedness is 
folly in action1 and  injustice is the  
error of the blind4 ,it is because men  
are ignorant  that they destroy one     
another1 and at last themselves4    ,if 
there were more light in the world there
 would be no sorrow4 ,if  the great     
,king who knows all things would        
enlighten the world with  wisdom--wisdom
 to understand his law and his ways1 to 
read the secrets  of the earth and the  
stars1 to discern the workings of the   
heart of  man and the things that make  
for joy and peace--if he would but send 
us1 his messengers1 as a flame of fire  
to shine upon those who sit in          
darkness1 how gladly would we go to     
bring in the new day6    ,we would speak

 the word of warning and counsel to the 
erring1 and  tell knowledge to the      
perplexed4 ,we would guide the ignorant 
in the  paths of prudence1 and the young
 would sit at our feet and hear  us     
gladly in the school of life4 ,then     
folly would fade away as the  morning   
vapour1 and the sun of wisdom would     
shine on all men1 and the  peace of ,god
 would come with the counsel of the     
angels4    ,a murmur of pleasure        
followed the words of ,uriel1 and eager 
looks  flashed around the circle of the 
messengers of light as they heard the   
praise of wisdom fitly spoken4 ,but     
there was one among them on whose  face 
a shadow of doubt rested1 and though he 
smiled1 it was as if he  remembered     
something that the others had forgotten4
 ,he turned to an  angel near him4      
,who was it1 said he1 to whom you were  
sent with counsel long ago8  ,was it not
 ,balaam the son of ,beor1 as he was    
riding to meet the  ,king of ,moab8 ,and
 did not even the dumb beast profit more

 by your  instruction than the man who  
rode him8 ,and who was it1 he continued1
  turning to ,uriel1 that was called the
 wisest of all men1 having  searched out
 and understood the many inventions that
 are found under  the sun8 ,was not     
,solomon1 prince of fools and           
philosophers1 unable  by much learning  
to escape weariness of the flesh and    
despair of  the spirit8 ,knowledge also 
is vanity and vexation4 ,this ,i know   
well1  because ,i have dwelt among men  
and held converse with them since the   
day when ,i was sent to instruct the    
first man in ,eden4    ,then ,i looked  
more closely at him who was speaking and
 recognised  the beauty of the archangel
 ,raphael1 as it was pictured long ago3 
,a seraph winged2 six wings he wore to  
shade    ,his lineaments divine2 the    
pair that clad    ,each shoulder broad  
came mantling o'er his breast1    ,with 
regal ornament2 the middle pair    ,girt
 like a starry zone his waist1 and round
    ,skirted his loins and thighs with  

downy gold    ,and colours dipped in    
,heav'n2 the third his feet    ,shadowed
 from either heel with feathered mail1  
,sky-tinctured grain4 ,like ,maia's son 
he stood    ,and shook his plumes1 that 
,heavenly fragrance filled    ,the      
circuit wide4    ,too well ,i know1 he  
spoke on1 while the smile on his face   
deepened  into a look of pity and       
tenderness and desire1 too well ,i know 
that  power corrupts itself and that    
knowledge cannot save4 ,there is no cure
  for the evil that is in the world but 
by the giving of more love to  men4 ,the
 laws that are ordained for earth are   
strange and unequal1  and the ways where
 men must walk are full of pitfalls and 
dangers4  ,pestilence creeps along the  
ground and flows in the rivers2         
whirlwind  and tempest shake the        
habitations of men and drive their ships
 to  destruction2 fire breaks forth from
 the mountains and the foundations  of  
the world tremble4 ,frail is the flesh  
of man1 and many are his  pains and     

troubles4 ,his children can never find  
peace until they learn  to love one     
another and to help one another4        
,wickedness is begotten by disease and  
misery4 ,violence comes from  poverty   
and hunger4 ,the cruelty of oppression  
is when the strong tread  the weak under
 their feet2 the bitterness of pride is 
when the wise  and learned despise the  
simple2 the crown of folly is when the  
rich  think they are gods1 and the poor 
think that ,god is not4    ,hatred and  
envy and contempt are the curse of life4
 ,and for these  there is no remedy save
 love--the will to give and to          
bless--the will  of the ,king himself1  
who gives to all and is loving unto     
every man4  ,but how shall the hearts of
 men be won to this will8 ,how shall it 
enter into them and possess them8 ,even 
the gods that men fashion for           
themselves are cruel and proud and false
 and unjust4 ,how shall the  miracle be 
wrought in human nature to reveal the   
meaning of humanity8  ,how shall men be 

made like ,god8    ,at this question a  
deep hush fell around the circle1 and   
every  listener was still1 even as the  
rustling leaves hang motionless when    
the light breeze falls away in the hour 
of sunset4 ,then through the  silence1  
like the song of a far-away thrush from 
its hermitage in the  forest1 a voice   
came ringing3 ,i know it1 ,i know it1 ,i
 know it4    ,clear and sweet--clear as 
a ray of light1 sweeter than the        
smallest  silver bell that rang the hour
 of rest--was that slender voice        
floating on the odorous and translucent 
air4 ,nearer and nearer it  came1       
echoing down the valley1 ,i know it1 ,i 
know it1 ,i know it6    ,then from      
between the rounded hills1 among which  
the brook of  ,brighthopes is born1     
appeared a young angel1 a little child1 
with  flying hair of gold1 and green    
wreaths twined about his shoulders1 and 
fluttering hands that played upon the   
air and seemed to lift him so  lightly  
that he had no need of wings4 ,as       

thistle-down1 blown by the  wind1 dances
 across the water1 so he came along the 
little stream1  singing clear above the 
murmur of the brook4    ,all the angels 
rose and turned to look at him with     
wondering eyes4  ,multitudes of others  
came flying swiftly to the place from   
which the  strange1 new song was        
sounding4 ,rank within rank1 like a     
garden of  living flowers1 they stood   
along the sloping banks of the brook    
while  the child-angel floated into the 
midst of them1 singing3    ,i know it1  
,i know it1 ,i know it6 ,man shall be   
made like ,god because  the ,son of ,god
 shall become a man4    ,at this all the
 angels looked at one another with      
amazement1 and  gathered more closely   
about the child-angel1 as those who hear
  wonderful news4    ,how can this be8  
they asked4 ,how is it possible that the
 ,son of ,god  should be a man8    ,i do
 not know1 said the young angel4 ,i only
 know that it is to be4    ,but if he   
becomes a man1 said ,raphael1 he will be

 at the mercy  of men2 the cruel and the
 wicked will have power upon him2 he    
will  suffer4    ,i know it1 answered   
the young angel1 and by suffering he    
will  understand the meaning of all     
sorrow and pain2 and he will be able to 
comfort every one who cries2 and his own
 tears will be for the healing  of sad  
hearts2 and those who are healed by him 
will learn for his sake  to be kind to  
each other4    ,but if the ,son of ,god 
is a true man1 said ,uriel1 he must     
first be  a child1 simple1 and lowly1   
and helpless4 ,it may be that he will   
never  gain the learning of the schools4
 ,the masters of earthly wisdom will    
despise him and speak scorn of him4     
,i know it1 said the young angel1 but in
 meekness will he answer  them2 and to  
those who become as little children he  
will give the  heavenly wisdom that     
comes1 without seeking1 to the pure and 
gentle  of heart4    ,but if he becomes 
a man1 said ,michael1 evil men will hate
 and  persecute him3 they may even take 

his life1 if they are stronger than  he4
    ,i know it1 answered the young      
angel1 they will nail him to a cross4   
,but when he is lifted up1 he will draw 
all men unto him1 for he will  still be 
the ,son of ,god1 and no heart that is  
open to love can help  loving him1 since
 his love for men is so great that he is
 willing to  die for them4    ,but how  
do you know these things8 cried the     
other angels4 ,who are  you8    ,i am   
the ,christmas angel1 he said4 ,at first
 ,i was sent as the dream  of a little  
child1 a holy child1 blessed and        
wonderful1 to dwell in  the heart of a  
pure virgin1 ,mary of ,nazareth4 ,there 
,i was hidden till  the word came to    
call me back to the throne of the ,king1
 and tell  me my name1 and give me my   
new message4 ,for this is ,christmas day
 on  ,earth1 and to-day the ,son of ,god
 is born of a woman4 ,so ,i must fly    
quickly1 before the sun rises1 to bring 
the good news to those happy  men who   
have been chosen to receive them4    ,as

 he said this1 the young angel rose1    
with arms outspread1 from the  green    
meadow of ,peacefield and1 passing over 
the bounds of ,heaven1  dropped swiftly 
as a shooting-star toward the night     
shadow of the  ,earth4 ,the other angels
 followed him--a throng of dazzling     
forms1  beautiful as a rain of jewels   
falling from the dark-blue sky4 ,but    
the child-angel went more swiftly than  
the others1 because of the  certainty of
 gladness in his heart4    ,and as the  
others followed him they wondered who   
had been favoured  and chosen to receive
 the glad tidings4    ,it must be the   
,emperor of the ,world and his          
counsellors1 they  thought4 ,but the    
flight passed over ,rome4    ,it may be 
the philosophers and the masters of     
learning1 they  thought4 ,but the flight
 passed over ,athens4    ,can it be the 
,high ,priest of the ,jews1 and the     
elders and the  scribes8 they thought4  
,but the flight passed over ,jerusalem4 
,it floated out over the hill country of

 ,bethlehem2 the throng of  silent      
angels holding close together1 as if    
perplexed and doubtful2  the child-angel
 darting on far in advance1 as one who  
knew the way  through the darkness4     
,the villages were all still3 the very  
houses seemed asleep2 but in one  place 
there was a low sound of talking in a   
stable1 near to an inn--a  sound as of a
 mother soothing her baby to rest4      
,all over the pastures on the hillsides 
a light film of snow had  fallen1       
delicate as the veil of a bride adorned 
for the marriage2 and  as the           
child-angel passed over them1 alone in  
the swiftness of his  flight1 the pure  
fields sparkled round him1 giving back  
his radiance4    ,and there were in that
 country shepherds abiding in the       
fields1  keeping watch over their flocks
 by night4 ,and lo6 the angel of the    
,lord came upon them1 and the glory of  
the ,lord shone round about them1  and  
they were sore afraid4 ,and the angel   
said unto them3 ,fear not2  for behold  

,i bring you glad tidings of great joy  
which shall be to  all nations4 ,for    
unto you is born this day1 in the city  
of ,david1  a ,saviour1 which is ,christ
 the ,lord4 ,and this shall be a sign   
unto  you2 ye shall find the babe       
wrapped in swaddling clothes1 lying in  
a manger4    ,and suddenly there was    
with the angel a multitude of the       
heavenly  host1 praising ,god and       
saying3 ,glory to ,god in the highest1  
and on  earth peace1 good-will toward   
men4 ,and the shepherds said one to     
another3 ,let us now go1 even to        
,bethlehem1 and see this thing which  is
 come to pass4    ,so ,i said within    
myself that ,i also would go with the   
shepherds1 even  to ,bethlehem4 ,and ,i 
heard a great and sweet voice1 as of a  
bell1 which  said1 ,come6 ,and when the 
bell had sounded twelve times1 ,i awoke2
 and  it was ,christmas morn2 and ,i    
knew that ,i had been in a dream4       
,yet it seemed to me that the things    
which ,i had heard were true4           

99       99       99       99       99  
,a ,,little ,,essay                     
,,christmas-,,giving ,,and              
,,christmas-,,living    ,i      ,the    
custom of exchanging presents on a      
certain day in the year is very  much   
older than ,christmas1 and means very   
much less4 ,it has obtained  in almost  
all ages of the world1 and among many   
different nations4  ,it is a fine thing 
or a foolish thing1 as the case may be2 
an  encouragement to friendliness1 or a 
tribute to fashion2 an expression  of   
good nature1 or a bid for favour2 an    
outgoing of generosity1 or  a disguise  
of greed2 a cheerful old custom1 or a   
futile old farce1  according to the     
spirit which animates it and the form   
which it takes4    ,but when this       
ancient and variously interpreted       
tradition of a day  of gifts was        
transferred to the ,christmas season1 it
 was brought  into vital contact with an
 idea which must transform it1 and with 
an  example which must lift it up to a  

higher plane4 ,the example is the  life 
of ,jesus4 ,the idea is unselfish       
interest in the happiness of  others4   
,the great gift of ,jesus to the world  
was himself4 ,he lived with and  for    
men4 ,he kept back nothing4 ,in every   
particular and personal gift  that he   
made to certain people there was        
something of himself that  made it      
precious4    ,for example1 at the       
wedding in ,cana of ,galilee1 it was his
 thought for  the feelings of the giver 
of the feast1 and his wish that every   
guest  should find due entertainment1   
that lent the flavour of a heavenly     
hospitality to the wine which he        
provided4    ,when he gave bread and    
fish to the hungry multitude who had    
followed  him out among the hills by the
 ,lake of ,gennesaret1 the people were  
refreshed and strengthened by the sense 
of the personal care of ,jesus  for     
their welfare1 as much as by the food   
which he bestowed upon them4  ,it was   
another illustration of the sweetness of

 a dinner of herbs1  where love is4     
,the gifts of healing which he conferred
 upon many different kinds of  sufferers
 were1 in every case1 evidences that    
,jesus was willing to  give something of
 himself1 his thought1 his sympathy1 his
 vital power1  to the men and women     
among whom he lived4 ,once1 when a      
paralytic was  brought to ,jesus on a   
bed1 he surprised everybody1 and        
offended many1  by giving the poor      
wretch the pardon of his sins1 before he
 gave new  life to his body4 ,that was  
just because ,jesus thought before he   
gave2  because he desired to satisfy the
 deepest need2 because in fact he  gave 
something of himself in every gift4 ,all
 true ,christmas-giving  ought to be    
after this pattern4    ,not that it must
 all be solemn and serious4 ,for the    
most part it deals  with little wants1  
little joys1 little tokens of friendly  
feeling4 ,but  the feeling must be more 
than the token2 else the gift does not  
really  belong to ,christmas4    ,it    

takes time and effort and unselfish     
expenditure of strength to make  gifts  
in this way4 ,but it is the only way    
that fits the season4    ,the finest    
,christmas gift is not the one that     
costs the most money1  but the one that 
carries the most love4      ,,ii    ,but
 how seldom ,christmas comes--only once 
a year2 and how soon it is  over--a     
night and a day6 ,if that is the whole  
of it1 it seems not  much more durable  
than the little toys that one buys of a 
fakir on the  street-corner4 ,they run  
for an hour1 and then the spring breaks1
 and  the legs come off1 and nothing    
remains but a contribution to the dust  
heap4    ,but surely that need not and  
ought not to be the whole of            
,christmas--only a single day of        
generosity1 ransomed from the dull      
servitude of a selfish year1--only a    
single night of merry-making1           
celebrated in the slave-quarters of a   
selfish race6 ,if every gift  is the    
token of a personal thought1 a friendly 

feeling1 an unselfish  interest in the  
joy of others1 then the thought1 the    
feeling1 the  interest1 may remain after
 the gift is made4    ,the little       
present1 or the rare and long-wished-for
 gift 7it matters  not whether the      
vessel be of gold1 or silver1 or iron1  
or wood1 or  clay1 or just a small bit  
of birch bark folded into a cup71 may   
carry  a message something like this3   
,i am thinking of you to-day1 because it
 is ,christmas1 and ,i wish you         
happiness4 ,and to-morrow1 because it   
will be the day after ,christmas1  ,i   
shall still wish you happiness2 and so  
on1 clear through the year4  ,i may not 
be able to tell you about it every day1 
because ,i may be  far away2 or because 
both of us may be very busy2 or perhaps 
because ,i  cannot even afford to pay   
the postage on so many letters1 or find 
the  time to write them4 ,but that makes
 no difference4 ,the thought and the    
wish will be here just the same4 ,in my 
work and in the business of  life1 ,i   

mean to try not to be unfair to you or  
injure you in any way4  ,in my pleasure1
 if we can be together1 ,i would like to
 share the fun  with you4 ,whatever joy 
or success comes to you will make me    
glad4  ,without pretense1 and in plain  
words1 good-will to you is what ,i mean1
  in the ,spirit of ,christmas4    ,it  
is not necessary to put a message like  
this into high-flown  language1 to swear
 absolute devotion and deathless        
consecration4 ,in  love and friendship1 
small1 steady payments on a gold basis  
are better  than immense promissory     
notes4 ,nor1 indeed1 is it always       
necessary to  put the message into words
 at all1 nor even to convey it by a     
tangible  token4 ,to feel it and to act 
it out--that is the main thing4         
,there are a great many people in the   
world whom we know more or less1  but to
 whom for various reasons we cannot very
 well send a ,christmas  gift4 ,but     
there is hardly one1 in all the circles 
of our acquaintance1  with whom we may  

not exchange the touch of ,christmas    
life4    ,in the outer circles1 cheerful
 greetings1 courtesy1 consideration2  in
 the inner circles1 sympathetic         
interest1 hearty congratulations1       
honest encouragement2 in the inmost     
circle1 comradeship1 helpfulness1       
tenderness1--      ,beautiful friendship
 tried by sun and wind    ,durable from 
the daily dust of life4    ,after all1  
,christmas-living is the best kind of   
,christmas-giving4           99       99
       99       99       99          ,a 
,,short ,,christmas ,,sermon            
,,keeping ,,christmas        ,,romans1  
xiv1 #f3 ,he that regardeth the day1    
regardeth it unto      the ,lord4    ,it
 is a good thing to observe ,christmas  
day4 ,the mere marking of times  and    
seasons1 when men agree to stop work and
 make merry together1 is  a wise and    
wholesome custom4 ,it helps one to feel 
the supremacy of the  common life over  
the individual life4 ,it reminds a man  
to set his own  little watch1 now and   

then1 by the great clock of humanity    
which runs  on sun time4    ,but there  
is a better thing than the observance of
 ,christmas day1 and  that is1 keeping  
,christmas4    ,are you willing to      
forget what you have done for other     
people1 and to  remember what other     
people have done for you2 to ignore what
 the world  owes you1 and to think what 
you owe the world2 to put your rights   
in the background1 and your duties in   
the middle distance1 and your  chances  
to do a little more than your duty in   
the foreground2 to see  that your       
fellow-men are just as real as you are1 
and try to look  behind their faces to  
their hearts1 hungry for joy2 to own    
that  probably the only good reason for 
your existence is not what you are      
going to get out of life1 but what you  
are going to give to life2 to  close    
your book of complaints against the     
management of the universe1  and look   
around you for a place where you can sow
 a few seeds of  happiness--are you     

willing to do these things even for a   
day8 ,then you  can keep ,christmas4    
,are you willing to stoop down and      
consider the needs and the desires  of  
little children2 to remember the        
weakness and loneliness of people  who  
are growing old2 to stop asking how much
 your friends love you1  and ask        
yourself whether you love them enough2  
to bear in mind the  things that other  
people have to bear on their hearts2 to 
try to  understand what those who live  
in the same house with you really  want1
 without waiting for them to tell you2  
to trim your lamp so that  it will give 
more light and less smoke1 and to carry 
it in front  so that your shadow will   
fall behind you2 to make a grave for    
your  ugly thoughts1 and a garden for   
your kindly feelings1 with the gate     
open--are you willing to do these things
 even for a day8 ,then you can  keep    
,christmas4    ,are you willing to      
believe that love is the strongest thing
 in  the world--stronger than hate1     

stronger than evil1 stronger than       
death--and that the blessed life which  
began in ,bethlehem nineteen  hundred   
years ago is the image and brightness of
 the ,eternal ,love8  ,then you can keep
 ,christmas4    ,and if you keep it for 
a day1 why not always8    ,but you can  
never keep it alone4           99       
99       99       99       99           
,,two ,,christmas ,,prayers          ,a 
,,christmas ,,prayer ,,for ,,the ,,home 
,father of all men1 look upon our       
family1    ,kneeling together before    
,thee1    ,and grant us a true          
,christmas4      ,with loving heart we  
bless ,thee3      ,for the gift of ,thy 
dear ,son ,jesus ,christ1      ,for the 
peace ,he brings to human homes1        
,for the good-will ,he teaches to sinful
 men1      ,for the glory of ,thy       
goodness shining in ,his face4          
,with joyful voice we praise ,thee3     
,for ,his lowly birth and ,his rest in  
the manger1      ,for the pure          
tenderness of ,his mother ,mary1        

,for the fatherly care that protected   
,him1      ,for the ,providence that    
saved the ,holy ,child        ,to be the
 ,saviour of the world4      ,with deep 
desire we beseech ,thee3      ,help us  
to keep ,his birthday truly1      ,help 
us to offer1 in ,his name1 our          
,christmas prayer4      ,from the       
sickness of sin and the darkness of     
doubt1    ,from selfish pleasures and   
sullen pains1    ,from the frost of     
pride and the fever of envy1      ,god  
save us every one1 through the blessing 
of ,jesus4      ,in the health of purity
 and the calm of mutual trust1    ,in   
the sharing of joy and the bearing of   
trouble1    ,in the steady glow of love 
and the clear light of hope1      ,god  
keep us every one1 by the blessing of   
,jesus4      ,in praying and praising1  
in giving and receiving1    ,in eating  
and drinking1 in singing and making     
merry1    ,in parents' gladness and in  
children's mirth1    ,in dear memories  
of those who have departed1    ,in good 

comradeship with those who are here1    
,in kind wishes for those who are far   
away1    ,in patient waiting1 sweet     
contentment1 generous cheer1      ,god  
bless us every one1 with the blessing of
 ,jesus4      ,by remembering our       
kinship with all men1    ,by            
well-wishing1 friendly speaking and     
kindly doing1    ,by cheering the       
downcast and adding sunshine to         
daylight1    ,by welcoming strangers    
7poor shepherds or wise men71    ,by    
keeping the music of the angels' song in
 this home1      ,god help us every one 
to share the blessing of ,jesus3    ,in 
whose name we keep ,christmas3    ,and  
in whose words we pray together3        
,our ,father which art in heaven1       
hallowed be ,thy name4    ,thy kingdom  
come4 ,thy will be done in earth1 as it 
is in heaven4    ,give us this day our  
daily bread4 ,and forgive us our debts1 
as we            forgive our debtors4   
,and lead us not into temptation1 but   
deliver us from evil3    ,for ,thine is 

the kingdom1 and the power1 and the     
glory1 forever4            ,amen4       
,a ,,christmas ,,prayer ,,for ,,lonely  
,,folks        ,lord ,god of the        
solitary1    ,look upon me in my        
loneliness4    ,since ,i may not keep   
this ,christmas in the home1    ,send it
 into my heart4      ,let not my sins   
cloud me in1    ,but shine through them 
with forgiveness in the face of the     
child            ,jesus4    ,put me in  
loving remembrance of the lowly lodging 
in the stable of            ,bethlehem1 
,the sorrows of the blessed ,mary1 the  
poverty and exile of the                
,prince of ,peace4    ,for ,his sake1   
give me a cheerful courage to endure my 
lot1    ,and an inward comfort to       
sweeten it4      ,purge my heart from   
hard and bitter thoughts4    ,let no    
shadow of forgetting come between me and
 friends far away3    ,bless them in    
their ,christmas mirth3    ,hedge me in 
with faithfulness1    ,that ,i may not  
grow unworthy to meet them again4       

,give me good work to do1    ,that ,i   
may forget myself and find peace in     
doing it for ,thee4    ,though ,i am    
poor1 send me to carry some gift to     
those who are            poorer1        
,some cheer to those who are more       
lonely4    ,grant me the joy to do a    
kindness to one of ,thy little ones3    
,light my ,christmas candle at the      
gladness of an innocent and             
grateful heart4      ,strange is the    
path where ,thou leadest me3    ,let me 
not doubt ,thy wisdom1 nor lose ,thy    
hand4    ,make me sure that ,eternal    
,love is revealed in ,jesus1 ,thy dear  
,son1    ,to save us from sin and       
solitude and death4    ,teach me that ,i
 am not alone1    ,but that many hearts1
 all round the world1    ,join with me  
through the silence1 while ,i pray in   
,his name3      ,our ,father which art  
in heaven1 hallowed be ,thy name4       
,thy kingdom come4 ,thy will be done in 
earth1 as it is in heaven4    ,give us  
this day our daily bread4 ,and forgive  

us our debts1 as we            forgive  
our debtors4    ,and lead us not into   
temptation1 but deliver us from evil3   
,for ,thine is the kingdom1 and the     
power1 and the glory1 forever4          
,amen4           99       99       99   
99       99