The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-03-24


will occur on Sunday. The word Easter is
derived from the Saxon festival at this per
iod of the year to the Goddess Easter. Eas-
ter Sunday, which closes Lent, varies each
year with the appearance of the moon
The first Sunday which occurs after the full
moon, subsequent to the 21st of March, Is
always Easter Sunday. During some years
it arrives early in April, as was the case last
year.
The use of Easter eggs dates far back in
the Middle Ages. Its origin is moi definite
ly known, but the inhabitants of Western
Europe are said to have borrowed 1t from
the Greek church. Their crimson coloring
is to represent the blood of Christ.
The following lines on easter Eggs"
were written by the late Captain Fitz James
O'Brien:
Trinity bells with their hollow lungs
And their vibrant lips and their brazen ton
CUES
Over the roofs of the city pour,
Their Easter music with Joyous roar,
Till The soaring notes to the sun are rolled,
AZ he swings along in his path of gold.
'Desrest a (" says my boy TO me,
As he merrily climbs ON has mothers knee,
''Why are these eggs that you see me hold,
Colored so finely with blue and Goldl
And what is the wonderful bird hat lays
Such beautiful eggs on Easter daysl"
Tenderly shine the April skies,
Like laughter and tears IN my child's blue
eyes,
Aud ovnrnr face in tho gfr,ak 10 nv
Why cloud this youngsters by saying nayl
So 1 cudgel my brains for the tale he begs
And tell him this story of Easter eggs
You have heard, my boy, of the man who
died,
Crowned with keen thorns and crucIfed;
And how Joseph the wealth-whom God
reward
Cared for the course of his martyred Lord.
And piously tombed it within the rock,
And closed the gate with a mighty block.
Now close by the tomb a fair tree grew,
With pendulous leaves and blossoms of blue,
And deep in the green trees shadowy breast
A beautiful singing bird sat on her nest,
Which was bordered with MOSES like mala-
chite,
And held four eggs of an ivory white.
Now when the bird from her dim recess
Behelc the Lord in his burial dress,
And looked on the Heavenly face so pale,
And the dear feet pierced with the cruel nail,
Her heart nigh broke with . sudden pang,
And out of the depths Of her sorrow she sang.
All night long, till the moon was up,
She sat and sang in moss-Wreathed cup,
A song of SORROW as wild and shrin
AS the homeless wind when it roams the
hill,
So full of tears-so loud and long,
That the grief of the world seem turned to
song,
But soon there came through the weeping
night
A glittering angel clothed in white;
And he rolled the stone from the tomb away,
Where the Lord of the Earth and Heavens
lay;
And in living lustre came from the tombl
Nov the bird that sat in the heart of Inc tree
Beheld this celestial mystery,
And its heart was filed with q sweet delight,
AndFt poured a song ON the ~throbbing night
Notes climbing notes, till higher, higher,
They shot to Heaven like spears of fire.
When the glittering white robed angel heard
Tae sorrowing song of the grieving bird,
And heard the following chant of mirth
That hailed Christ risen again on earth,
He said, 'fSweet bird, be forever blest-
Thyself, thy eggs, and moss wreathed nest. ="
And ever, my child, since that blessed night,
When death bowed down to the Lord of
Light,
The eggs of that sweet bird change their
hue,
And burn with red, and gold and blue,
Reminding mankind in their simple way,
OF the holy marvel of Easter Day.