Christmastide. A Poem

Christmas tide

Trees all weird and ghostly in their robes of white Myriads of crystals sparkling in the light Contours strangely altered, angles knocked askew Roads and paths and hedges covered up from view ;

Brooklet hardly breaking from its icy band Winter white and hoary, ruling all the land.

Silver bells a-jingling on the frosty air ;

Human hearts a-tingling, in a world so fair Violets quietly sleeping, underneath the snow Springtime seedlets leaping, in their .beds below ;

All the world rejoicing at the Savior's birth ;

God is in His heaven, and peace is on the earth !

Lon J. Haddock. LOGAN, UTAH

Testimony Derived from the Balkan War

BY FERDINAND F. HINTZE, FORMER MISSIONARY TO TURKEY

There are two classes of testimonies concerning the truthfulness of latter-day revelations. One is individual, the other, general. The testimony I wish to speak of is of the latter kind. General testimonies are derived from such sources as are plainly discernible to all who are enlightened by the spirit of truth from God. This spirit reveals the purposes and plans of God's dealing with man, and assures men that the word of God spoken by his holy prophets, ancient and modern, are true, are being fulfilled, or will surely be fulfilled. The Balkan War is such a one. From a scriptural poine of view, it is quite possible, to show that the Turkish power was ordained of God to do a great and mighty work to his honor and glory, even as were Pharaoh and Cyrus, and other historical characters. They were raised up to do a certain work for the benefit and advancement of God's mighty purposes, and when they passed away, left their histories as warnings and testimonies to future generations. The writer, having spent many years among the various peoples inhabiting Turkey, is prepared to fully substantiate that the Ottoman Turks are at least no worse than the average other peoples inhabiting Turkey, in Europe, and Asia Minor. Whatever is done by the Turks is generally considered wrong, in any event, because they differ from us Christians in both religion and civil government; whatever outrages the Christians commit are, as a rule, minimized, or entirely hushed, because they are Christians, and because our sympathies are strongly Christian. But the _

Latter-day Saints should not be biased our speakers and writers ;

should not be so entirely blinded by religious prejudices, that they can not speak fairly of all of God's children. Personally, I wish to bear testimony to the many virtues of the Turks. They are morally a clean people. They are sober virtuous, and as a rule, very truthful, far beyond the measure of them or living in their midst. They the Christians surrounding God's chosen are extremely pious, and are taught that they are people, that they must be good, pure and upright, in order to gain the paradise of the righteous. that make These are all good qualities. They have others their arrogant, despotic natures de- them hated one of these is :

from their form of government, by which they arrogate to rived