Sheltered within the hollow of her arm J The Son of Man lay sleeping. On her cheek Cr She felt his warm breath stirring, like the faint And fragrant breeze that fans the silver leaves Upon the slopes of Olivet. Her eyes, Still shadowed with the pains of moth- Apf erhood, Dwelt tenderly upon the placid brow 44 And cherub features of the infant fr Christ, ® The babe in swaddling clothes, whose destiny Led to Golgotha's summit, where the Cross Was yet to groan beneath the sacred j weight Of his perfected manhood. All the cave C? Was luminous with starbeams, and her face, Like some pale lily, drooping on its stem, ' i And washed with heaven's dews. ©» gleamed pearly white In that strange radiance. Somewhat $ apart And leaning on his staff, the carpenter, rf Joseph of Nazareth, musing, stood: "Lord, who am I?" he marveled in "y his soul, "That thou shouldst deign from thy exalted place To cast thine eyes upon me and to say # 'Behold! he shall be warden to this Asx pearl, Thi« pearl of perfect womanhod, ££ more pure Than any of the daughters of mankind ggr? From the beginning of the world and \ down Through all the ages that are yet to dawn! Lo! shelter she shall find, and sus- "£s-> tenance And one round arm encircled the fair tyft child |p As If the newly-awakened mother love Lay listless, with transparent fingers curved As though she clasped some blossom in her sleep— / Some rare, sweet flower she was fain F& to keep °3" And cherish always. Joseph took the £s*, hand /, And held it in his rough, toil-hardened palm, A Wondering at Its softness, the blue veins That threaded all its whiteness, and j?? the bloom Sp That made a sea-shell of each finger tip. But he forebore, though sore his heart (f --did yearn, To clasp the little sleeping new-born babe Whose golden head lay pillowed on J her arm, Thinking: "It were not well for her or him That he should waken suddenly." A sigh Heaved the soft breas* of Mary, and her eyes, Y* Like heavenly blue flowers, opened £%& wide, Meeting the gaze of Joseph,, as he v pj knelt In reverent adoration. Her low tones Thrilled like aeolian strains; her ten- / der smile Flooded his soul like sunshine as she spoke: "Joseph, my husband, I have dreamed ,» a dream! The Angel of the Lord hath been again, Saying: 'Behold! that which thou hast brought forth *7s This night is the Redeemer of the WorJd— Even Messiah!'" But a grave voice cried Aa she ceased speaking: "Peace to all W within!" And, 10, there stood upon the thresh- old one J Who bore much gold and frankincense and myrrh In his two hands. And Joseph an swered: "Sir, Peace be unto thee, now and ever more!" And. 10, there came two others bear ing gold And precious spices, who likewise J,* did say, "Peace and good will!" And Joseph made reply: "Peace unto thee and thine forever- pj more!" c?" Then spake the foremost stranger: "Where is he, r Born King of Jews this night in Beth / lehem? CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY DECEMBER 24, 1908. Three kings are we that come to wor ship him, For we have seen his star in the Far East Beyond the deserts. We have jour neyed far, Star-led, and, 10, It standeth o'er this roof, A sign celestial!" Then each laid aside His mantle and his sandals, bowing low Before the mother and the holy child, Crying: "All hail, Redeemer of the World! King of the Jews, all hail!" and they did break Boxes of precious ointments, and the air Was heavy with the perfume of rare gums And costly spices, cinnamon and myrrh, And sandalwood and cedar, and the scents Distilled from blooms In gardens of the East, And ambergris and frankincense and nard, And they laid down their offerings of price, Soft yellow bars and bags of shining dust, All Intermixed with amethysts and pearls And carbuncles and diamonds and the pale Lack-luster topaz. And the foremost guest Unclasped the heavy chain of beaten gold That hung about his swarthy throat and showed Its curious pendant, fashioned In strange wise And hammered from a nugget, soft and pure, For uncouth semblance to a rugged cross, Speaking in awed, low tones of prophecy: "A voice cried in the desert wastes, 'Arise! Take of pure gold a nugget large and bright And hammer It into a massive cross Such as the common criminal, con demned To die, yields up his shrinking spirit on, And hang It to the chain about thy neck, And when thou comest to the jour ney's end Lay it within the mother's hand, that she May read therein a sign.' Lo, I have done According to the word!" And Mary's eyes Grew wide with terror, as her fingers closed About the gleaming symbol, for she saw, As in a dream, three crosses on a hill, And, nailed between two thieves of aspect vile, Upon the middle cross, a tortured form That moved her strangely with a sense of loss And woe unutterable, for multitudes Surged round the sufferer and scoffed at him, Crying, in mocking tones: "Hail, King of Jews!" But he that hung cast downward pity ing eyes, Full of meek pardon and of tender love, Gasping: "Forgive them, Father! Oh, forgive Thy children, for they know not what they do!" And in those dying orbs compassionate She saw a semblance of the holy light That shone within the eyes of her fair babe, And moaned: "Take it away—the cross of gold! I shudder at the phantasies it brings!" At which the strangers out of the Far East Arose and gave their blessing to the child And passed into the night. And Mary slept The 6leep of sweet forgetful ness, while he Who stood in place of father to the babe Watched the sweet pair until the morn awoke The songbirds In the clustering olive trees And tinged with light the roofs of Bethlehem. LI LIT A LEVFR. y Th| Place to lay Cheap S 5 J. F. PARSONS' ? COMES RHEUMATISM LUMBAGO, SCIATICA NEURALGIA and KIDNEY TROUBLE "l-DROPS" taken Internally, ridi the blood of the poisonous matter and to Ids which •re the dlreot causes ol these diseases. Applied externally It aOords almost In stant relief from pain, while a permanent oure 1* being effected by purifying the blood, dissolving the poisonous sub •tanoe and removing It from the system. DR. 9. D. BLAND Of Brewton, On., write#: "I bad been a sufferer for a number of yean with Lumbago and Rheumatism In inj arm* and lege, and triad all the remedies that 1 could gather from medical works, and alio consulted with a number of the beet physicians, but found nothing that gare the relief obtained from "5-DROFB." I shall prescribe It In my praoUoe tar rheumatism and kindred diseases." FREE If yon are Buffering with Rheumatism. Neuralgia, Kidney Trouble or any kin dred disease, write to ua for a trial bottle of "•-DROPS.and test It yourself. "■-DROPS" can be used any length of time without aoqulrlns a "drag habit." as It Is entirely free of opium, oocalne. aloobol, laudanum, and other similar Ingredients. lsr|«aiss Ilettla, "S-DHOPB-fSe# Daaea) (I.o*. Far Bale by Drmgglete. BWAIIOI RH ID MATH OUR! COMPACT, Dept. 80. lit Lskt ItoHl, I IfniMA Donot* Gives y° u tha reading matter ia m M5«7 IIIIITVCr * *WfMw£m which you have the greatest in ' ■ 11 terest —the home new*. Its every » issue will prove a welcoma visitor to every member of the family- It should head your list of newspaper and periodical subscriptions. G.SCHMIDT'S, 1 — *"n nr" T-° FOR FRESH BREAD, popular n NUI CONFECTIONERY Dally Delivery. All orders given prompt and skillful attention. Enlarging Your Business I If you are in annually, and then carefully business and you note the effect it has in in« want to make creasing your volume of bust* mj/BSj W& more money you ness; whether a 10, 20 or 30 8? JJB will read every per cent increase. If you qSUKKM word we have to watch this gain from year to ffßflsay* Are you y° u W 'H become intensely in- KB fIH spending your terested in your advertising, f&J gfl money for ad- & Q d how you can make it en f# ll vertising in hap- large your business. ®j hazard fashion If you try this method wo <3? "ffii as if intended believe you will not want to for charity, or do you adver- let a single issue of this paper tise for direct results? goto press without something 1 Did you ever stop to think from your store. how your advertising can be w pleased to hava made a source of profit to T ou call on us > and we will you, and how its value can be take pleasure in explaining measured in dollar and our annual ,on tract for so cents. If you have not, you many inches, and how it can be are throwing money away. in whatever amount that Advertising is a modern «eems necessary to you. business necessity, but must If you can sell goods over be conducted on business the counter we can also show principles. If you are not you why this paper will best satisfied with your advertising serve your interests when you you should set aside a certain want to reach the people of amount of money to be spent this community. JOB PRINTING can do that class just a little cheaper than the other fellow. Wedding invitations, letter heads, bill heads, sale bills, statements, dodgers, c»rds, etc., all receive the same careful treatment —just a little better than seems tjecessary. Prompt delivery always. If you are a business man, did you ever think of the field of opportunity that advertis ing opens to you? There is almost no limit to the possi bilities of your business if you study how to turn trade into your store. If you are not get ting vcur share of the business of your community tl\ere's a reason. People go where they are attracted where they know what they can get and how much it is sold for. If you make direct statements in your advertising see to it that you are able to fulfill every promise you make. You will add to your business reputa tion and hold your customers. It will not cost as much to run your ad in this paper as you think. It is the persistent ad vertiser who gets there. Have something in the paper every issue, no matter how small. We will be pleased to quote you our advertising rates, par ticularly on the year's busi ness. .. i i MAKE YOUR APPEAL to the public through the columns of this paper. With every issue it carries its message into the homes M and lives of the people. Your competitor has his store news in this issue. Why don't you have yours? Don't blame the people for flocking to his store. They know what he has. 3
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers