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'*■ f *?" '*T, r T K. Page Eight THE CLINTON CHR6NICLE Thursday December 20, 1952 WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED A Christinas Story for The Chronicle ‘ v By ADELINE H, LOFTIS . “Ah, lad, and you are ever reading the scrolls and dreaming,” said the mother, as^she passed a hand over the silken curls of her son’s hand. The twelve-year-old^-lad sat poring over the words o//Isaiah the Prophet. | the fine mantles of the well-to-do. “What read ye^now, my lad?” she! Each bore a package^resting on the' asked, seating herself near him in polfrey in front of them the candlelight. The lad bent his head over the scrolls reading: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and Coming into the edge of the little town he heard the thud of earners feet. There on .the road which stretched -toward Jerusalem were three camels, their riders garbed in The lad drew aside to let them pass, wondering from whence they came. One of the rnen saw him there on the roadside, called out, the government" 1 shall bfiipon his: ‘*\Ve seek the babe o'f Bethlehem shall 1 shoulder; and his name shall be call-; W e have followed the star—can you ed Wonderful, Counsellor, The 1 guide us?—we bring gifts to Him.” Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The lad held out his lamb—“I am seeking the babe, too—and—I have Then turning the pages saying,! a gift” . . . this last shyly—for aj ‘ Listen to this, mothen'’ read again, lamb was such a poor gift. | “There shall come forth a tfe-i “Swing up behind me lad,” said scendent of Jesse—and the spirit of | the man, “WeTl search' for him to- the Lord shall rest upon him; . . . getl?er."\ with righteousness shall he judge thej Clutching his lamb close, the boy , poor—they shall not hurt nor de- was helped upon-the camel. From stroy in all my holy mountain — for house to house they made inquiries in that day there shall be a root of j and every one said “The star stands; Jesse, which shall stand for an en- over where he lies”—and lo! the star I sign of all the people” — the- lad had stopped—it Jiung over such an paused - humble care-s;able. Wonderingly the ■ And you believe a King is com-, climbed dow. from' the camels mg that will be all this, my lad?" >> a ck. Shyly, he htd behind these asked the mother softly. ' ' « r ^ 1 mcn as they approached. Then Aye. mother, I do,- then he -‘here was the Holy family. The sighed, “I pray hard, yet still Hedoes father leaning over a staf t e ( not come," and he gated out the ■•-=l-' a ced mother bending over a window into a night lighted by a ■ - the lad looked over the star sprinkled sky; across to a slope! shoulder of the man kneeling in of the Judaen hills from which came front of him—there was the babe the faint ■'Coo-coo’'-of shepherds a ci cdc ff bght round its head! quieting their flocks. 1 »«,; too, knelt! Then the men opened . - j i j ! t h e ir valuable gifts, one had gold! Well, stop your dreaming, la , j Q ne brought frankincense, and one said the mother, take ba s ke '- l 0 if erec i m y rr h. Hesitantly the boy ot food to your father and brothers 1 1{jjd his snowy j amb , at the foot of herding the sheep on the hillside. the bab j esus ; M ar y smiled at him Laying aside the scroll, the lad; and her face was \ he face of the rose obediently, took the basket and angel messenger . The angel who had stepped out 'into the m g ht - brought good tidings of great joy mother watched him fondly, but .. while the sheph e rd s watched.” sighed and whispered, ! Before returning home the .lad "Such a lad for dreaming, and cau ght the wise men—for such they wishing and believing.” ; w ere—in the inn nearby. Hesitating Trudging through the moonlit cn the threshold he heard one say, i right the lad too sighed— ! "Did you see the sly smile on Perhaps if I prayed just once King Herod's face as he asked us more, He might come—I would like to bring news of the Babe?” to s£e the lion and the lamb be “That he might come and worship friends at his bidding.” ! Him,” said another, and he spat in The boy knelt in the p^bjbly path august a t Herod’s trickery. But the just ebfore climbing the slope to the third was speaking. Hocks. Lifting his head and closing’ "Since we have all been warned his eyes he prayed again for a King * n a dream not to go near Herod and a Saviour bf^his people. or sj^ak of the child—we will take Opening his eyes from the prayer, the longer and rougher road back— he was awe-struck and afraid by the j ^ Herod sweat! ’ radiance about hinra He could see The lad trembled at the thought the patj? as plainly as at mid-day, Herod and what he might do.-But and he ran forward toward the shep- he only prayed and kept his fears to herds, whom he could see only a .himself. stone's throw away. ' A sh ort time later, helping his Then he stopped! Music was com- father with the flocks one night, "ing from somewhere! And there th ey were joined by a kinsman from among the shepherds an angel ap- fhe town of Bethlehem, peared! The lad fell to his knees, "What about ^.the Child?” asked ly i>. head kept his eyes oil 1 an angel in shining white with gold then prostrate, only Jiy his uplifted s father. the scene. Yes, “Did you not know?" answered the kinsman. “Herod is seeking the en wings—just hovered in the air so Child to destroy Him—but Joseph near the shepherds, his father might have reached out and touched its garment. But they, too, were afraid! and Mary and the Babe have fled. 1 Some say into Egypt—to hide thfire from Herod’s wrath.” Then a voice! Such a voice! Soft, The listening lad rejoiced, to him self, "Such wonderful things happen to me—just while watching our’ ilocks,” and now he understood .the yet resounding—calm—yet so full o: joy! The angel was speaking! "Fear not”—the lad could hear the words, “for I bring you good tid- ‘ w * se men s words, ings of great joy which .shall be toj < ® all people. For unto you is born this Chfist’ITiaS Ploy day in the city of Davidi ta Saviour jr- j w... . . 7 a. which is Christ the Lord. J Sunday Night At •ws come," sobbed the lad-but Rtf,* Bridge Church . the angel was not done speaking, j . m ' f T „ h, Y h ifr b ! ^ t0 yDU '’’ And , Rock Bridge Presbyterian church ye shall fmd the babe, wrapped mj will nt its annual Christmas swaddling clothes and ly in g in a; play Sunday nightf December 23, manaer -The voice cejsed-then at 7:30;*'entitled, “A . Christmas - out Sf.the heavens appeared a host Wish " The cast' consists of the o. angels. The lad, tears streaming young people of the church. Those .ram his eyes, tried to count them, taking part are: Brenda Barbee, and there were too many. They were 1 Naney Adams, Betty Peavy, Bobby chanting, they were singing praises 1 Fuller, Patsy Adams, Martha Holt, —the words came clear, Doris McDonald, Martha Cauble, “Glory to God in the Highest and Judy Bauknight, Betty Bailey, on earth Peace, good will •toward. Jane Adams, Becky Holt, Vivian | Godfrey, Betty Lou Godfrey, Velma The angel messenger was caught Bolt, Patricia Bolt, Lawrence up with them' and they were gone Young, Robert Satterfield, Ray suddenly from the sky—the radiance! Fuller, John Franklin, Donald Law- hegan to fade—the lad saw the shep-' ton,* GurtiS Barbee, Julius Bolt, 1 herds rise up .and stare at each, an d Earle Boyce, ether—then-he could no longer see' Betty Jo McDonald will direct them—just a bright star in the sky— tbe P^y and Peggy Mclnvaille will, moving—a moving star!—then his 1 ** pianist. The play was written! lather’s voice saying, | by one of the young people of the; “Let us go and see this that has; church - The Public is cordially in come to pass”—the lad rose to fol- , vited - • low then he thought of his mother, i . ,, . , n " His basket forgotten, he dashed Albright Ke-eleCted .across the bretok, up the slopes and U:|| ki lushed breathless to his mother. j ■. IViayor “He has come, mother,” he whisp ered. “He has come this night—an angel came to tell us”— - I _ ., _ , . , . „ "Now. now, lad," his mother' Democ, :® l,c . prtmary . t0 hls thlrd .quieted him. "Are ye sure ye didn't successive two-year term as mayor tan asleep' > ” • ; of Rock Hill. He won over his op- Byt with enraptured face and ex t Clarence H. Albright, native of 1 Laurens, was nomirfated in the ultant voice he told her ali.The mother believed. Drawing her son’s head close they both gave thanks. Later the shepherds returned. They told how they had gone into Bethlehem, had seen the babe- in the stable manger.. * It is He, of whom the orophet spoke,” said the lad’s father in an awed voice. "There was a halo round its head.” Later still the lad whispered to his mother, “I, too, waht to see the babe with the halo round his head.” ‘ So his mother fixed a knapsack of bread and water—the lad set out. Passing the flocks grazing near the brook he picked up a snowy lamb and tucked it under his arm. He could not have told why, perhaps, had he been asked. - ponent by*a substantial margin. Mr. Albright is a nephew of Mr. and Mrs.vW. ,H- Shands of this city. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE “The Paper Everybody Reads” Drink HaUblt CAN Be Broken A Our scientific, comm on sense Ab-Detox Method has restored more than 6800 open and women to happy living, with just 7-days stay in this modern hospital. Patients accepted day or night. Write or telephone for fur ther information and admis sion. Abt SmmUmrimm 60S E. 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