Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-04-09
For the SPECTATOR. ]



EASTER.
Glorious dawn of most glorious day! Not
that the SUMS rising was more glorious or gor-
geous; not that the sky was so blue and cloud
less; not that a food OF sunlight suffused the
earth; not that the air was more pure or fresh,
or that each tiny blade of grass had its own
little diamond dew drop. Ask the church
bells why tits glorious dawn and day, they,
that are so merrily Ginning that hey seem to
vie with each other to be most Joyous ask the
bright, happy-faced little children hurry ing to
Sunday School with glad elastic step ask of
the woods why their bright-eyed fairies look
so gay and smiling. and were so interested
about their appearance last week. and now
look their best; and ask the eggs why they are
in new shells of varied hues and the same
ready reply comes from them all-"Why, tits
Easter day."
About thirty-three years before this (frsD
glorious day AN infant lay in its mothers arms
surrounded by beasts and wise men, yes slow
lies his head with the beasts of the stall" and
yet wise men from afar have come to see him
and yield him in costly devotion, Odors of
Edom and offerings divine" and who "Vainly
with gifts would his favor secure. Angels adore
him in slumber reclining, Maker and Mon.
arch, and Savionr of ALL" And did they realize
he was to be Saviour OF all ? hardly. But he
grew to manhood, knew his fathers Will, TOOK
upon him our nature and was human; went
about doing good, taught poor, weak, sinful
wretches, how to gain a heavenly crown and
nome; healed the SICK, ana spoke WORDS OF
comfort to cheer the fa1nt-hearted;suHeredln '
suits at the hands OF menlais ana 1elons, SUI
fered mentally ana pnyslcaiiy ana yet through
1t all praying TO his iatner ana saying NOT
my Will, but thine be done;" ana When mis-
hour was come suffered death upon necrosis.
Then, how natural we should call this day
glorious dawn, which we commemorate as MS
resurrection morn. Christ the Lord IS risen
to day What a grand and joyous exclama-
ton. Has risen from the Dead lett the ola
TOMB OF gran1te IN Whlcn MS muroerers secur,
ed him.
We can almost see Mary Magdalene hurrying
along to the sepulchre whilst II was yet dark,
with uneasy, anxious face; she, who Lived her
Lord SO. And what must nave been her
thoughts to ind him gone! Could she have
been frightened or glad Certainly she ran
away and meeting The two disciples told them;
she knew, too, in telling them 1t was mutu-
al interest. But had she instead Of those who
loved him, first met those VINO hdte0 MIN, What
then would nave Deen her feelngs? her meet
ing with those who mad crucsned MIN, what
would have been her hrst thought, now would
she have acted Had she nown he had risen,
had freed htmaseg from the tomo. she would
most likely have told them, vain your stone,
your watch, your seal " and she would have
done SO Joyfuily'
Christ the Lord is risen to day Easter Gay
How many hundred years old are the glad
words yet they seem new each time. each
time seems the first, each time, indeed. seems
the beginning of a new festival, therefore let
us Keep the least" The name Is tnonght by
some to have been derived from the festival OF
the goddess ostara. Ter iestiVal was ceieora-
ted about the same season by the ancients.w VINO
spelled the name Eastre' she was godoess OF
the morning or east, just as Aurora was god
dess OF the dawn.
Certainly the name is supposed to be derived
from the rising OF the sun IN the east, star Oh
the east the horison adorning." And is not
Christ our star that should adorn our horison
Easter with the anclents' observations lasteo
eight days; we keep 1t only three, ana IL was
formerly used much more for bapt1sma day
than now, hence the Whit-sunday, or White
sunday, which comes after Easter, when SO
many were bapuzeo and came on Whitsunoay
In garments of white to bs confirmed
Easter was in olden times much more OBJ
served as day OF rejoicing IMAM now, slaves
were set free. &c.
But the forefatners enjoyed not the custom
OF greeting frlends with orIgnt cards tha6 Win
US has become SO common. one thls season
represents butterflies. The conception seems
to be that the gates OF heaven are ajar, and
reflected from the throne of God streams
food of unearthly golden light. and SEEM