Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1896-04-04

III ~ EES on Easter morn
y g%E. ing and found
~ ~ that the steamer
on which she was passenger had an
chorcd in the beautiful Bay of Palermo.
Dressing herself with hurried care, She
went on deck and saw the City Of the
Sun, with its great gateway, higher
than the highest houses, and the white
marble marina outside with its great
length stretching towards Pellegrini,
and the picturesque boats dancing in
the harbor, besieging the steamer for
custom.
The chnpcron Of the party, Mrs. For
she engaged one of the boats, after
much haggling with fisherman In n
red shirt, whose sunburned face was
like the pictures of Scriptural type, and
who was lazy enough to be survivor
Of his Gallileean prototypes. AS the
party landed they were greeted every
where with the Easter salutation:
"Surrexit" (He is risen).
And they joined in the antiphonal
response.
"Vere surrexit" QIe is risen, indecd).
For this was their Sunday of joy, the
queen Of festivals. Bells were ringing,
salutes were fired In the streets, the
flowers were in full bloom and the joy
OF resurrection v.as in the air. 1t was
the day the Sicilians had honored for
nearly 1000 years, and Marion, who
had visited st. Marks on similar oc-
casion, felt that this union of elements
in such an atmosphere of symbolic
worship, combined with an intense,
rapt devotion, had in 1t sincerity
which the service of the great Gu
thedrals lacked.
In Palermo, Easter seemed enshrincd
ms in her own stronghold, and when the
little party entered the old English
church embowered in its tropical verdi
ure, with roses and oranges clustering
together, Marion felt IN indcscribablc
peace steal into her heart, us IL she had
reached the summit of happiness.
II anyone had whispered to her that
like the tabled bird OF the Persians she
WINS about to find the winged mate OF
her wingless soul, henccforth ito sail
through all the heavens wide" in per-
feet union, she would have believed;
therefore, when devotional man, an
American like herself, moved to make
room for her, then shared his book with
her and chanted musical second to
her responses, she was not surprised
she seemed TO have been waiting for
him all her life. Her aunt's frowns of
propriety did not disturb her. The good
woman had not noticed the proximity
Of the agreeable stranger and was ready
to frown him down, and was rs tactless
In her methods rs the head of the school
procession who turned TO her young
ladies with the commands:
Don't look! Shut your eyes and
keep them closed. There's horrid,
handsome man coming this way"
The man was really not handsome,
but he had the strength, the magnet
ism, that is more than manly beauty;
he was almost another Sir Launcelot. |
Was Marion to be Elaine, and "love him |
with the love that was her doom?" We
hear of such fatalities in the comedy of !
life.
Mrs. Fortune, the aunt, was really |
obliged TO recognize the stranger, for
the clergyman was a townsman of her
own, and he introduced him on the
strength OF being a compatriot. And
he was charming man to know--fne
manners and devotional spirit, SO he
won both aunt and niece. There was
only this day to see Palermo and It's
wonders, and Philip Neff accompanied
them 10 the steamer and said good-by.
And they did not know whether he was
q single or n married man, and Marion
had only bunch Of flowers and lava
ornament, which he had bought for n
trifle, and dropped into her lap with
the flowers us IN Easter Offering.
"You have made a joyful Easter for
me" he had said, and asked permission
70 call upon her when he returned in
a years time to his home in America,
which was in the great city where she
lived herself.
II will expect you next Easter" she
had said, gayly, and with that they
parted.
A year-how shorti "Why, II was
Dnly yesterday" we say. aud now Il Is
Easter again. And we are sorry, with
transient humiR.pain, for como who
have missed it, u II the more typical
keeping Of Easter could compare with
hat Easter which they have entered
upon. II
!. Our lilies bloom and pass away, ID
But theirs shall live and bloom for aye" ,
Marion had made 4 very curious DIS
.oyery after the steamer had left Pal /
,rmo. She had foui i in the folds Of her
lress. a. II II Ind been dropped there. 9
n antique ring-a curious arrange. I
pPnt # plelspi gems Gel u HllYhl