The Normal Record. December 1897

              fMGO STATf COIlFTif UBRAtt!
50905
THE NORMAL RECORD.
Almost before I knew it.
"David's son, " I said,
"Is the Messiah: when will he be born,
And fill our world with healing and with joy ?"
"The world is weary waiting for the Lord,"
Replied a brother shepherd.     "He will come,
Although he tarry,'' said another then:
And I, "O happy day, if he were here!"
And  then—how shall I  tell you ?    We looked
around
And saw the angel of the Lord close by,
And we, the simple shepherds of the hills,
Were lighted with the glory of the Lord
Which shown about us!    We were  sore afraid;
We never saw such brilliant light before,
Even in dreams.    We trembled in our fear,
And must have fallen, but the angel spoke
In gentle kindness.     "Do not fear, " said he;
"Behold I bring you tidings of great joy,
To bless all people.    Unto you is born
This day, in David's city, Christ the Lord,
The Saviour of the world."    O could it be!
Our hearts grew still  with rapture.    But   again
The angel spoke.     "And this shall be a sign:
The Babe is lying in a manger now,
And wrapt in swaddling clothes, as you shall find.''
Then suddenly we saw a multitude;
The heavenly host was with the angel there,
Together praising God.    Their faces shone,
As if they brought the radiance from afar,
And filled our fields with glory.    O, the sight
Transported us with wonder!    Shining wings
Floated above us, tender love-lit eyes
Looked on the open heavens, and then on us,
And softly, sweetly they began to sing.
We hushed our breath to listen.    Can I tell
How that grand anthem sounded? Like the leaves
In summer time ?    Or like the running rill
O'er merry pebbles ?    Like the birds in spring ?
O, 'twas like nothing we had ever heard:
The song was full of joy*.    No  thought of  tears
Checked the sweet melody: it rose and fell
Like the quick beating of our happy hearts:
As if the maidens, men, and happy youths
Were wild with joy, and reverent with love.
We wept to hear them, then we laughed  aloud
In gladdest pleasure.    To the illumined earth
We bowed our faces, then we lifted them
Unto the heaven whence God looked down on us.
And still the song of bliss was rolling on.
' 'Glory to God!"    It moved the ambient air.
"Glory to God!"    It rose up to the stars.
"Glory to God!"    It seemed to fill the world.
' 'Glory to God, and on the earth sweet peace
And good-will toward all men."   We joined  the
song;
We could not help it.   We poor shepherds dared
With shaking voices, but with hearts as glad
As those of angels were, to sing with them
The exulting carol of Immanuel's praise
In the green fields of honored Bethlehem.
But soon the angels went away to heaven.
And left us to each other.     "Let us go
And see the thing which God makes known to us''
We said together; and we went with haste,
And found the mother and the holy Babe,
And he was lying in a manger there,
As said the angel.    We but stayed awhile
To look upon the face of Jesus Christ,
The Saviour, the Messiah, sent from God,
And now we gladly come to tell the news.
Jesus is born to-day in Bethlehem!
Peace and good-will are now bright angel-guests.
Who dwell with men. You need no longer mourn,
For Christ, the great Peace-Giver1, has been born
And He will bless the nations.    O, to-day
Sing with me the sweet anthem of the skies,
Glory to God, and joy to all the world.
WHAT THE FAIRIES DID FOR JAMIE.
By Julia Richardson
JAMIE had been ill for some time, and
now that Christmas was drawing near,
he began to  be impatient.     He had
the tender love of his  mother to  comfort  him,
but he longed for the bright toys and pretty
things he had seen other children have. Although he was only a child, he knew well these
joys were not for him, for his sickness had
already necessitated the  spending  of too  much