Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 26, Number 41, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 4 April 1896 — Page 3

'CIlGGETT'S EASTER.

[Copyright, 1806, by the Aitfaor.}

ishif'-.: a—

R. CLAG6ETT wm a fresh importation at oar hoarding bouse. How our landlady oame by him I 'never knew, bnt there he was, s.

yawfcwardly eat log with *hla

though he wasn't used to It, talking to everybody as though be had known them •for years, making a merry little bluff of ••Who's afraid?" and having terror anil hayseed written all over his middle aged, -•craggy, rx^al countenanee.

I concluded be wan "a character," and 'being one of ''them newspaper fellers," as he termed it, was immediately interested in Clagftott as so much marketable material for the columns of the dailytpaper. I offered tc show Mm the sights, and he joyfully accepisd.

He wanted to go first) to the theaters. I expected to have some'fur the flzsfcidghtt

but instoad ho juefc sa£ still nnd devoured the performance. Whon it was over, he remarked oalmly: "Waal, 'twan't near so bad as I expected."

It was thon my turn to bo amazed. I bad supposed it would be a great doal worse than bo had expeotod. "Sooms real tough, though," he added tefleotlvely, "that nloe, purty girls like ihet are probably all on 'em bad." "Bad I" I exolalmod, quite horrified. "Why,.they are not." And I rallied to tho dofenso of the stage and the ladies of the profession. •'Waal, I alius heerd tell thoywerV was his dlsoouraging comment after I had finished my burst of eloquenoe.

I was sorry to see after this that Mr. Olaggett developed a morbid taste for investigating tho lowest haunts in the city, including opium joints and danoo saloons, fie soemed determined to find something real bad.

One Sunday morning wo were walking down town together. It's pretty hard for a

defenseless wom

an in this town, the men are so all fired bad," observed Mr. Olaggett. "You mustn't think," I protested, "that Now York men are all fionds that they all delight in pouncing upon defenseless lnnooenoe and dragging its white wings in the mire. Sometimes they actually go out of tholr Why to help lnnooenoe and koep it out of the mire. But those littlo affairs they don't talk much about, and they don't got In tho papers. "I've a good mind to tell you a little experience of mine—yes, I will tell you. You ought to beset right in somethings," I added a bit defiantly. "You were coming down to the offloe /1th me anyway, .weren't you?"

V'Yes. Want to see one o' them big Vspaper butldin's 'fore I go baok." _8t then we turned into Fifth avenue, rvaal, what's gain on? A peroesslon or asked Mr. Claggett excitedly. «fo, this id nothing. Only the usual

If! going to ohuroh. You see, I haven't Ytten it's Sunday morning if I he.v« to go to work," 1 answered. "My I look at them women with real aat'ral posies on 'em," as some elegantly attlrad belles wearing huge bunches of violets swept past. "It's Easter Sunday, you know." "EasterI" he said, slackening his pace, *nd then again in a low, husky tone: ••Easter! So it is. "I uster alius oolor eggsforthe children —tied 'em up in oaliker, you know, an b'iled 'em. There ain't any children to do it for now"— "Have you lost them?" I asked. "Yes, lost 'em. There wus a boy an a girl, an 1 lost 'em both."

The old fellow spoke in a low tono without any dramatlo tremble in his voloe, but as I looked in his faoe there was something there strangely out of tune with the rustle of silks, the bunches of violets and] the JoyouRnoss of Raster that seemed every where. It was not the resignation that looked toward the risen Christ. It was a hardness at 1 bitterness that found no hope or consolation. ''Perhaps you'd like to go in one of ths churchoC said. "The flowers will bt worui st drjr. nnd the music is sure to be flue. Yuu come down to the offloe an* other v, '••No. I "i r.nro f*»r their fiowensaa their ten*:?* .r ihw Uummery. If I could be ju !'tl «,.t rt?a-oolorln them eggs. NV hs *Vv! l?n*rlly. as though ashamed of ha* 'My some feeling, "I'd ruth»r a there trlsh yoa, an I •rant you to tc me story." .......

la tSe office^ I be-

WheH'W6 trad it g&n: "It was like thla, see: One night I was-coming home about 13 o'clock from the offloe. I had go* tiff the oars and bad tnrned Into my street, when a girl, who had been walking along slowly, suddenly oame np to me and stopped, looking In my

face with a~»Drt of mute appeal. I was about to brush past her when she caught at my arm. 'Ob, sir,'' she cried out, 'I haven't a place to etedj* tonight! I—I thought I'd rather die than beg, so I oame out on the street, and

T've

fork as

walked and walked till

now, and I can't go on any longer. I—I don't know what to do.' 'See here, my girl,' I Bald. 'Ton seem honest. You don't seem used to this sort of thing. I'll find you a night's lodging la a respectable hotel. Then tomorrow if you want work come to me at my office, and I'll try fc^find you something to da' "1 took her to a hotel and paid for a room for tier and left her, thinking I'd very likely never see her again, but her face looked so sweet and fair I couldn't have lone differently anyway. '"Well, the next day she came and begged 'for work. She told me her story, and I laaust say I pitied her. "She had run away from "home to go on the Btage. A young fellow in a traveling company had lured her away. She thought he was honestly Interested in her ambitions, instead of which he was a rascal, who wanted hor only for himself. She was so innocent -she nerer suspected bis evil designs till lis got her far away from home. Then sheleft him and tried to find an opening on the stage for herself.

It was the old sbory-of struggle and failure. Her money gave out, and homeless and penniless she had gone that night on the streets for the first timo. It was that or the river. Sod be thanked, I found her in timel" "Why didn't she go home to her father?"

asked ^Ir. Claggetf^ abstractedly balancing a penoil on tlio Inkstand. "She didn't dare to. Ho had told her when Bho went away never to come in his sight again." "JHard,r^d flend," muttered Mr. Olaggett. ViW, I, hor mother"—* "She hasn't any." "Oh! Wnal, what's her name?" "Evelyn Gray. I believe it Is a stage name. Not hor right one." "Whero is she now?" "Doing typewriting for me." "Want to know. S'pose you'll be marryln her next?" "No, sir. There's & young man back there in the old home. She fears he is re-

AtmAjr j«aMK8X.8HE BKTERKD.

lentless, like her father, but I believe bei heart Is there. "S'pose she -never wants to see that old devil of a father again.'' "Yes, she does. She'd give her eyes to have him take her baok. Poor little girl! Poor little girl!"

Just then a voloe outside the door said "Is Mr. Maynard here? I've brought him this copy. Please give it to him

l*By

Jove!" I said. "There she is now I" "Couldn't I just get a look at her?" asked Claggett. "Now, see here,** I protested, "you're getting too fly. You'd better go back home."

At that moment she entered. Claggett started as though he'd been shot. Then he pat oat his arms with the single cry, "Elviry!"

The girl turned very white then she sprang into those open arms and went sobbing on his breast. "FatherI" she said. "Do you want me home?" "Ain't I here to takeyoa there?" be answered very gently as be awkwardly smoothed the hair away from her brow. "An there's Dan"— "Yes, Dsn," she faltered. "Waal, Dan, he'sa-waitlnana-bopln"— "Fatherl"

She gave a little glad cry and went down again on his breast. It was Indeed Easter, test love is the fulfilling of the law. At.mm s.

Impoverished blood causes feeling. Hood's riches and vitalises the blc vigor and vitality.

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EASTER PHILOSOPHY

LEGENDARY ASSOCIATIONS OF THE QUEEN OF CHRISTIAN FESTIVALS.

Hov the Simple and Practical Teaching* of Jmu Have StMnifled Into a Complex Structure of Theory ud Of|Ml mttoo.

Kutnr Customs.

[Copyright, 1886, by the Author.]

THE three great festivals of the Christian oh uroh Easter is celebrated with a splendor scarcely less than Christmas. Each year, too, it grows in public esteem and beoomes more closely

associated with social and religious observance. On the other band, Whitsuntide, perpetuating the Pentecostal miracle of the gift of tongues, once nnder the old papal regime, crowned with quite as muob ceremony and romance, has been greatly shorn of Its dignity. The skill of human artifice, by which the teaching of Jesus, so simple, practical and pellucid, has ramified into such a complex structure of theory and organization is more wonderful than any marvel of steel and iron. The one has harnessed the spirit the other matter. The record of either is a more fascinating story than any ohapter of wholesale slaughter from Nebuohadnezzar to Napoleon. These and all like then) have been sent to grass, while the splendors of religious conquest shine with increasing glory

and have shot their tentaoles througE all the parts of the sooial body. Nowhere do we find a better example of the subtle polioy by which Christianity has subju-

Suman

ated the most intelligent sections of the race than in the institutions known as its holidays. While the growth of tbese was in part spontaneous it was further guarded by tlie wisdom of tho serpent as well as by the innocence of the dove.

It was inevitable that tho birth of the founder of Christianity should beoome a celebration of paramount Importance. There was no olew to the exact day nor the month nor even the season In which the "Prlnoe of Peace," to use the modt beautiful of all the titles of Jesus, wus born into this wicked, bloodthirsty humanity of ours. At different times in the very early period it was supposed to be about the middle of September, from t'ne 1st to the 6th of January, and again about at the time of the vernal equinox. Fina.ly the orimitive fathers manufactured a suitable date, whioh would oonneot the event indlssolubly with the religious naturalism and symbolism of the pagan world, there by disarming opposition and linking the Christian faith with the whole continuity of religious belief. The time of the winter solstice witnesses the very earliest renaissance of dead nature. Then the sun begins his northward journqy, which is to •end in the fervor and exuberance of summer. That was the period of the Roman saturnalia, when universal peaoe and good will relaxed the iron discipline of sooiety wherever the imperial eagles were planted. Then the Druids, crowned with mistletoe and holly, performed the most sacred sacrifices of the year in the depths of the forest. Then the Teutonic pagans lit great fires, and for a week worshiped with a sort of mad jubilee at the altar of the sun god, Balder. The phHosophy of adopting this most universal and joyous of all heathen festivals as the period of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ is at once apparent. It helped to make the heathen at home in their new religious olothes.

The date of Easter, commemorating the resurrection from the grave of the crucified Saviour, needed no such selective and arbitrary cLoice. Its motive, being the final climax and oonsecration of Christ's mission in the minds of his followers, was not less thrilling and significant than that erf his birth. From the earliest period of eoolesiastioism it was endowed with the most gorgeous pomp and attire of outward devotion. The church then smiled benignly on its devotees, bade them dan"e to the sound of pipe and tabor, enjoined the wearing of the freshest garments as if going to a bridal and permitted the feee enjoyment of all reasonable fleshly as well as of spiritual delights. As one of the fathers of the ohuroh quaintly observed, "For as by this day all flesh was raised from its swinish defoolmeut, to be cleansed in a spiritual fountain, so all its delights do become innocent and of sweet savor to the children of God." This was before the day when savage austerity and hate of tbe harmless things of the body were made by ohurohly teaching the highest evolution of the saintly life.

The Biblical reoord, of course, fixed the date by its association with tbe Hebraic passover. Whatever oooftfovargy there grew out of it was narrowed within certain definite bounds net connected with any uncertainty as to time. Yet this tempest in a teapot embroiled all Christendom for hundreds of jean and Is today one of the cardinal points at dfflswujua between tbe Greek and Roman churches. It may be expressed In a nutshell. Tbe early Christians promptly adopted the symbol*

TEHBE HAUTE SATURDAY EVENING MAIL, APRIL 4, 1896. 3

ism of the situation. Christ was the true Paschal Lamb, prefigured in the animal sacrifloe of the ancient passover feast. So the Christian passover was the resurrection, and the commemoration of the season fixed itself by the analogy. Those churches of the first century most closely Hebraic in their sympathies followed the old rite exactly—that is, made the oelebration on the 14th day of the first month, being the lunar month of whioh the 14th day either falls on or next follows the vernal equinox. But the western Christian calendar attached more importance to the fact that Christ arose from the dead on Sunday, the first day of the week, and so they celebrated Easter on the Sunday following the 14th day of the moon of March. From this slight rent widened a great ohasm, and the question of discipline finally hardened into one of dogma. After three oenturies of battle the majority of the churches aocepted the'rule announoed by the oouncil of Nioe in 835, which allowed for the differences between the Jewish and Julian calendars. This constitutes the rule of the ohuroh today, so that the Easter festival ranges between the possibilities of March S3 and April 85. So much for ohronology dressed up Into a theological puppet, about whioh dlsoiples of the Prince of Peace imprecated the terrors of endless hell on each other's heads for more than three oonturi&s I As Christmas gradually crystallized about itself other beautiful myths which had flowered out of heathendom, so likewise Easter. The period of the vernal equinox, the beginning of the true or astronomical »pring, was one of religious observance and rejoioing in all the religions which Cbristiauity supplanted in Europe as well as In the east. The name of Easter indeed was adopted from that of the Teutonic goddess of spring, Ostera, or Eastre. The new Christmas brought with them the joound thoughts and associations inherited from the more beautiful side of the old paganry,

and these ware wisely aocepted and assim Hated. Tho meetings of the elves in their Sedgy rings on Easter eve (there was salvation even f^r them) the danolng of the sun in the sky (who will not recall those lovely verses of quaint old Sir John Suok ling entitlod "The Bride," among whioh wefindthe.se:

Easter customs are not widely divergent in different parts of Christendom. Tbe Greek church, however, particularly its Russian branch, still retains the once universal salutation of Easter day between all those meeting In or out doors—"Christ is rison," with the response, "He is risen indeed," and a resounding kiss. In Russia tbe beggarly tramp is entitled to this, if the ohanoe oocurs, from the empress herself. T»ie use of the oolorod pasch, or pace egg, often elaborately ornamented, is everywhere prevalent, originally signifying the bursting of the year from its egg in the beauty of spring. The lovely dame or maid whr delights the masculine eye in new gown and bonnet on Easter Sunday scarcely Imagines herself doing just what the ancient Teutonic woman did, who was enjoined by religious oustom to dance around the bonfires of Easter in a newly woven woolen tunio.

Much more might be cited about the bistorio and legendary association of this queen of Christian festivals. But enough has been said to indicate how it has drawn to itself sap and lustiness of life from facts and foroes akin to Its original tbonght, and with what consummate polioy organised Christianity has selected building material ont of the wreck and debris of religions which onoe enslaved the imagination of man Geo. T. Fkbhis.

Mrs. Mary E. Lease, of Kansas, will not engage regularly in pulpit wor|: for two years. She has a year's lecture engage-, ments to fill, and after that will make a trip aronnd tbe world, delivering her first foreign lecture in Glasgow on the invitation of Keir Hardie, the noted socialist.

as*** asy to Take asy to Operate

Are features peculiar to HoofB PIDs. 8mal] in Vze, tastetess, eOefent, thorough. As one man

said: You never know you bare taken a pfB tQl It is all «*sr/» Be. a Hood ft Ott, Proprietors, LoweS, Mass Tbe only pais to take with Hood's 8asspaifHa.

Tel. 80.

N. B.

And, oh, she dances such a way K'wua upon an Easter day Is naif so fine .a sight I)

the gifts and games of colored eggs and a hundred othor charming beliefs and ous toms which got imbedded in tho popular mind, sometimes varying, too, with different localities—all these were Inherited by Christianity as the heir-at-law of the world's anteoedent estate, religious and social. The connection of tbe lily with Easter, on the other hand, tbe consecration of this flower as a resurrection emblem, seems to have no root In the old, but to belong to the new spiritualism of Christ, as representing best in th9 flower kingdom tho ideal of stainless purity, con joined with stateliness of form and beauty of llna

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