BRADLEV LUNfrBER EONfrPANV ARKANSAS

I heard the bells on Chrstmas Day, fireir old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet, the words repeat Of "peace on earth, good will to men." And in despair I bowed rny head, "There is no peace on earth," f said, "For hate is strong, and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men." Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, "God is not dead., nor doth He sleep ! The Wrong shalt fail! The Right prevailt With peace on earth, good will to men !"

I was searching for an inspiration for a Christmas thought of hope, when I stumbled by accident upon the above. Longfellow wrote it long, long ago, but it was entirely unknown to me, However, it seems to fit the bill for this time and place. Looking about us at a world in torture and in fame, the power of Evil seemingly in mad control, and ever5rthing ttnt is Right battling grimly for existence against errerything that is Wrong, the inspiration of Longfellow's message from the Christmas bells sounds a welcome note. ***

One of the inspirational notes most frequently struck in the past by those seeking hopeful words and thoughts, was: "God's in His heaven, and, all's right with the world." Countless millions of people have watched the progress of destruction sweep the world, clinging tight to the conviction that "Crod's in His heaven." But it would take an optimist, indeed, to utter at this time the old thought t[af-"[ll'g right with the world." If this be a well world, God protect us from a sick one!

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Longfellow's thought is a much more helpful one. "fiie Wrong shatl fail, the Right prevail, Crod is not dead, nor doth He sleep)' So we shall adopt that for our Christmas thought, this 19,[0. **t

I was running through some old Christmas stufr just a while ago, and I came ulxrn a Christmas card that stopd me cold. It was like a kindly and familiar voice from the past. It was a Christys card I got from the late R. A.

Long, of Kansas City, dated Christmas, 1933, and all there was on it was this beautiful andThopeftrl thought: "The darkest night the world hfs evey'seen, did not put out the stars." Seems to me that [nel worth some mulling over' souled gentleman, was R A. Long, and that splendid message of hope was typical of him.

Forgetting the tragedies of the world for a moment, f love the Christmas story of the little three-year-old girl who was saying her prayers at mother's knee before going to bed on Christmas night, and she added to her little prayer: "And thank Youo Dear God, for all the nice presents You sent m€' and I certainly hope Your son, Jesus, had a happy birthday." Surely, from the mouths of babes, come forth wonderfirl things.

This Vagabond column has been kept alive and enthused by the friendliness of its readers. And I am most mindful of the fact that all through the years we get a greate! kick-back from our Chirstmas editorials than from any others. Which brings encouragement to continue the practice of straying far away, at this time, from all thoughts of more sordid things, and talking about matters seldom mentioned in other seasons. I am yielding at this time to the temptation to approach the subject of Christmas by telling a short and rambling story of a man most of us know very little about; a man who really gave us this beautiful soul-season we call Christmas, yet who seldom gets a thought from the Christmas celebrator. I am talking about Doctor Luke, of Antioch, the man who gave us Christmas' {.rt*

We all take our Christmas pretty much for granted. We know it is the birthday of Jesus Christ; we sing or listen to Christmas carols; perhaps hear a Christmas sermon; and the name of Doctor Luke is never mentioned. Yet, had it not been for him, we would never have heard of Christmas, or the incomparably beautiful story of the birth of Jesus in that stable in Bethlehem. If it had not been for Doctor Luke, countless millions of wide-eyed youngsters who have listened with thrilled souls to the story of the angels, and the shepherds, and the Bethlehem babe, would never have heard it; had it not been for Doctor Luke Christmas might just be the 25th of Decemberr. So let us make the Christmas season a little more interesting and thrilling by recalling to mind how this tremendous thing came about.

We depend for our nrr,*rl,lu",r" Crrri"t upon the Gospels and the Acts in the New Testament; principally from the four Gospels, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew, Mark, and John were contemporaries of Jesus. Matthew and John were his companions, members of the Twelve Apostles who followed Him through His life work, and most of whom were with Him to the end of His earthly existence. Mark was a young boy at the time of the Crucifixion. It was in the home of his mother, Mary, ttat the Last Supper was held. These three contemporaries wrote their individual stories of the life of Jesus Christ, each from his own viewpoint. But none of them make any reference to the details of His birth. When they were writing their Gospels, after the death of Jesus, they were principally concerned with His teachings, His death, and His resurrection- There is nothing in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John on which to build a Christmas.

It remained for one who came after, to leave humanity that heritage. None of the thousands of devoted students of biblical history pretend to be able to give the exact dates of important happenings of th'ose times. We must get our facts by piecing together many fragments. So we do not lmow just when a certain young doctor in Antioch espoused Christianity. Antioch was a large and important city in Greece at that time, and a generation after the death of Jesus Christ there was quite a Christian community growing there. We are sure that by the time He had been dead for about fifty years, there was a very important member of the Christian community in Antioch, named Doctor Luke. We know from his writings that he was gifted, educated, was probably well-to-do, and had chosen the practice of medicine because he was a very hetpful human who loved his fellow man. He was probably a Christian before Paul went to Antioch. His meeting with the great evangelist of Christianity changed the entire life of Doctor Luke. Just as the Twelve Apostles had taid down all that they had and followed Jesus, so did this splendid young Doctor Luke lay down all that he had been doing, and followed Paul. He became his personat physician, his constant companion. In his writings paul refers to this splendid young man as "Luke, the beloved physician." And as such historians have come to lmow him.

He was the most faithful of friends. He remained lyith Paul until the martyrdom of the great evangelist. For two years Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea. Later in Rome. Then came his death. Through all this time his friend Doctor Luke was free to come and go, and ministered unto