The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-09 00:00:00

EASTER HOLIDAYS.

Fos the last three days we have been sejoyieg
real spring weather. At this season Belgravia is
comparatively deserted ; and it is only on Baster
lidnday that the holidays of the other classes ot Lau-
do.) society begin. The more genial temperature has
therefore as yet added little to the gaiety and brilliancy
of our streets and perks. The mild zephyrs have
not, however, remained without a welcome. Ou
Saturday, the number of Bath-chairs in Kensington-
gatdens, the Zoo!ogicsl•gardsns, and solos others of
•' the lunge of London," was remarkable. Invalids
who duriug the whole of the long, sharp winter had
not once ventured out of doors, were attracted forth
to breathe the milder air. There was something
inexpressibly touching in the spectacle. These
poor human swallows were worth all the
graceful darters across the blue dome who
are( the proverbial harbingers of summer. Their
appearance was beautifully typical of the anniver-
sary of the great sacrifice consummated by Han who,
at the Pool of Bethesda, bade the impotent man take
up jiis bed and walk. Inanimate nature seemed to
be emulating the benevolence of its Creator while it
brelithed a new life into many a frame wasted by
long sickness, and inspired the mind which tenanted
it with an interval of something that almost ap-
proached to joy—with a livelier faith that even suffer-
ing' is meant to work out ultimately higher and more
enditring happiness for humanity.

It is not every year that the weather of Easter
Wrik harmonises so perfectly with the sentiment of
the festival then celebrated, io this capricious climate
of dare, or in the North of Europe generally. And
yet if the Poets —the*. met trustworthy chroniclers

Of the eesbou,—may be believed, the cherac.a.—_
the 'reek are, on the average of years, found to be
pretty much what we have this year observed. These
characteristics are mirrored with au exquisite charm
in the opining scenes of Gornit's "Faust," and with
equal iotenbity of beauty in our own CHAUCER'S pro.
loges to his " Canterbury Tales." It is indeed a de-
hateable season (in the sense in which the Scotch and
Eneish borders wets once Galled " the debateable
land"), is which Winter and Summer contend peren-
Wally for the mastery. Sometimes Winter retain,
for .a longer period his stern grasp on the
young year ; sometimes Summer rescues it from
his clutch before its time. Goma has hit the
character of the season toe nicety, when he describes
the 4tscotefited Winter as occasionally sending hail
showers into it, like skirmishing parties, to re-assert
his efpire, which, however, are soon dissolved by
Semoier ; and, again, when he quaintly adds that,
swim! there are as yet no dowers in the meadows,
Nat+ lures cot human crowds in their holiday
garble sauntering along field ways and over stiles, as
substitutes fur them. And here again that chastened
Panes, which disports itself moat freely in periods of
tranquil enjoyment, finds an analogy between the
wool and the overpowering events with which it is
associated is the minds of Christians. The two
greattfestivals of the Christian Church are Christ-
mas ;cid Easter. The former is celebrated amid
the &spent, death-like sleep of Nature. It
seems as if the Earth had been muffled in
scow in order that no earthly mad might prevent
the asycions listeners from hearing the approaching
tread /A the incarnate Deity. Now, on the chotrary,
the giber shoot' penetrating through the loog tangled
masses of last yeat's dead and bleached grass, the
*karat' buds about to expand into leaves, the pale
snowdrops and faint crocuses, Antilop of our pr.
den dcwers, all speak of the re-ascension of the sap
in plaids and trees, and of the more genial atmo-
sphere, whom; isfiessoe has set it in motion; and this
re-swiking of vegetable life is typical of the moral
re-awaking through the great consummating eacrifise,
the memory of which we now celebrate.
The. is a want of wisdom le exacting from Imes a
sontinnoss, enintermittiug striving to keep up de-
votional sentiments, and devotional trains of theaght,
throughout the whole period of a religions analver-
eery. Paresis, worthy of the name, are net the
lass pleased to watch the gambols of their shillala ea
bemuse they know that the imps is the
flood.tide sf plesesd eneitemeat forget at later►
tko very mistimes of their revered fathers sad
motbeks. And skull we dare to picture the

win, the ALL-000 D, the ALL-POWIIIII7L as less
benevoleet sad in-selfish than mew flesh and bleed P
There is teeth is the dialogs' whisk *Maxi MlA-
hates to • French peasant sad Meisel; when the
former says that the innocent mirth of hie chileireit
dancing after sniper appear" to Ms the best its .
that unlearned peasants dm retire to s hist Pao=
vinsicm; and the letter addi, "or a learned prelate
either." Let sot this remerk,bewever,be construed into
a frivolous denial of the valued frequent indulgence in
sore deeply-seated and solemn emotions. Even
though the light-t famed may is the mune of to-day
'ive themselves op entirely for &time to the coseeious-
nese of hangnail, that very happiness will be purer
and more perfect if it has been preceded by musing
on the iseosta.iose of the season. And the enjoy-
ments most in harmony with such reflections are
those of am intellectual or imaginative character
which are sow supplied in and around our metropolis
la unprecedented abundance. For those who cannot
venture far from hones we have the British Museum,
the National Gallery, the Zoological Ciardetis, our
parka, and various artistica' exhibitions. For those
who ars able to go a-field, we have Hampton-court
and the Crystal Palace, Richmond and Greenwich-
parks. We are not, however, so pedantic as to
insist that the body should be altogether forgotten,
while the mind is catered for. With all due defer-
ence to our more ascetic friends, we patronise the
theatres, and, let the Temperance Society say what
it will, we approve of moderate repasts, washed down
with a moderate allowance of good wholesome liquor.
The English are apt to flatter themselves that they are
a more moral people than their gay and gallant neigh-
bours across the Chasm& How comes it, thee, that
innocent

mirth and festivity is the predominant
haten of the holiday of French peasants and
artisans, while with the English, even of the educated
saiddirolasses, the social indulgence of a holiday is
as apt to degenerate into excess? Is it not that our
lameses are so intent upon telling us what we
seen nod to do, that they forget to tell us
what we allowably may, and what we ought
la II*? The negative morality of England is bat a
keine reed to lean upon. It leaves the mind anx-
iously brooding over pleasures which it is forbidden
to indulge in, and which are apt to appear the

more seductive for the want of other agreeable ideas
to divert attention from them. There is an intense
charm in devotional reflection, when properly pre-
sented to the apprehension, that attunes the mind,
and preserves it from gross vice, even when it appears
for the moment to be dismimed from the memory.
And when for minds thus prepared an ample supply
of imaginative and intellectual pleasure is provided,
the craving after grasser indulgence ceases to be felt.
—Daily New.