New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-22
YESTERD1Y,S EASTER.

II was hard to keep LOwclPs fine line out or ones
head yesterday" Then if ever, come perfect days..
The air was alive and tremulOus with sunbeams and
tine sound of bells, while cOudless sky, brilliant
yet tender, seemed to preach its own sermon of the
infinite love of the entombment and the everlasting
triumph of the resurrection. Out from the open
doors of the churches through which the gayly
drckcd stream of worshpers had entereds that for
time the streets seemed deserted-came the swell
ing notes Of thanksgiving the thunder of the great
organs aud the consonaut voices of priest and peo-
pie, of men and women and children minglmg in the
mbilant chorus OF the season, or sinking into q
minor monotone Of duplication, the whispers Of
confession and the appeal for pity and for pardon.
ON such day. 1t was impossible to be coldlY sDecu-
Irtye about motives or snecrIngly uncharitable
Spite of all the friyolites of fashion, and the sense
Of routine and ritual spite of all its ghtsome fcs-
yal characteristics ii was certain that 10 countless
hearts there came sense of the mystery OF Easter
Sunday and n faith that death had no more
dominion over them" We see the JOY and We hear
the merry carols; we take note of the fresh
holiday attire; we observe the ceremonial Of
gladncss. as we noticed the ceremonial Of
gloom; yet we should he but shallow OBJ
servers and inoquitablo judges If we failed
to comprehend that these traditions and now an
cicnt forms and customs have not come down TO rs
by chance but represent the earncstness and the
faith Of the ages IL is the best that Lass, and 1t
lasts because il is TO the best that it appeals. There
are few great Christian fasts or fcasts which no
reformation or schIsm. no changes Of mems croods,
have been able to consign to gnominious neglect,
because they appeal to the universal human heart,
and meet the common human necessity. We must
Judge them by thcriagTcgate influence and result.
They are their own indicators, their own pcrpetu-
- 9 hot -gT for
beng and for remaining possession forever.
The satirst of course must nave his sour say IL
~ easy and 70 some natures gerInane TO sneer We
hear much OF the vanity Of display which Easter
sunday brings with it, of the butterfly tuumpns of
the milncr and the habrrdasber, and Of church,
going which is only an occasion OF o,teniat"n! is
# there were no chufchgoing except for the showing
of Of holiday gear! As if there could be any cam
wasting OF cousccnccs The worst and most iHso-
lent Judgment of society is that Of congratulations.
The faulty ol the many Is not to be dcduced from
the folly Of the few for is the best wisdom of the
many which has given the mere butterflies of Easter
the opportunity. Wccaunot pull down the churches
because small portion even large one, Of those
who frequent them do not do for the best Of
-ois; nor can We account for their building and
preservation by any theory that they are necessary
for public amusement or vain personal exhibition.
II WAS the sincere and earnest not the childish who
erected them.
These great Christian holidays would not be
much II they were only for people Of money or
fashion. Who could have failed to see, If he were
yesterday abroad, how the sidewalks were thronged
with the children of the poor. each little one rs de-
Gently araycd as maybe narrow circumstances
had permitted so that sometimes the struggle be-
tween poverty and honorable and alectionatc pride
was touchugly APPARENT We could well see that
there was many tenement, narrow and squahd,
to which the Gospel news had been carred-a sense
Of the diyinest of truths for consolation, for
parative elevation for due restraint of heart and
hand. Who knows from what all this has
saved or may save society," Only a little
while ago we saw the devil Of pride, of
jealousy, Of unTeasOnng greed loosened, and more
than once in this city have been reminded of the
volcano over which we were cOmDlacenty walking.
But nobody feared riot yesterday. An invisible
power, all great and all good, guarded the sweet
-anctItes of the day and gave us festival with but
a minimum Of folly. There gladness tempered
by sobriety. Happier should we be if all our holt
days were like it! In state, indeed, if there
were nothing like it in our calendar, secular
ligiOus!