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ST. JOHNS
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL
wee
WHENCE RING-
THEXMAS BELLS IN OMAHA
PHOTOS BY A STAFF ARTI5T
AVI
5T. BARNABAS
4
FIRST Pf(f SBfTERIAl
ll'' i.i. i iir . ii urn imt'iu'U'B in
I nlwd In i ho nil lirutimi iif the
fHOTjl fl'HIIVI' Chl'lHllllllH lIll'IO IB Hlll'l'ly
HgnMl none more potent, more essoin IiiI
"mM ur ,( fur-i'i'iuliiiiK i han thus"
metallic vnli'i'H which llilmlilt tin' towers of
Iho various churches.
Krom ii larynx uf limi nml n pharynx of
iitnlio tin hi' mullein peal forth with strenu
ous tunc anil clung, ului lhiniiiy upon tho
qui' t Christmas miming air. summoning
good Clini-i I;iiim to tlu fact thai I lie liliiu
ha h i'iiiiu (or tlii'in to
w.ike! Salute thi' happy morn
Ii' n un the Savior ! mankind wax horn.
Ami ho thi'y I'lainor ami iim.lt nml clang
with vigor ami strength ami .pal, tolling
the children that ClnialumB la hero with
Its gifts f i oin a pi'inmal Santa Clans, toll
ing tho young men ami maidens that the
merry time ha come when til.' tulstlutoo
gives It own special lli'OiiHii to hitherto for
bidden IriHpawiiiK. telling tin older onus
Unit tin- niiHfiiri' of pi-mi' has boon again
Muii lisafi il K) "..nh. that enmltloii should
ho forgotten ami lino should nltn supreme.
Iom. of mankind, lovo of lovi lovo of lift',
love of nature, lovo of tjml. lovo of over
thlng ami everybody everywhere.
Listen to thorn it h thoy ring from thOBe
wondrous Btivpli'u ami towns.
How tho chill air echoes ami ro-oohnca,
m'iiihIm ami n sounds with tho vibrating
mom-age that comes thrilled with Its awn
intonslly f.oni tho seemingly Hllont hollfry.
"(ilnry to (iml In tho highest! ami on
iirth poaoo. good will to moil"
Tho ohlnio of Christinas Is a merry
fhltno.
Hark! how thoy swing i ml thoy rln from
tho towor of tho Htono nianttoil holfry.
TollliiB thu talo of n Christ that was horn
In a Hothlohom maiiKor,
Horn In u htinihlo ahoilo which tho oxon
wero wont to Inhabit.
I'oxos lmu hull's in :io kioiiiiiI ami tho
In iila linil a nost lor tholr iIoiIIIiihh,
lint tur thu I. unl of Manklml thoio wiih no
plaoo whoroln Ho couhl sluinbor.
ltliiK with a iiuoriiloiis tono, oh: yo bolls, as
jo sway In jour boluy,
Ask tor a plaoo tor your KIiik, tor tho
woiulorfiil t'htlil In tho maiiKor.
Toll to thu worlil thu sail news that tho
Christ sooks In vain lor a IoiIkIiik.
Toll It, that wlillo it rooliiios on a rich anil
luxuriant pillow,
Mary, tho .Mother of (Soil, cm 11 ml not a
plaoo to Inhabit.
Toll It, that while It enjoys an Imlolout,
hi'll-(.eoklnK pleasure,
Nowhere can pillow bo found to support
tho young luad of Messiah.
Oh, Chilstuuis bolls, tell the truth, tin ro
Is now heio a place for tho Master;
Churches and Inns, all alike, no room fur
the babe tho Itoiloomor,
Man could not ttlvu up a plaoo. Illost be
the om u turovor;
See how tlioy low at tho cilb. giving n
generous welcome.
Not an objection Is heard, mock-eyed thoy
stare ami thoy wonder
They do not ask for tholr orib; slumber
and fodder forgotten.
S7
lhniib and amazed thoy look up, what
mystery Htrango has befallen!
Surely tho crib is our own, but whence
comes this wondrous Intrusion?
This to themselves did they think, but
naught In objection nsscrtoil.
Staring with tear-lumlncd eyes thoy gazo
on Iho lace of the Sivlor.
Clazu with the tendorest gazo on the won
derful babe In the manger;
l'oddor lorgotton at sight of the most un
epoclod art l al,
Mm her and child in a crib, and whence
comes this lut'ldcnt wondrous!
Surely the luu must bo full, but why this
remarkable lodging'.'
Nevertholess let them stay. They're wel
come to all we can gho them.
Itlng! with your vibrating tongues, and ring
as jimi never before rang,
W ikon the world to the fact that you
herald Us rrleolei-s Hedeemor.
Itlng' with a rapturous Joy of peace nml
good will unto all men!
King! till tho henvons themselves shlno
brighter because of your ringing,
Seeming to vie with tho sight those shep
herds behold In Juilea.
When they wero watching their sheep In
tho Ileitis In that llrst Christmas ove'n.
Itmg' till this sleepy old world i-hall awake
to Its share of tho message.
King! till Us oi linos awake and Inform It
that luve Is tiiumphant
Itlng' with a paean or Joy, oh yo bolls, with
your Iron-tongiicd music,
Tell the old world of your theme; It Is
weary and sin-steeped and lonely.
Tell It your message of love, of a peace
universal anil llenv'n-sent.
Tell it the story you kimw, the story sent
down H'Mlll the iligils
Tell It of line and of Joy, of peace and
good will unto all men.
Tell all the listening world what you know
of tho blessed ltedei inoi
Tell forth the tidings of hope. I,ot tho
world ceaso furewr despairing.
Hlng! with your pulsating souls, tlint tho
curse of our sin hath departed.
Hlng! that the love of the Christ hath dis
pelled all tho shadows of darkness.
Hlng! that thu world Is nt onu with Its
gracious, omnipotent Savior.
Hlng! that true harmony reigns whero
nothing hut discord was reigning.
Hlng! that the fnlse has been tried! and
tho balnnce has proved It was wanting!
Hlng! that the true has been proved and
nloft now Its banner Is Haunting.
is:
E
DhVG-1 DING DONG, -DAG DONG . DGA6 DONG JJ&l
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"".DPAO 0PV6 OCAJb1 BELL. DOA6' Dim D0N6 BELL
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dcno -Ding-dong ding-doiVoBell-ocng ding dcw D'ng dcngdno dca o Bsll
lung' ( tho vu l ic i f truth That right
o i r wr-'iig Is vu toiiuus
Itlng' oh ye bells' loudly ring! Tho birth
day of Christ Is most glorious!
Hlng' loudly ring! hilstm is bells, with
clamor and flush Imully ringing.
Hlng! Itlng! forever. e bells. Your tones
to the winds ever Hinging.
Hlng! Hlng' Hlng! Hlng!!
There Is an old Irish legend to tho effect
that In a certnln church thero was a
splendid chime of silver bolls which had
been given to tho bishop as a thank oiferlng
for services rendered by him on a previous
occasion,
Now this bishop was a holy and righteous
man. nml, refusing my personal emolu
ment, ho suggested the gift of tho bolls to
God, nml that thoy should bo placed In
tho highest belfry, far ahovo tho ordinary
chimes,
Tlioo bolls wero bb ssed and nnnolnteil
nml they were only rung nt Master.
Hut ono night a vlsl.ni came to tho good
old bishop nml ho was told that tho bells
hnd been nceoptcd as n gift from tho faithful
and that, In order to show heaven's appre
ciation, there would ho a mlraclo on enrth
and that was that the bolls should bo heard
to ring on tho occasion of n great sncrlflcc.
It wns Chrlstmns. Tho good bishop had
finished his sermon, Ills words hnd thrlllci:
tho henrts of Ills henrors and thoy wero
Impressed by his eloquence to such nn ox
tent that tho king himself plneed costly
gifts on tho nltnr. Many rich and expensive
presents wero given hut tho hells did not
ring.
Tho next day was the fenst of St. Stephen
nnd the church wns thronged with people
The rich aristocrats vied with each other
in tho munificence of their gifts, and th
(Continued on Seveitb Page.)