The Holidays can be a depressing time for people who are in time of personal loss. There is perhaps no better illustration than this story about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. If you can imagine a loving Victorian era family at home deciding to take a lock of their youngest childs hair to seal with candle wax as a memento and suddenly her dress ignites in flames from the candle wax. Longfellow embraced her and fell to the floor to extinguish the flames. She died from the wounds and the poet suffered grief. Then came the Civil War, and the Logfellows nursed a son who was wounded in the war.

"Christmas Bells" is written during wresting with dark feelings. It became the beloved hymn "I Heard the Bells of Christmas" with the removal of the two verses with direct reference to the war. Here it is in its entirety.

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

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!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"