XVII

THE GLAD EVANGEL

A Christmas Carol *

THERE'S a song in the air!

There's a star in the sky!

There's a mother's deep prayer
And a baby's low cry!

And the star rains its fire while the Beautiful

sing,

For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king.

There's a tumult of joy
O'er the wonderful birth,
For the virgin's sweet boy

Is the Lord of the earth,

Ay! the star rains its fire and the Beautiful

sing,

For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king!

In the light of that star
Lie the ages impearled;
And that song from afar

Has swept over the world.

From "The Poetical Works of J. G. Holland." Copy right, 1881, by Charles Scribner's Sons.

The

Glad Evangel

Every hearth is aflame, and the Beautiful sing
In the homes of the nations that Jesus is king.

We rejoice in the light,

And we echo the song

That comes down through the night

From the heavenly throng.

Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring,
And we greet in his cradle our Saviour and
King!

JOSIAH GILBERT HOLLAND.

The Angels

Run, shepherds, run where Bethlehem blest ap

pears.

We bring the best of news; be not dismayed:
A Saviour there is born more old than years,
Amidst heaven's rolling height this earth who
stayed.

In a poor cottage inned, a virgin maid,

A weakling did him bear, who all upbears;
There is he poorly swaddled, in manger laid,
To whom too narrow swaddlings are our spheres:
Run, shepherds, run, and solemnize his birth.
This is that night-no, day, grown great with
bliss,

In which the power of Satan broken is:
In heaven be glory, peace unto the earth!

Thus singing, through the air the angels swam,
And cope of stars re-echoèd the samc.

WILLIAM DRUMMOND.

The Glad Evangel

"While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night"

Like small curled feathers, white and soft,

The little clouds went by,

Across the moon, and past the stars,
And down the western sky:

In upland pastures, where the grass
With frosted dew was white,

Like snowy clouds the young sheep lay,
That first, best Christmas night.

The shepherds slept; and, glimmering faint,
With twist of thin, blue smoke,

Only their fire's crackling flames
The tender silence broke-

Save when a young lamb raised his head,
Or, when the night wind blew,
A nesting bird would softly stir,
Where dusky olives grew-

With finger on her solemn lip,

Night hushed the shadowy earth,

And only stars and angels saw
The little Saviour's birth;

The Glad Evangel

Then came such flash of silver light

Across the bending skies,

The wondering shepherds woke, and hid
Their frightened, dazzled eyes!

And all their gentle sleepy flock
Looked up, then slept again,

Nor knew the light that dimmed the stars
Brought endless Peace to men—
Nor even heard the gracious words
That down the ages ring-

"The Christ is born! the Lord has come,

Good-will on earth to bring!"

Then o'er the moonlit, misty fields,

Dumb with the world's great joy,

The shepherds sought the white-walled town,

Where lay the baby boy

And oh, the gladness of the world,

The glory of the skies,

Because the longed-for Christ looked up

In Mary's happy eyes!

MARGARET DELAND.

The Star Song

Tell us, thou clear and heavenly tongue,
Where is the Babe but lately sprung?
Lies he the lily-banks among?