"Heap on more wood!" wrote Sir Walter Scott. "The wind is chill; But let it whistle as it will, We'll keep our Christmas merry still." The poet, in his wisdom, knew the secret of Christmas magic that the child does not yet grasp. This season, the darkest of the year, isn't merry unless we make it so. Christmas isn't one of those magic tricks that loses all its power once you see how it's done. You learn, as you grow older, that making this holiday happen is a simple matter of hard work. And you are amazed to discover, each year, that the magic of the season endures and even deepens.

We are most grateful, this morning, for all our neighbors who understand the secret of this season and have worked so hard to make our Island Christmas a merry one.