Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 50, Number 302, Decatur, Adams County, 23 December 1952 — Page 21

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 33, 1362

45 ’?Hhir- jjHnwX-‘•'RSw k> "'rwH 1 Im fPPHWwfei f s -■■ Z ' I yr ZSEL XW*yS>S>x /✓ / y' vyS- \Z your frientkkip and good will are extend a kearty *Tkank You.* jMay you kave a delightful Christinas and a successfu New Year. ALVA W. LAWSON Plumbing & Heating Vv-. ; , ; - : ■ ~-' . : - ■ ■ .- ■ ■ , y *' 4X s| QkzSeawJU bjrti KO QiejtTOblw M£j a WffWi mUKgI Za.s the lights of the - jsT II \ 1 -J* Holiday Season beam bright and I|| i ri ' • ».'.«' tl *-* - '% k ' glorious, we wish all of our IsSjjmfefir friends and patrons a full measure I JfF -Ai % |ih|V of joy and happiness for jJM|r Christmas and the New Year. i 4 1 n» Lose Barber Shop ] . /'- Morris Pingry, Prop. -!i - J M'' I v U irLx _J>r rs . 4 . ■ ' - J; ' • / x . 'll ; ,\ i, » ' Y1 ( . ' \V iO wc r ■,..— n v - ~ ' 'W:4 ' J -.; n ■ ■ ■ !': r ■ I- ' ..': ■ - .4 '. ■>.. ■ I . ■ '■.'■ I ■■ i . - •• ,r ■\ ■. ■ -J _i 1 . r * W« - _ " j 1 yX ! of our"pleasant ■'■• relations, we exto our man Y 4 »’\ friends the greetings , _ f j " of the season with joy t -for Christmas and good luck for the New Yeir. -.. : r ■. ’. i . >.' z.. ... - ' 1 .' .. j ; Li ■; L ...• J : 127 N. Second St. -'- •■ - Z'■ ! '1 1 ' I ■ ’

‘Silent Night’ Bom in Beauty Matching Its Own Simplicity

By RAYMOND A. LAJOIE Central Press Correspondent HIGH IN THE AUSTRIAN ALPS, in the region known as the Tyrol—"the land of the mountains’* —is to be found the birthplace df "Silent Night, Holy Night." Here, the, towering Tyrolean peaks, centuries-old and famed for their snow-capped, grandeur, rise in lofty simplicity into the cool, clear air, guarding smiling, peaceful valleys. Far up in these Alpine mountains, where love of music is nature’s gift to every child, nestles the town of Oberndorf, Austria. Here in 1818 lived a devout young Austrian priest named Father Joseph Mohr. With his friend, the village schoolmaster and Church organist, Franz Gruber, he was destined to give the world this most famous of all Christmas hymns. <- The two men, both lovers of great music, had oUen talked of the fact that “the perfect Christmas song had not yet been found.’* Thinking about it, Mohr sat in his church study on Christmas Eve, 1818. Outside, the hushed silence of the night heightened the snowcovered beauty and stillness of the mountain scene. * • •' THE PURITY and calmness of the high peaks filled his heart with radiant joy as he recalled those first Christnfas tidings, “Jesus, The Saviour‘is bom." And the thoughts that had been long forming in his mind suddenly found musical expression in the song which we have come since to know and love as "Silent Night,. Holy Night" - The next morning, Christmas Day, Mohr hurried to his friend’s home with the manuscript of his precious song. Gruber read it intently and exclaimed, “Frierid Mohr, you have found it—the right song—God be praised!" Gruber, thrilled with the of his friend’s verses, set to work to compose the perfect melody for “the perfect song." Finally, the soft, flowing air we now use came to him. “It sings itself, your song,” he cried to the delighted priest. Gruber’s real contribution to musiclies in the beauty and simplicity of the tune, in its perfect blending with Mohr’s verses. The two men sang the new hymn together, to have' it ready for the church devotions that night. Later in the same evening, when the villagers were gathered in the

' ■ I |£ ’y "' ' ' ' * aHHr 5 **"• lilial " fflM >a» WshP s '- ■^HMK> ! '''M®k w®r ar $.. tft, ', - •*• - M v W j -w>jiw iheßi- £&> - — — ,' i..— 4...' • - . ' W '' • '■■ ;■ <l' ' ''■ ~ . y / ' • " . ’ ' .' ■ ' ' ■ ■ • ’■' i I i E H i 111 Hk Willi iiilllil 11 lIRI " > 6 E la v« ® i 18 “ HHI To you, one of our family of friends, l|||| w ® extend our most cordial Christ- llli ®B®k mas Greetings. It- is your friendship «»• J® i la that gives warmth and feeling to \v" / r*— , . vthe every day things of life. . EAGLES LODGE - ■ -•■ . - - .- ' \ ; •

< ■ ■ JA M ‘ ': '• . i . • - DDOATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT, DECATUR, INDIANA

' "IST ~7~' r - J ' i|i|S| - -'jAjMl .. w ■ IM . q ti :■ W ? i’iVNW’asSW*"': ■ ' J > I■' '' ‘ < v: - •” 1 '1 Ji Mt « H HL'I . ... . v . ' I ‘ Simple memorial chapel honoring "Silent Night" and ; I its composers stands in Austria's'* Saltburg provihee.

gray little mount church, Mohr And Gruber sang their Christmas i song before its first audience. It i touched the listeners deeply, and, i after the service, they thanked the two friends with tears of joy in I their eyes. A new hymn had. been , bom. The story of how the song , spread from its mountain home in the Tyrol to become one of the ’ Christmas favorites in all parts of the world is an enchanting one. Only very slowly did it come into fame. For nearly a year after Its first rendition, the song lay almost - forgotten in Gruber’s desk. * * • THEN, in November, 1819, the church organ had to be repaired, and the repair man, when he had finished with his work, asked Gruber to play something to test the organ. The beautiful melody of “Silent

Night" came back to (Gruber's mind and he played it with all its powerful yet simple beauty. So entranced was the organ-builder that he begged to take a copy of the seng home with him to his own town across ihe mountains. From one music-lover to another the hymn was passed on. Still it was without a name and was known simply as "The Tyrolese Song,” becatAe it had first pome from the Tyrolean Alps. With that title it was printed in 1842 for the time, 24 years after it had been composed! From that time on, the s«mg has been put into countless other languages and -carried to all parts of- - world to become the best loved of all Christmas songs and hymns. It touches a heartfelt need, and to all who' hear it, it brings the 1 calm and peace in its .strains of beauty and joy!

—■■•■■ — ■ ■ ■' 'A A- " v ' ' . "'' in an lllmNiilHilliKloiHllliEiSßlßllsPnßßliHi ■ ■ M -A111 ItllHlH I IN ill II Kil 1111111 i I lUI H IralliillwWA a r!8BB rIHrTT USaBHI w Hh S H arSBST 0 A WBW rMB ■mmb liilllls IBhIKbRh «■■ ■ ’ts ' \ * ' -—’ MflAk. \ / As .LUBRA. _di iQMi sffi EW Mre uB» sgF '. ■ ' . ■■ ■ / STUCKY & CO. ( l ‘ " ' .■ ■ « . \ MONROE, INDIANA i ■ - ■■ ... 1 \ r - r >6 ■HI gaMs& <Y <1 ■ i h|H - Jej .J’eare... ; |H h // ' S"i ■■ more we pause to welcome ■ J | ? to our heart; the spirit of this blessed season. / ' / Miy it renew the great / warmth of reverent love in the hearts Hr- W °f a H men, and may this ■ W W . Wu £g Christmas Day herald the fulfillment ■ our p ra y ers f° r i°y A peace to all our brothers — throughout the world. A J* ■ ti ... JB®Si ERL B! JfMciHßi*'*? We Wish To Thank'You For Your Past Patronage . and Wish You L " Z | ' ■' ' ’ “■•- 1 . , A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year I STEFFEN IMPLEMENT CO. - ■ ■ ‘- " ' . ■ ': " " / ~! ' r . '4 I--/ ... ." ■ _ ■"■ ■ ■ • ' I . Ii • ' ■ ' , ’ >■ - 'F. . 4 -A -A I — — .

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