Nor Doth He Sleep
To All my Wonderful Followers,
We survived the holidays! Now we are making it through what the English call “Boxing Day”, which has nothing to pugilistic activities but rather to “boxing up” all the things from Christmas. Quite appropriate in our case, since we’re also packing up the house in preparation for the Big Trip.
And to make things even more interesting, our whole family is beginning a 5-day stayover in a resort not far from the house. It’s rather tired, but it has a pool, a pond and a creek, and the grandkids love it.
I know Christmas is over, but I’d like to share just one more story, in case you haven’t heard it already. It’s about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow … remember him from high school literature class? He did most of his writing in the mid to late1800s, but did you know…...
…that his second wife burned to death in 1861 when her dress caught on fire as she melted wax to seal Christmas letters? Henry was so injured trying to save her that he was unable even to attend her funeral. The next year, his son Charley insisted against his father’s will (they were Congregationalists and therefore Conscientious Objectors) to go and join the Civil war.
Almost immediately he got so sick that Henry had to go and bring him home to recover. No sooner had he recovered and got back to duty, he was shot and the ball struck his spine, again entailing a long and arduous recovery.
Henry was still grieving the loss of his wife in 1864 when he penned the words that we know so well. Enjoy seeing what real faith can do for us all, even as we sit in this covid world, mourning so many things:
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along, The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound, the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I 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 shall fail, the Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Hopefully, the next blog or so that you get from me will be an auto-generated one as we will soon be winging our way to Hawaii and the teaching job that should keep us busy for many months. Please pray for safety for us all, for clear covid “24-hour-before-you-fly” tests, etc etc. All the dramas of this age.
May we remember who’s in control of it all! Stay tuned!
Marsha
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