River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-04-02
YOU HAVE MADE A JOYFUL EASTER FOR ME-"

salutes were fired in the streets, the
flowers were in full bloom and the JOY
of resurrection was in the air. II was
the day the Sicilians had hOnored for
nearly 1000 years. and Marion. who
had visited st. Marks on a similar Oc-
casion. felt that this union of elements
in such an atmosphere of symbolic
worship. combined with an intense.
rapt devotion, had in it a sincerity
which the service of the great ca
thedrals lacked.
In Palermo. Easter seemed enshTined
as in her own stronghold, and when the
little party entered the old English
church EMPOWERED in its tropical verdi
ure, with roses and oranges clustering
together, Marion felt an indescriba bic
peace steal into her heart, as il she had
reached the summit of happiness.
If anyone had whispered to her that
like the tabled bird of the Persians she
was about to find the winged mate of
her wingless soul. henceforth Ito sail
through all the heavens wide i'm per
feet union. she would have believed;
therefore, when a devotional man. an
American like herself. moved to make
room for her. then shared his book with
her and chanted a musical second to
her responses, she was not surprised
she seemed to has been waiting for
him all her life. Her aunt's frowns of
propriety did not disturb her. The good
woman had nat noticed the proximity
of the agreeable stranger and was ready
TO frown him down. and was as tactless
in her methods as the head of the school
procession who turned to sier young
ladies' with the commaDd:
Don't look. Shut your eyes and
Keep them closed. There's a horrid,
handsome man coming this way"
The man was really not handsome.
hut he had the strength, the magnet
ism, that is more than manly beauty,
he was almost another Sir Launceloi.
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. tor
the clergyman was n townsman of her
own. and ne introduced him on the
strength of being cOmpatriot. And
he was charming man TO know-fine
manners and devotional spirit, so he
won both aunt and niece. There was
only this day 10 see Palermo and its
wonders. and Philip Neff accompanied
them 10 the steamer and slid .sood-by.
And they did not know wli, ther he was
4 single or n married man. ard Marion
had only bunch of flowers and asisva
ornament, which he had bought for a
trifie, and dropped into her lap with
the flowers as an Easter Offering.
"You have made joyful Easter for
me-" he had said. and asked permission
to call upon her when ne 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
bad SAID. gayly, and with that they
parted.
4 year-hov short. why. il was
only yesterday" we say. aud now IL is
Easter again Anu we are sorry. with a
transient human pain. for some who
have missed II, as II the more typical
keeping of Easter could compare with
that Easter which they have entered
npon-
"Our lilies bloom and pass away.
But theirs shall live and bloom for aye
&aIlon had made ! very curious DIS