Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-04-15

differs in significance from theSautumnal
thanksgiving and later christmas holi-
days. Autumnal holidays mark the end
of the harvest, when ALI its fruits have
been gathered and when gratitude is ex-
pressed for every gift Of Providence to
mankind. The year Is closed. Reflection
| is the sole occupation of. the mind.
Truths may be gathered from expert
ence as fruit Is gathered from the soil.
But in the autumn every human senti-
ment is inspired by a knowledge that the
best products of the year have,bee gath
| cred, that its enjoyments are closed, that
| its fugitive hours, opportunities, events
| and lessons, that all which it contained for
good or evil, have become an element of
| the unreturniHg past.
| Easter is the period of resurrection. 1t
| is an emblem Of the revival which nature
experiences with each return of the sun
| in its orbit and of the rains and dews at
| their appointed time. 1t brings vernal
sunshine, airs and odors. 1t is celebrated
by offerings of flowers, by gayety in at
tire, by festive display, by all the gaudy
outward semblance, in which the day
spring of the heart and of the season is
clothed. f'f tf 4
The Christianized Easter which the
world celebrates is a higher inspiration of
pagan philosophy, renewed, refined and
etherealized by the Influences which pro-
ceeded from the tragic events on Calvary
and from their sublime conclusion. From
| the earliest era when man began to study
the world around him and defy its mani
festations the spring was sanctified as
the period of the year when the vigor OF
natures creative forces first was display.
ed. Every form of ancient mythology
recognized the vernal equinox as the point
of rejuvenation for the world of vege-
table and animal life. Every wind OF
spring that blew and every wave that
murmured were regarded as the source OF
new vital energies in production and
growth.
From these beautiful pagan beliefs tc
the beautiful new Christian belief the
change was not violent nor phenomenal
1t was a graceful evolution from heather
to Christian thought. 1t was transition
of that which was false but was almost
as beautiful as truth to the beauty and
holiness of truth. Coleridge described the
abandoned fictions of classical beliefs:
The Ineligible forms of ancient poets
The fair humanities Of old religion.
| The power, the beauty and the majesty
That had their haunts In dale or piney noun
Or forest, by slow brook or pebbly sprin,
Or chasm.. or watery depth-all these arr
vanished:
They live no longer in the faith of reason.
In places of these fantastic heather i'm
ages the new religion brought realities o.
grace and truth. The old fictions of tn,
earth and air dissolved and disappeared
They were succeeded by the gospel o.
peace and good will to all mankind-o
universal practical charity, of faith mani
tested in good works, of all the gospel les
sons which Easter day and its associa
tons convey. Pagan philosophers ant
poets reached only the fancies and dream
of men. Christian philosophy reaches thu
profoundest depths of the intellect an,
the heart. vtt SD
This Is the lesson and instruction of tn,
dayl 1t relates both to the past and tn
future. 1t Is a.reminiscence and prom
Use. 1t combines the garnered wisdom o
ages with the hope of all the years 4
| comet +.itf NJ