The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1896-04-04

following the 14th day OF the moon OF
March. From this slight rent widened a
great chasm, and the question of discipline
finally hardened into one Of dogma. Aft
er three centuries of battle the majority
of the churches accepted the rule announc-
ed by the council of Nice In 1876, which
allowed for the differences between the
Jewish and Julian calendars. This con-
stitutes the rule of the church today, so
that the Easter festival ranges between
tho possibilities Of March 22 and April 25.
So much for chronology dressed up into
theological puppet, about which disciples
of tho Prince of Peace imprecated the ter
rors of endless hell on each others heads
for moro than three centuries AS Christ
mas gradually crystallized about itself
other beautiful myths which had lowered
out of heathendom, so likewise Easter. The
period of the vernal equinox, the BEGIN
ming of the true or astronomical spring,
was one of religious observance and rejoic-
ing In all the religions which Christianity
supplanted In Europe as well as in the
east. The name of Easter indeed was
adopted from that of the Teutonic goddess
of spring, Ostera, or Eastre. The new
Christmas brought with them the jocund
thoughts and associations inherited from
the more beautiful side of the old paganry,
and these were wisely accepted and assim-
Hated. The meetings of the elves in their
fairy rings on Easter eve (there was saliva
ton even for them); the dancing of the
sun in the sky (who will not recall those
lovely verses Of quaint old Sir John Suck
ling entitled 1.-THE Bride" among which
we find these:
And, oh, she dances such a way
No sun upon an Easter day
Is half so fine sightD
the gifts and games Of colored eggs and
a hundred other charming beliefs and GUS
toms which got imbedded in the popular
mind, sometimes varying, too, with DIFF
ferent localites-all these were inherited
by Christianity as the. heir-at-law of the
worlds anteoedent estate, religious and
social. The connection of the lily with
Easter, on the other hand, the consecra-
ton Of this flower as resurrection en-
blem, seems to have no root in the old,
but to belong to the new spiritualism of
Christ as representing best in the flower
kingdom the ideal of stainless purity, con-
joined with stateliness of form and beauty
of line.
Easter customs are not widely divergent
in different parts of Christendom. The
Greek church, however, particularly its
Russian branch, still retains the once uni
versal salutation of Easter day between
all those meeting in or out doors" Christ
Is rison, with the response, "He is risen
indeed" and a resounding kiss. In Rus
STA the beggarly tramp is entitled to this,
If the chance occurs, from the empress
herself. The use of the colored pasch, or
pace egg, often deliberately ornamented, is
everywhere prevalent, originally signify
ing the bursting of the year from its egg
in the beauty of spring. The lovely dame
or maid who delights the masculine eye in
new gown and bonnet Oh Easter Sunday
scarcely imagines herself doing just what
the ancient Teutonic woman did, who was
enjoined by religious custom to dance
around the bonfires of Easter in newly
woven wooden tunic.
Much more might be cited about the
historic and legendary association of this
queen of Christian festivals But enough
has been said to indicate how it has drawn
to itself sap and lustiness of life from facts
and forces akin to its original thought,
and with what consummate policy organ
lied Christianity has selected building
materia. out of the wreck and debris of re-
liSions which once enslaved the magma
ton of man. GEO. Il. FERRIS.