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DECEMBER 21, 1908
The Commoner.
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"A DREAM STORY "-THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL
One of the prettiest stories written hv TTnnrv
Van Dyke is .entitled "A Dream Story," and de
scribes "The Christmas Angel."
"It was the hour of rest In the country be
yond the stars it was in one of the
quiet corners of the green valley called Peace
field, where the little brook of Brighthopes runs
smoothly down to join the River of Life that I
saw a company of angels returned from
various labors, on Earth, sitting in friendly con
verse on the hillside, where cyclamens and ar
butus and violets the fringed orchids and pale
lady s-tresses, and all the sweet smelling flowers
which are separated in the lower world by the
seasons, were thrown together in a harmony of
fragrance."
We are told that three of the company seemed
to be leaders, "distinguished not only by more
radiant and powerful looks, but by a tone of
authority in their speech and by the willing at
tention with which the others listened to them
as they talked of their earthly tasks, of the tangles
and troubles, the wars and miseries that they had
seen among men, and of the best way to get rid
of them aud bring sorrow to an end."
The archangel Michael, "the mightiest one
among the warriors of the King, and the executor
of the divine judgments upon the unjust," declared
that the earth was, tormented with injustice, full
of oppression and unrighteousness and said
that force must be used to establish the law of
God among men.
Another angel, 'Uriel, the spirit of the sun,
clearest in vision, deepest in wisdom of all the
spirits that surround the throne" Uriel said that
force would not do, that "power corrupts itself
and might can not save."
"There was silence for a moment on the
slopes of Peacefield, and then over the encircling
hills a cool wind brought the sound of chains
clanking in prisons and galleys, the sighing of
millions of slaves, the weeping of wretched women
and children, the blows of hammers nailing men
to their crosses." Then the sound passed by with
the wind and Uriel spoke again: . 'The Earth is
full of ignorant strife, and for this evil there is
no cure but by the giving of greater knowledge.
It is because men do not understand the evil
that they yield themselves to its power. Wicked
ness is folly in action, and injustice is the error
of the blind. It is because men are Ignorant that
they destroy one another, and at last themselves.
If there were more light in the world there would
be no sorrow."
The company seemed to be pleased with the
words of Uriel, but one among them remembered
something that the others had forgotten. Ue re
minded his fellows that when one had been sent
to counsel with Balaam, the son of Beor, as ho
was riding to meet the King of Moab, the dumb
beast profited more by the instruction than the
man who rode him; also that Solomon, who was
called the wisest of all men, having searched out
and understood the many inventions that are
found under tho sun. wR nt . ,
Philosophers, unable by much learning to escape
? .m.0"?088 f tb fl0sh and dG8nafr of the
spirit, it was tho archangel Raphael who spoko
rupitseni'Tr.T11 I,know ttat Power cor
rupis itself and that knowledgo can not anvn
butTv !f, n ?T f0r th0 evI1 "& is in the Xld
but by the giving of more love to men. The laws
enualn"111611 fr Carth are 8teo K
fun of nf.fn c Wa3;S ,Whero mcn mU8t walk aro
nVnnJ ?n ?"d dailSerS- PcStileilCO Creeps
SEP FUnu and fl0W8 In th0 rIvors; whirl
w id and empest shako tho habitations of men
? ,drvc Ur ships to destruction; fire breaks
of n SSiw0 InotuntaIns anl the foundations
of the world tremble. Frail is tho flesh of man,
and many aro his pains and troubles. His chil
dren can never find poaco until they learn to
love one another and to help one another. Wick
edness is begotten by disease and misery. Vio
lence comes from poverty and hunger. Tho
cruelty of oppression is when tho strong tread
the weak under their feet; the bitterness of pride
is when tho wise and learned despise the simple:
the crown of folly is when tho rich think they aro
gods, and the poor think that God is not "
Then Raphael asked: "How shall tho miracle
be wrought in human nature to reveal the meaning
of humanity? How shall men be made like God''"
"At this question a deep hush fell around tho
circle, and every listener was still, even as tho
rustling leaves hang motionless when tho light
breeze falls away in tho hour of sunset. Then
through the silence, like tho song of a far-away
thrush from its hermitage in tho forest, a voice
came ringing: 'I know It, I know it, I know it.'
"Clear and sweet clear as a ray of light,
sweeter than the smallest silver bell that rang
the hour of rest was that slender voice floating
on tho odorous and translucent air. Nearer and
nearer it came, echoing down tho valley, 'I know
it, I know it, I know it!'"
It was a new angel, a little child, who spoko.
"All the angels rose and turned to look at
him with wondering eyes. Multitudes of others
camo flying swiftly to the place from which the
strange new song was sounding. Rank within
rank, like a garden of living flowers, they stood
along the sloping banks of the brook while tho
child angel floated into the midst of them, sing
ing: 'I know it, I know It, I know it! Man shall
be made like God because the Son of God shall
become a man.' "
Raphael objected that If he became a man
He would be at the mercy of men and the cruel
and wicked would make him suffer.
"I know it," answered the young angel, "and
by suffering He will understand the meaning of
all sorrow and pain; and He will bo able to com
fort every one who cries; and His own tears will
be for the healing of sad hearts; and those who
are healed by Him will learn for His sake to bo
kind to each other."
Uriel- objected that he must first be a child,
Bimplo, and lowly, and helpless; and that ho would
never gain the learning of schools, b0Cau0 tho
masters of earthly wisdom would dospiao nim and
speak scorn of Illm.
rreeknesswIl.It,iTnn,(I lho ?0un ttn " '
mooKness will h0 answer thorn; and to thoao
who become as llttlo children Ho will rivo tho
hTnu nn",d0m !?Bt fn,8' wltlmut aeekiVng, to
uio puro and gentle of lionrt."
MIclmol otyoctod Hint ovl! mon would Wo
nnd persecute l)n , , lght n(n "
win iLftlT"11 1." yo"nK nneo1' ""y
Th.n .l.dr?W..a" mn '"" ""
and mu.t y qtokfc btfw ?." U
of Peace field and, passing over he ioumta tf
leaven dropped swiftly as a shootlng-stir toward
, the night shadow of the Earth. The other anS
fo lowed hlm-a throng of dazzling forms, be"S
sky. And as they followed thoy wondered who
ml !an 'avorcd ,und choon to receive tho glad
wn?i6i ' ?nG, 8a,d l0 VUs tho Emperor of tho
World and his counsellors; but tho flight passed
over Rome. Another snld it must bo tho philos
ophers and tho mastors of learning; but tho Aleut
KIT v?Q AihSna- Anotl,or 8Jl,(1 " miwt b0 lho
High Priest of the Jews, and tho olders and tho
scribes, but the flight passed over Jerusalem.
It floated out over tho hill country of Both
lchem; tho throng of silent angels holding closo
together, as if perplexed and doubtful; tho child
angel darting on far in advance, as ono who
know the way through tho darkness.
"Tho villages were all still; tho very houses
seemed asleep; but in ono placo thcro was a low
sound of talking in a stable, near to an Inn a
sound as of a mother soothing her baby to rest."
And as tho chlld-angel passed over tho fields
on the hill sides, tho shophords tending tholr
flocks were soro afrafd; but tJioy wero reassured
and told that tho babe wrapped In swaddling
cloths and laid in a manger was tho
Saviour of men. Then thoy heard a multitude of
tho heavenly host, singing, "Glory to God in tho
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
men." And tho shepherds said one to another:
"Let us now go, even to Bethlehem, and see this
thing which is come to pass."
"So," concludes tho writer of this sweet story.
'"I said within myself that I also would go with
tho shepherds, even to Bethlehem. And I heard
a great and sweet voice, as of a bell, which said,
'Come!' And when tho bell had sounded twelvo
times, I awoke; and it was Christmas morn; and
I knew that I had been in a dream. Yet It seemed
to mo that the things which I had heard wero
true." "
NO PAY FOR POLITICAL SPEECHES
Mr. Bryan's attention has been called to a
republican paper of Oklahoma which alleges that
he, Mr. Bryan, received "two thousand dollars
hard cash" for his speeches in Oklahoma last
fall. The fact that Mr. Bryan does not receive
any pay whatever for campaign speeches is
known to every republican who has intelligence
enough to occupy an editorial position. The -editor
referred to could ascertain from the demo
cratic committee, if he cared to know the truth,
that Mr. Bryan's services were rendered without
any compensation.
Mr. Bryan's campaign work is a source of
expense to him rather than a source of profit,
for his traveling expenses amount to considerable
for each campaign, and his income from lec
tures is cut off while he is at work in the
campaign, but he is glad to be able to devote
his time to a cause in which he feels deeply in
terested, and hopes to be able to give more and
more time to politics each year.
His income is derived from his lectures and
waitings, and thanks to a generous public he is
able to make enough from these sources during
a part of the year to enable him to devote the
rest of his time to gratuitous service. This state
ment is made in order that the readers of The
Commoner may be able to answer such malicious
misrepresentations as that put forth by tho Okla
homa paper.
JJJ
THE JOB SESSION
The short session of congress which meets
after the election is the job session. Whenever
the financial interests havp any questionable meas
ures to put through, they wait until after tho
election before they spring them. Then they
proceed to the manufacture of public opinion in
favor of the speedy passage of their bills. Tho
two jobs which the corporate interests have on
hand now aro the ship subsidy and the asset cur
rency. The present congress has no time to con
sider tariff reform or an income tax or an in
heritance tax or anything else that would bring
relief to the people, but it now looks as if it was
going to have plenty of time to rush a ship sub
sidy bill through and to turn over to the bankers
tho power to issue an asset currency. The ship
subsidy is a job, its object Is not to help commerce
but to help a few ship companies. It ihay be that
only the thin edge of the wedge will be presented
at this session the giving of subsidies to South
American lines but it Is the beginning of a new
raid upon the treasury, and the democrats should
fight it with all the weapons at their command.
Tho asset currency Is another scheme, and
It fs likely that It, too, will be presented In its
most attractive form as a remedy for temporary
stringency. The emergency note based upon tho
assets of the bank is the forerunner of the asset
currency. Secretary Shaw called attention to this
subject, everal years ago, and the large bankers
have bee. gradually reaching out for the privilege
of issuing money upon their assets, although
they now draw interest upon those assets. If
the asset currency is not guaranteed by tho gov
ernment, it is not secure. If it Is guaranteed by
the government, the burden is put upon tho peo
ple and the profit goes to the bankers. This Is
another measure to which the democrata
ought to offer a unanimous opposition. And In
this connection it might be well for tho democrats
to point out tho fact that the jobs are always
left for the session after the election. At present
congress does not convene in regular session until
more than a year after Its members are elected,
and the second session of each congress Is held
after many of Its members have been retired by
another election. The constitution ought to bo
so amended as to convene congress within a few
months of the election so as to prohibit tho hold
ing of any session after tho election. The people
ought to be able to sit in judgment upon the'
action of congress when they elect tho neitf
congress.
