14 N20 SRS awe 
“Heare on Earth’ 
BY LILLIAN L. NUNN 
SHORE 
Boe OR ae 
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The tramp wandered from the 
busy main thoroughfare into a 
smaller street and had _ perhaps 
walked for ten minutes, not know- 
ing where he was going, and to tell 
the truth not caring. He had no 
aim in life,—that was very plain. 
Ile felt cold—and shivered as the 
wind seemed to follow him every- 
where; his clothes were very thin 
and threadbare. <A door opened; 
it was evidently a church as people 
were wandering in. Anyway, 
thought the tramp, it looks warm 
in there, and certainly costs nothing 
to get in; so he went. He pre- 
sented a strange appearance in 
that elegant church, as he sank into 
the corner of a very obscure seat. 
The choir rose; he lstened, but 
was hardly conscious of what they 
sang. He only knew it was a 
Christmas carol of some description. 
The minister advanced and com- 
menced his sermon. To anyone 
listening it was a beautiful dis- 
course. But not one word did the 
tramp hear. 
He was going over his life in his 
mind, and this is the picture he 
saw. A happy boy brought up in a 
happy home, fond parents watching 
over him. Early life was one of 
happiness. 
but there was pleasure with it. He 
was employed in a bank where he 
was rapidly advanced both in posi- 
tion and wages. Then came the 
happiest day of his life—the day 
he led the one girl in the world to 
the altar. His married life was 
very happy until—vyes, the fault 
was his, all his. The wine cup and 
gay company had meant his down- 
fall. 
He thought of it all as he sat 
there, and the memories were very 
bitter. The minister was_ still 
speaking, but the man was now 
warm and comfortable — something 
he had not been for months. He 
slept, but of a sudden, he was 
startled. What was that the minis- 
ter was saying once again: ‘‘Unto 
us a child is given.’’ Oh! that 
brought back that last night in his 
Of course he worked,. 
once happy home. The child, a lit- 
tle boy of three, bright and beauti- 
ful, came running to meet him on 
such a night as this, five years ago. 
He had been drinking and had lost 
all his week’s wages. The child 
wanted to know something of Santa 
Claus. The father raised his hand 
and the child fell with one erash to 
the floor, down that long flight of 
stairs. Then followed the con- 
fusion, the doctor, his wife’s white 
drawn face, and these words, ‘‘He 
may live, but he will never walk 
again.’”’ His» work! And_= on 
Christmas eve! One look at his 
poor wife’s face, and he left the 
house. 
From that time on he became an 
outcast, wandering from one city to 
another, until at this time after five 
years, fate had brought him back 
to his native town. The choir rose 
for the closing anthem, and sang 
clearly and sweetly: 
‘“‘Hark! the herald angels sing, 
Glory to the new-born king; 
Peace on earth and mercy mild 
God and sinners reconciled.’’ 
That last line ran in his mind 
over and over again. Finally the 
sexton touched him on the shoulder 
—he looked up; the church was 
empty, he must- go. But where, 
where had the entire congregation 
gone, all those people? Why home, 
of course. But could he go home? 
He would try, anyway, for had not 
the choir sang ‘‘God and_ sinners 
reconciled.’’ 
Hastening along the streets he 
came to what had at one time been 
his home. He saw a _ light, and 
knocking at the door he waited 
breathlessly. The door was opened 
by a young lad on ecrutches.. Look- 
ing into the room he saw his wife 
bending over some sewing that 
must be done that night. So this 
was how his loyal wife had _ sup- 
ported herself and child during all 
these years. She looked up and 
rushed toward him. ‘‘John,’’ she 
cried, ‘‘how happy I am to have 
you home for Christmas.’’ The lad 
leaning on his crutches with one 
hand on his father’s shoulder, the 
other hand in his mother’s, shed 
tears of happiness for his Christmas 
gift. Not a word was spoken. 
When, as the clock finished strik- 
ing the hour of twelve, the chimes 
in the neighboring cathedral sound- 
ed: 
‘““Hark the herald angels sing, 
Glory to the new-born king; 
Peace on earth and mercy mild 
God and sinners reconciled.’’ 
There was at least one little fam- 
ily to whom the herald angels sang 
with the deepest meaning, ‘‘God 
and sinners reconciled,’’ for there 
had been a reconciliation, and in 
this case it meant happiness and a 
family reunion. 
Increasing Dividends in Savings 
Bank Life Insurance 
With 5500 policyholders and 
more than $2,000,000 of insurance 
in force, Savings Bank Life In- 
surance is proving the soundness 
and efficiency of its methods by de- 
claring increasing dividends to its 
policyholders. 
Dividends have just been de- 
clared by the Insurance Depart- 
ments of the Whitman Savings 
Bank, Whitman; and the People’s 
Savings Bank, Brockton. . 
The dividends on the monthly 
premium policies, at the end of the 
first year, amount to 8 1-3 percent; 
and in the fourth year reach 16 2-3 
percent. This is the equivalent of 
two full monthly premiums. 
The dividends on the annual 
premium policies have been largely 
increased over those declared a 
year ago, and now average from 9 
to 11 percent on the yearly pre- 
mium on the straight life policies; 
from 8 to 9 percent on the 20 pay- 
ment life policies; and from 6 1-2 
to 8 1-2 percent on the 20-year en- 
dowment policies. 
These dividends have been de- . 
clared by the Banks only after a 
careful and _ conservative  safe- 
guarding of the business of the In- 
surance Departments. The full le- 
gal reserve, as required by law, has 
been set aside on all policies, and 
besides, a surplus is maintained in 
each Bank amounting to over 20 
percent of the legal reserve. 
The growing interest in this 
movement on the part of the Sav- 
ings Banks is shown by the fact 
that three Savings Banks now have 
Insurance Departments and_ that 
thirteen other Savings Banks have 
become public agencies for Savings 
Bank Life Insurance. 
