Historical Note - Week of December 20th
From 1892 a beautiful poem submitted by Mrs. C.B. Jones of Cooke City Montana published in the Livingston Enterprise on Christmas Eve:
The Livingston Enterprise, December 24, 1892
CHRISTMAS, 1892.
Once more the Christmas-tide is here
With all its joy and mirth;
Once more the message of good cheer
Comes to out careworn earth.
So hard to-day to bear,
Let angels’ presence come again
With balm for every care.
Above, the stars in gladness gleam
From out the vault of blue
The same, perchance, as long ago
When this old world was new.
When shepherds, underneath their light,
Saw first that Bethlehem start,
And angels bent, with harps of gold,
To tell the tale afar.
Oh! careworn hearts, but list to-day
To that sweet story told;
Oh! sorrowing spirit, upward gaze
And hear the harps of gold.
We toil for bread through all the year
Midst sorrow, and with pain,
But now the Christ has come to us
A little child again.
Put by awhile these carping cares,
Lay down the weary load
The light that shines from Bethlehem’s star
Illuminates all the road.
The shadows will have lighter grown
And Hope a flower will spring
From out the chaos of despair
At what the angels sing.
Each year this glad time comes to us,
Each time the last may be;
Then let the infant Jesus in
An honored guest to be.
Stretch forth thy hand to those in need,
Give love to all mankind;
And so the song the angels sang
Within our hearts we’ll find.
MRS. C.B. JONES.
Cooke City, Montana.
