December 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
535
L i te Ç ffea r i o/cHRISTMAS . . . By SARA C. PALMER,* Tunkhannock, Pa.
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done \t unto me.”
tiously refuse to keep the modern Christmas. But they try, just as conscientiously, to keep the spirit of giving burning upon the altars of sacrifice three hundred and sixty-five days in the year. So, interested in a custom which he did not know existed, the stranger leaves the city and the beaten path of the tourist, to explore the country for himself. He visits
h e sons of Scotia, with Cov enanter blood flowing through their veins, refuse to keep December 25 either as a holiday or an holy day! The traveler visiting Scotland for the first time at the Christmas season is astonished '
an estate, to which he has a letter of introduction, and is impressed with the beauty of the place as he reaches the imposing entrance and trav e ls along the winding avenue with its beautiful trees and well-kept lawns to the mag nificent mansion which is his destin- nation. He is wel comed g rac iously by the lady of the manor, who enter tains him royally. He tells her of his disappointment at the Christmas sea son. She has tra veled a great deal and knows the cus toms of other lands and f u l l y under stands his v i e w point, but Scotland with its history and its traditions is dear to her. So she takes him into a large w o r k r o o m and shows him piles of material which she has purchased for
beyond, words. Ac customed as he is to themodern and pop ular Christmas, the day to him, in the land of the heather, is one of the lone liest he has ever spent in all his life. Strolling along the streets; he finds the usual work-a-day crowd h u s t l i n g , bustling, ru sh ing along. The stores are open, the manu facturing plants are going f u l l blast, miners, with their little lamps on their caps, are hurrying to and from work as usual. There is no holiday spirit, no Christmas tree, no Christmas dinner, and few , if any, Christmas presents a r e b e i n g ex changed. .Poverty is not the reason, for Scotland is a land of wealth, and its people spend money lav ish ly on com- f o r t , on luxuries,
0 N [H arth [ p ] eace [H ood M il l [H oward [ m ] en
nto you is born this day a Saviour” Which is Jesus Christ the wondrous Lord; Not a “teacher,” not a “good example,” But the Son of God, the Living Word. No “philosopher,” his fancies weaving, Warp of dreams and woof of visions Vast, Not a “prophet,” peering down the future, Not a “scholar,” delving in the past. “Unto you is born this day a Saviour”; Shine, O star! and shout, 0 angel voice! Unto you this precious gift is given; Sing, 0 earth! and all ye heavens, rejoice! Long the world has waited such a Saviour, Sunk in sin and torn by fear and doubt; Long in darkness groped for truth and wisdom; Glory, glory, now the light shines out! “Unto you is born this day a Saviour ,” ' Earth’s one hope, the Life, the Truth, the Way; Mighty God and glorious Redeemer, Jesus Christ the Lord is born today: —A n n ie J ohnson F l in t .
and on holidays. The proverbial stinginess of the Scotch man is not the reason, for when New Year’s Day, which is a legal holiday, comes, around, everything is closed, big dinners are served, and many gifts are exchanged. The traveler asks for the reason and is reminded that Scotland is the land of martyrs, that in days gone by, men and women were cruelly martyred for their faith and their Bibles. And he is told that these descendants of a martyr race refuse to accept the date fixed as the birthday of their Lord by an enemy of their religion; and, with the same loyalty which took their ancestors to the stake—loyalty to the Christ whose birthday is unknown—they conscien- * Author of "The Winning Game,” “Studies in John,” etc.
the leper colonies of the world. She waxes eloquent as she tells of the women of her town, women who cannot afford to buy materials, but who donate thèir time week by week, year by year, to the making of garments for thé poor lepers who are banished from home and friends and loved ones. She tells of the missionary books they read and study in their sewing circles, of the day set apart in the early fall, when the work is finished and the women, proud of the task they have completed, decorate the walls with hundreds of 'garments—warm wool scarfs, sweaters, and other gar ments, besides quantities of wool socks with moleskin soles, worn by the lepers instead of shoes which would hurt their poor leprous feet. She tells of the missionaries who come [Continued on page 546]
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