Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-04-24

Nnu sweet WIN purify.
o, ttirc-t Lord, for Thy deaf sake.
My Lilies take y.
why ~ IL that IN the last few years there
Ina, been such n sad dcarth of good Easter
poetry? The most that has appeared has
scarcely been worth printing. Surely a
more inspiring aud altogether poetcal sub.
iect than the resurrection of Christ from the
tomb does not, cannot, exist. Nor is IL a
subject that can ever be exhausted 10y art
Yet, III spite of this, | think everyone will
agree with me that the productions Of recent
art with pen or pencil have been utterly un-
worthy OF the lofty subject aud show a la
mentable degeueracy, not only from the art
of olden times, but also OF comparatively
more modern years.
THIS is most strikingly manifest, perhaps,
IN the decidedly poor quality OF even the
most ambitious oi our East ter cards They
have been getting worse and worse every
wear more and more meaningless, tar
fetched and fantastic in design, while they
have steadily been rising III price To keep
pace with their growing clabOrateness. va
riety and general inappropriateness. Look
hIOugh the mass OF stun displayed in the
show windows OF our book stores this season.
You see, indeed, some few cards and other
designs that in themselves would he right
pretty. But these nearly all lack the essen-
tIal quality OF appropriateness. ileaslng III
themselves, litN Dtiblllt ulNI'ltdSlilE ds sbDn
as they are regarded "a Easter offerings
their inCOngrulty with the subject renders
them worthless, and is only emphasized by
the ohtrusiVe Faster GrCctlng," with
which they are inscribed labelled. On
most of the cards the distinctive Easter idea
is wholly ignOred--perhaps purpOsely, so
that after the season is over they can Toe sold
for birthday, Thanksgiving or Christmas
cards by simply changing their labels
Where they do express some thought per-
| tanning to the glad fact of the Resurrection Il
| is in such still, distorted, conventionalized
form as to suggest the petritied ecclesiastical
art of the medieval monastery, with its fossil
angels and Clipped and Chiseed flowers OF
| stone, rather than the Joy Of life w-born
from the grave, instinct with beauty, over
| flowing with holy gladness. The various
| ADAPTATIONS and developments ot the old
| idea of the Faster egg have likewise depart
| ed from the simplicity OF the original idea so
| FAR rs to have taken on ludicrous character.
| Impossible birds nests, containing the eggs
| of which some poor little songster has been
robbed stuffed chicks and rabbits, and
murdered birds and marvellous duCklings,
| in all Imaginable and unlnlaginable pastures
! and combinations sitting in baskets, swing
| ing in gypsy kettles, pasted on pictures--a
dreadful medley and utter caricature OF tho
| Christian idea OF Faster.
| The whole trouble seems to be that Art has
| been driven out OF this entire depai tment by
| Trade. Novelty has been made To take the
| place of beauty extravaganza OF simplicity ;
| and striking Oddity Ot true sign nifcauce and
| appropriateness. Easter designs aud Easter
| poetry are made to sell, not To mean or eX-
| press anything. Love Of the divine subject
Is no longer the inspiring motive, but love
of the money to he made out OF II. The
whole matter has become seCulari2ed and de-
| graded. We have literally and Characterist.
| iCally run It into the ground"
| THAT this is true also to a great extent OF
| our Easter poetry will, ! think, scarcely be
| denied by anyone who will go to the trouble
| of reading some of the rhymes on our Eastei
| cards aud in our " Easter booklets" and
| then compare them with some of tho simple
| and heartiul carols, for instance, of the
| twelfth and thirteenth Centuries. | will give
two only, eNcelleruy rendered from thu
| Latin by Dr. Alexander Il. Thompson, anC
| which, so far as know, are not easily acces
siblo to tho general reader, The first is by
Peter of Clugny, and dates back to the earl
part OF the twelfth century
"Broken is deaths portal;
| Hail the victory,
| For the King Immortal
Stronger Is than he.
Now the tyrant cruel
, From the throne Is torn,
BY the mighty duel
Round the cross foIlorn.
Down the darkness dreary
Streams the light OF day,
, | Like "A morning CHEEKY,
| Driving night away.
For our God and maker,
Plying our pain,
| Comes 10 be the breaker
OF our iron chain.
| We in sin were lying,
Helpless under doom,
10 | Given up to dying,
"A Captive 10 the tOmOi
~ Then In mercy tCuder
,d Came Emmanuel down,
n Laying by his splenduT,
,a Putting OIL hi crown.
" And our nature mortal
eS Did the King put On,
tn Standing IN the portal,
aa Our true champion
~ Dead the foe lies under
~ His triumphant feet.
id the Joy and wonder,
he Sing with praises sweet"
THE other dates from the thirteenth q
tury, and is more lightsome and bright ms
ing more prominent the witness nature bei
to the Resurrection by herself rising from
wintry grave to hail and praise the ris
M