, 1870-04-17


1t was too bad, wasn't 1t, and how like .
fright you looked all the time! But, Welcome
Easter. Sound all the fddlea. Take OF the
mutes, no more Lob der Ihrnnen, but some
joyful scherzo, full Of abandon
Voiat
So vo gol Hero to-day. there tomorrow:
Smiles here, tears there. Buds yesterday, and
snow to-day. Right round in q circle, and
each carries its oWn compensation with it; for
the Hthere" viii be "here" nFaiu. and the
little rainbows in the tearB tell Of the coming
smiles, and tie Hnow Is only q warm coyerid
for the germs underneath.
And one new hat for Eastern morn is an
eternity Of comfort for the austerities OF Lont.
wonder what Easter Sunday would be without
that new hat and cloak How pretty the slips,
which have been Quakerish 80 long, look with
the colors that blossom from the chancel to
the choir loft! The tickle fairy OF fashion
waves her magic wand over them. Exit Cali
stubb1e, bare trees, aud rustling aeed pods, y
whole garden OF flowers blossoming in beauty,
and gAi1y shaking their perfumed beads In tho
nipple Of the april bEeezes-
To be able not only to enjoy ona's own
after the manner Of the lilies Of the deld-a
good ways after-but to have whole parterre
Of new toilettes before you! The b1ief time
between Jubiate snd Doxology is worth 8
Whole day in Field l. Letters Here you have
the t'is;" there the "to be.r Hers you ex-
peEience fact; there yo9 indulge in q finan-
fruition. There is the sadness Of aspiration; !;
here is the gladness OF possession.
Yesterday, in the west, there was dull,
leaden drift of c1ouds, from which the rain
drizzled remo1se1esaly down. I look ont Of
my window as ! write, and there is solitary
cloud, set IN tho g1eenish-b}ue enamel. and
match f6A 11oEa
az II the sun bad struck tho clouds photo
grnph there. Lent and Easter, you Sec
50 now tho gsy procession ales out from its
cells into the world, into the ruut and the
reve1, the purity and the passion. the rush and
the vhirl. the intrigue and tha chance, whilo
come singing down w I'll I'LL t Taye 4sd AID staad At
the corner and watch them pass, and Tondsr
try to peer through the nlaaks to SEQ what is
behind them. For certainly Clown VAS not in
his antics yesterday, neither did Harlequin
caper, nor Pantaloon tumble, nor Columbine
bewitch with her mnte grace ndaashing arms
This Dogia, yesterday, WAS ss meok as dove
ess- Cieopatras eyes wero not Lit up with uil-
lo1x fires and Juliet would have lived rather
than died for Romeo
And aa hear tho ringing Of bells, and the
blowing Of tumpets, and See the banners fly
ing. and the SAT co1ors flashing il tho sun
L
l would not say it to the nasques,.-n they
havnt been enacting 3 farce II eternity
hangs upon fab for one day, why not for all
days? II only 1enti1s grow BY the roadside in
one instalment Of tho journey, Why not all
along the narrow path2
all laughing in your sleeves through Lent, and
il you did not make Peter pay tribute to Paul,
and II the poor devil was not led hard chase
round the stump7 And wonder Il you will
be any better for The penance? Will yon not
plunge into the 1ecklezsnees Of fnvoAty just
as eagerly this year Is you did last? Will you
not chase after the bubble, no matter upon
what you are treading, although you know tho
hubble will burst the momont ron touch it,
and leave you to reflect upon your Buasy
fingers, just as foolishly this season as list?
Of course you viii, my dear Creatures.
nature the world over, and that Ill the fasting,
and peuance, and straight Jackets in the world
arc drawing it up like i rubber string only to
ly into the farthest extreme when the power
is removed that holds it. Only keop your
heart brave, md strong, and true, my dear,
you will settle back into the right place:
And standing here in my corner, looker-on
as You 70 BIZ, send after you all manner Of
good wiahes and God-speeds; you to your
! great happiness, and you to your great misery,
for, nayhap, this pretty faco will be dulled
| with passion, and these bright eyes viii rain
heights Of happiness, and that one descend to
depths of w1atcAeduess, for 30 the world goes,
and would 20, we're it Lent from January to
Janua1y, OF Easter from spring-ti1 to spring
time.
aFor behold, show you mystery" Dur
ing these bright sunslliny days have watched
nv lilac bush With constant delight I Saw
the little brown e1crescences on its branches
take shape, and deepen from brown to green.
I eaw these little green punches, no bigger
than the pearls on your finger, grow into
clusters. I ssw. The clusters begin to shoot
out promises Of leaves: And, yesterday after
and White blossoms which would soon fill the
air with fragrance, and harbinger tho advent
of the beautiful sisterhood OF spring and
summers flowers. And this morning, when
looked at my bush, it was blossoming full Of
white roses; roses without fragrance, but as
had resolved into green cha1ice, And into this
challce the snow had fallen and h1led it to the
brim and 1nT poor rose bush underneath 1t,
which has hnrdly yet got strength enough TO
chow sny signs Of life, looked mortified and
crestfallen. Thus, shall have two czops Of
flowers on my bush in enc season-
It seems to me that this fall Of snow WAS
particularly beautiful. It WIS Buch surprise.
It came down 80 suddenly, 80 quietly, and 80
myetetiously. It WAS q little storm, perhAps,
which Ind struggled array from the main army
Of winter, and, ike lost, tired bird, was glad
to drop anywhere. There was no tonch Of
Hinters stetnness in it. It WAS 80 harmless
that the leat-clusters could hold it without any
danger to their tender green. It Was 80 deli
cate that an hours sun could dlssipate It. Il
cyen brought warmth and nouriahment with it
for the gerns. For just few hours in the
devices On the trees and roof-tops. Just few
hours it lay upon the little graves in Gods
Acre, only that The green grass and flowers
might sooner weave their bfoidery above the
sleePers.
ttting finale to It, and wonder that all those
who we're 50 bent upon being wretched didn't
20 to see it. think if there ever Was anything
In the world which would condnce to make
w1atchedneHz mora mretchod, it wns '' Esther" !"
It was magnifeenlE weak and sublimely harm
lcss. I can easier conceive how infants might
p1ny 81 Macbeth" than adults play Esther" "
I think that the same brilliant genius which
adapted @ Esther" for an orchestra and the
dramatic stage might now 60 to work upon
- Mary HID Little Lamb with auccess-
This song, I contend, has just as much dra-
matte interest as the Il Esther" cantata. The
The violins With soft blcatings of lambs on the
bassoous. The pastoral effects would be I'M
me4se, ron sec. and how e1quisite1y the story
Of Dopeep's sheep coming home, bringing their
tails behind them, could be pictured on cabinet
organs. And as the adapter has not hesitated
to lug in Handels " Dead March" into g Esth-
er." lie might further improve upon this by in
PRODUCING Handel'a 'He Leadeth his Flock"
into the Il Mary overture. The role Of Mary
might be sung On alternate nights By different
einEers, which would give variety to the tender
mess and beauty OF tic character. A realistic
effect might be made By introducing the larab
On The stage, rs the Minstre1s introduced the
i've donkey IN " Mazeppa." II live one
could not be found, hind quarter Of spring
lamb might do, and could be served up after
Warls with green peas for the soloieta- land
then Whit IN act could be made Of tho Bchool
scene. With the gentle beast wandering mp and
down the room, dodEing the ruler which tho
irruIiated master is hurGng at him, flling the
air With gentle bleating while the children are
laughing and plsying, and Mary sits at the
desk with her head buried in her check apron,
and her !" head bowed down with weight Of
woe" expressed BY pianissimo playing the
" Elegy Of Tears" on the trombones, the
whole winding up with = grand conce1ted
effect, in which Mary shrieks to piccolo
accompaniment and swoons, the rest Of the
scholars singing in discords, and the MASTER at
the footlights singing tho Victoria" chorus
from HFrs DiAvo1o, waving the American flag