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I gr a o Eaao moIl LL know that thestory of the birthand childhood ofJesus tho Christtold with such won ¬

derful simplicity Inthe Now Testamenthad taken deep holdupon the heartand tho Imagination of SChristlans

the world over No othor part or the gospelhistory has given Somanythemos to S-rpoet andpaIntorpj-No fothernarrative

tin the world has been Illustrated by so manyfamous artists It Is only to see some ot thetreasons which have made It a favorite subject

First there Is the religious Interest whichcenters In the entrance of the Divine SaviourInto tho world Such an event for all who be ¬

Hove In tho Christian religion must have aprofound significance It Is tho sunrise otfaith the beginning Of a new spiritual worldthe laying of the cornerstone of the kingdomof heaven on earth Even If the artist himselfwere not sure of this did not altogether beUevo It he would know that other people be¬

lieved it and by the Imagination he could seawhat a supreme Importance was given by thefaith of Christendom to the brief and simple

tory of tho birth at BethlehemSecond there Is the human interest which

clings to the over beautiful relation of mother-hood and childhood Tho tenderest and mostunselfish love Is that with which a true moth-er lopka upon her little child the most perfect

4innocence and trustful Joy are revealed In theeyes of the baby who smiles Into the face

of his mother bending over him The paintJngs of the Child Jesus and the Virgin Maryhave drawn Into themselves tho best thoughtsot men concerning tho gracious secret of maternity end the tin tMied bliss of infancy

Fantastic LegendsThird there Is tho poetic and pictorial inter-

est which grows out ot tho Incidents of thestory the strange contrast between the heavenly significance of the birth of Christ and Itsqiitward circumstances the blending ot lightand shade Joy and sorrow hope and fear angellc songs and earthly persecutions All thesevaried elements centering about a single figureafford a field ot illumination and Illustrationsuch as art loves

My first advice then to those who wishthoroughly to appreciate and enjoy these pic ¬

tures would bo to read and reread the gospelof St Matthew from the eighteenth verse oftho first chapter to the end of the second chap-ter and the first two chapters of St LukesGospel Then It w u4 tit vrlsa io read someof the later legends which wore woven in theapocryphal books and In the mediaeval poemsand narratives about the birth and childhoodof Christ Many of these legends are curiousand fantastic evidently allegorical and symboli-cal

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They have none of tho simple directnessand quiet restraint ot the Biblical historyThey are In effect clear Illustrations of thatnative trait of the human mindfAmiliar toevery one who has tried to tell a true storytb a child the craving for picturesque detail

How did It happen Where did It happenWho was there How did they look Whatdid boy do afterwards These are the ques-

t

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tions that children ask when they hear a storyaud thesQ aro the questions to which men havegiven fanciful answers In the apocryphal andmediaeval legends such as the proovangcl1umof St James tho gospel of St Thomas thegospel of the pseudoMatthew The history oftho naUtilI of Mary tbe golden legend ot Jaco

bus de Voraglne tho poemsof Konrad of FussosbrunnWalther at Rhclnau AbbessKroswltha and the traditions given by Justin Mar-tyr St Jerome St Bernardand many other writers

Much of this legendary n illand symbolist material wastaken up quite naively by

picturesSuppose ¬

tion which represents Mary as passing througha garden when the angel came to her that IsIn accordance with the Protovangellnm whichssys that Mary was chosen by lot from amongthe virgins of Nazareth to spin the royalpurple of the Templo veil one day asshe was returning from the fountain with herpitcher of water the angel met her and saidHall thou who art full of grace 10 and when

she went back to her spinning ho came againto her to complete his message If the picturerepresents Mary in the house working at theveil the artist has chosen to show us the sec ¬

ond appearance of the angel The emblemswhich the artists put into their pictures aresignificant The pot of lilies ct Marys sidethe lilybranch in the angels hand symbolizeAmity The olivebough borne by the dovemeans peace

Or here Is a pluture of the nativity whichshown the Child and his mother and Joseph Ina cave This Is according to the account ofJustin Martyr and In harmony withthe customs of Palestine that the stable ofthe inn where Christ was born was a grottoIn the rocks Hero perhaps you see the oxand the ass bowing their heads before thochild This Is told by the gospel of the pseudoMatthew In fulfillment of the prophecy ofIsalfh The ox knoweth his owner and thoass his masters crib Here again is a daz ¬

zling supernatural light radiating from thechild BO that shepherds who have Just enteredmust shade their eyes This detail is givenIn many legends

How the Story DevelopsTho five chief points around which the paint

tags of tho birth and childhood of Christ nat ¬

urally group themselves are 1 The Annun-ciation

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2 The Nativity 3Tha Usrsiterof tho Magi 4 Tho Flight Into Egypt 5The Home at Nazareth

1 The Annunciation comes from the firstchapter ot St Luke and with it are associatedtwo minor Incidents the visit of Mary to hercousin Elizabeth and the birth of John theBaptist the forerunner of Christ Tho paintershave delighted to show us tho virginal beautyand meekness of Mary tho Joy with which theangel brought his message and the awe andwonder with which she received the new con ¬

ception of her son as tho Son ot the Highestthe Saviour of his people No picture of thoAnnunciation Is good In which this wonder andthis Joy are not expressed If In addition thepainter has chosen to put in many details to

yY y NMµ

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mLJrolmake us feel the Innocence and lovely grace ofMarys life if he has shown ns the quiet workwith which she la busy the sweet order of herroom which Images the tranquillity of her soulthis also Is well But the great thing is thatho should perceive and show as simply as pea¬

sible the charm of that perfect figure Of maldenhood no rudo peasant girl but one with royalblood In her veins and heavenly thoughts inher heart

The Nativity2 Tbo pictures of tbe Nativity have a great ¬

er variety of Incidents and of modes of presen ¬

tation The simplest are those which showMary and Joseph In tho stable with the childthen come thc o In which tho angels appearor the shepherds cnrao to pay their adorationanother conception represents tbo motheralone with her babe adoring him or nursinghim Pictures of the presentation In tho tem ¬

pIe and perhaps some of the Madonna andChild belong to tho general theme ot the Nativity because their central Idea Is the advcatof Christ as a little babe

Here the painters have found a widefield for Imagination and have used largeliberty In expressing the feelings with whichdifferent persons drew near to the holy childMary is almost always showu as wondrouslyhappy somctlmes as In MuriUoa Adorationof the Shepherds lifting the cloth that covore the child and displaying him with gentlepride

3 With the Adoration of the Magi a new ele-ment comes Into tbo scene These wise menfrom the cant whether they were kings ornot were the representatives of the Outside

worldThere are pictures which show the Magi ontheir Journey led by a star sometimesshining in tho form of a babe in the sky andothers which show them at the court ofHerod asking tbefr way and others whichshow them being warned by an angel In adream not to go back to Jerusalem and oth ¬

ors which show them returning by sea to theirown country But the great majority of paint ¬

ers have chosen the moment at which thogifts ot grid and frankincense and myrrh werepresented to the child Here there Is room forsplendid color and dramatic contract

4 Tho Flight Into Egypt Is the contrastingcompanionpiece to the Adoration of the MagiThe ono brings the peat wojld Into the dwell ¬

ing ot the Child Jesus the other carries theChild Jesus out into the great world

Story of the FlightThe pictures of this subject fall into two

r yv yvyw 1fiJmain divisions those which lopresont Its aotual Journey and thoso which show tho HolyFamily retting either by tho way or In theland of Egypt The paintings which deal withthe latter theme commonly known as the liepose Include sumo of tho most beautiful worksof art especially during tho last three centurhea Many details have been Introduced fromthe legends of the flight In which tho apocry-phal History of the Nativity of Mary Is particularly rich This Is ono of them The HolyFamily rested by tho road beneath a date palmand Mary desired to eat of the fruit but ithung high above her head Joseph beingweary waa not able to climb tltn tree But theChild Jesus know Ills mothers wish and at hiscommand the itda bent down 1U branchesThen he thrust his fingers Into tho sand anda spring of water gushed forth The next morn-ing

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Jesus thanked the obedient tree and prom ¬

ised that ono of ItH branches should bo carriedby the angels and planted In Paradise

The Tlurnjrh of the InnocentsThe landscape U half shadowed by night

but tho moonbeams otavo a Nay radianceover plain and tho distant hills where thewatch fires arc growing rod In front marchesJoseph with his basket of tools on his backa sturdy son of toll The mother a noblewoman of Palestine carries the child In herarms happy and fearless But who are theselittle children that run and float beside thotravelers They are tbo spirits of the murdered innocents of Bethlehem set free to follow the infant Saviour and knowing thattnitnigli him they have entered by the gate ofdeath Into eternal Joy Three tiny ghosts In

tho rear have not yet felt his presence norcaught sight of him and tho plan and terrorof mortality are heavy upon them But thoothers are radiant and rejoicing as ransomedsouls and at their feet river of lifebreaking Into shimmering bubbles In whichtho glories of heaven are reflected Josephdoes not see the spirits 1 doubt whether eVenMary sees them clearly But Jesus recognizeshis former playmates with Joy He leans fronthis mothers arms to greet them holding out A

handful of wheat the symbol of the bread ot

HeavenItall mystical visionary unreal Or Is

It a true picture to the dye of what faith be-holds in the religion of Jesus Surely It thisgospel has any moaning It la the bringing oflight and blessing to the suffering little onesof earth a deeper compassion and a tenderercare for them and the promises of a heavenfull of happy children

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The ReviewSunday School Ulloa for Dee 27 1908

SfttoUX Amnf d lor ThIs Paper

OOlUEN TBXTKep thy heart withnil dJIlRence for out of It are the IIIUMof rtePmv < 11

Comment and Suggestive ThoughtThis review should corer e whole

period of our six months etudyTim main facts should bd hold In

the memory on a basis ot the laelruothou the history Is intender io teach

The great value of lies Intho light It sheds on ttio l princi ¬

plod ot true living History Is phil ¬

osophy teaching by examples saidDlonyslus of HallcarrinJBus andCaHylo calls It PhllQsopny teachingby experience TheBlblo Watery Isfar moro to us for It Is a divinelyguided revelation of Gods principlesand plans of dealing with men HutIt Is to be seen and studied In thelight of Its own times and circum ¬

stancesA Is a fitting leeeen for theclosing sabbath of tho year biddingus look carefully at the tend and tideof our own lives learning What toavoid sad what to cherish what torepeat of and what to giro thanks forThus shall tho post Illumine the pathof the future evils repented of shallbe lighthouses on tho hidden rooks

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end wwfc well done and victoriesgained shall be favoring gales towardUte port of eternal lifeSaul and His Kingdom D C 1095

1053The first king with a great task be

ton liltsA goad general lovable matt A

bmv man M

ageorcPllsirhiaChief cause of ills fallurt waa Ir

moral lie was selfish and a0beil 1

ont to God without depth of rollgloulife tIlls kingdom was small Ills death 1tragicDavid and His Kingdom U C 1065

1015For hU early life sad training and

for the discipline er WI young vanhondo see review of 1Ht quarter

David hall many jwmnal qwHtleand natural advmta ee wWeh wade Itpossible for kiss to MetHM a groatking Name them flat wfcUr thesepoiutMim Itoeame rsilsed depepdedupon himself

David was true to hii Belt and toGod From the IwglfiBlBg fee did tilslevel best He WM faltVfal Is er ryduty lie learned his ltsseuu tAraeverything that cam to Mm lie wasdwply religious and UM felt gayoirnath to his character wti to

his actions and 4fss agalMt UftlpUilonHo

bream a gft Mat RNm gjraeral nrgaalMr poet tmMM-

annulu n v4 fmuM Ute ktBgiKi p

divided dlvireeted MMsml lqr onemlr and In a very low taMgUm seaditiun

David left the ktiiwlM great Inmany wan <

1 A walled ptapte2 A KraaUy mlhrfdd territory and

populationSpro rM la the reJIgtena life ar

of the p of4a

sovernmeittTbestate as a mlHtary power as a rtllglous InslllnUoAprosperity

0 Peace with all the surroundingnations

7 Ho mode great preparations forbuilding the temple 1

8 Ho wrote Psalms which lira ablBMlng to all the agesJbroughtDHI his repentance was moat manly fl °and thorough And his life melldwcd l-

uc deepened was a blessing Io thoend

Ills suecese was founded on the Primciple which bring true fuccosa todaySolomen and His 4V75Tell the story of his early life andcircumstances

Ills most marked early experiencen 1was his wise choice

The BecUhtL He raised Israeli±

Tfor a Ume to the height oftlonal aspirations and showed tho posTsibilities of splendor and authority towhich It might attainFarrar

2 He stirred tho Intellectual life ofthe people in new directions

3 Ho enshrined their worship In aworth and permanent tompIejjbireligiousliCittemple was Idealized together with

spiritualtemple fpity of God which came down fromheatenr4 The peace which prevailed duringnearly all of his reign was a great °achievement and made many of theother blessings possible k

6 His failure and weakness caIRofrom the atmosphere of worldllnesx t iwhlchhe6 For this falling Into sin ho sifkingdom L

7 But Solomon did not wholly fallfrom Wn high estate nor wore thehlslngdom ¬

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1good than evil

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No oue can any more gain happinessIn Solomons way than he can quenchbis thirst with the salt water of th1 °esea

Solomon forfeited the conditionallromlso of long life Ho fallen In tberattho j