🔔 Christmas bells 🔔

The year 1861 was a sad year for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
In the month of July his wife, Fanny, who he dearly loved,
had been sealing a keepsake lock of their daughter’s hair in wax,
when a gust of wind blew through the window causing her
dress to catch fire.

Longfellow severely burned his face and hands, attempting to
save her, but her burns were so severe she died the next day.
In the year 1864 his son was injured in the Civil war.
Christmas of that year, in despair he wrote this famous carol –
‘I heard the bells on Christmas day’
“And in despair I bowed
my head

there is no peace on earth I said
for hate is strong and mocks the song
of peace on earth, good will to men”
He had good reason to question if there
would ever be peace for him
But then this great poet wrote these words of cheer –

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead nor does He sleep, the wrong
shall fail, the right prevail
with peace on earth, good will to men”