The Red Cloud chief., 1898-04-15

EASTER THOUGHTS WITH
CUBAN COLORING.

BY MEMO"
copy weighted by Dave ~ Tabor
' ~ vv

ness, Tor 1t bcspcaks the triumph OF tn,
beautiful We know that the time now
Is when the harsh outline, of the hill.
and the bare trees will be soflcp,o
with delicate foliage, and the brown
ana darkspmc tints ui the winter.
bound landscape be transformed into
every possible tint of green. Under
the ihilnencc of this thought we feel
raised up, we stand in the high places
of JOY, we are full to Overlooking of
the cxhllaration that comes to the soul
through eyes that see and understand.
*.*
But empty our larders and lob us of
clothes, drive us together like beasts
and shelter us worse, slash our trembl.
ing limbs with machetes-where then
would be this bland sense of physical
contentment? Surround us with all
the glories Of tropical verdure, let the
sun rise in grandeur and shine I'm.
dimmed, let 1t sink in tho west and, in
sinking, paint unspeakable wonders
across one half the heavens-how
would this feast Of the eye satisfy you
when hunger was driving out all other
feelings? Easter and its re. birth of
beauty would be u mere wretchcd
mockery Of misery.
*.*
Sweet Easter |! How gentle have its
associations, its flowers, its anthems,
its words Of confidence, made promise
to our hearts that though dark the
winter OF life CXistant whenever we
are comprised by perplexities-the
darkness will certainly sooner or later
break into the glorious morning of re.
vived hope. AS we have sat and list.
ened we have thought and believed
an 1 through all our pains and sorrows
-d%readfully petty and self impose 1,
many OF them-sweet peace has come.
For within our " heart happiness
has its root, and If we will but clear
away the rubbish of trifing griefs
and puerile cOmplainings that nc
prevent its growing, it will spring up.
ward into sight.
~
But let each day bring more of a
haze to our minds, let each lurking
shadow alright us with the fear that il
means more cruelty from an enemy
who will torture before he kills, let
each hour with its benumbine hunger
Supply still more our iutellects-where
then would there be room for conf.
dence that, "Joy cometh in the morn.
ing" where indeedg There would be
only one hope of JOY left and that the
w%renching apart Of soul and body to
leave behind a master that rejoices in
cruelty and that finds it cheaper to
bury than to feed. Hope after dciec.
tion' Neither hope nor detection, for
we should have reached while living
that surc, ase of suffering when the
heart refuses to culver and the mind
- record.
Sweet Easter! l. sounds forth with
thousand tongues that death once
more i vanquiShcd, that lite triumphs.
We hear again Of the r"si,tlcsS rolling
bact of the gates O. the neither world
OF The sweeping aside oi the mighty
oppressive stone of mans safcgua ding
and we are led to believe by every an.
alogy that life here is n mere prelimi.
nary one to a grander. Thus as we have
listened our fond hearts have thought
OF those whom we have loved and lost,
aud under the gentle influence OF this
gentle eason we have contemplated
with silent JOY their lives. happily &C.
cupied somewhere in Gods UNIVERSE
where death hath no sting and grave
no victory. And in the strength of
this conhd ence We have cleanssd our
hearts OF evil, as IL their precious ewes
were searching the recesses where lurk
uncomely images Of things that would
shock their tenderly nurtured natures.
*.*
But If u crazed and feyered mem-
DRY OF a wife is that she was last seen
being outraged by brutal soldiery; of a
child, that its innocence was scorched
ont OF it by direst suffering; Of an in,
liant that, before it should have known
want want was its shadow, and that its
little body bloated with dropsy while
It's limbs shrank from stai walton: of
ourselves, that we have walked in
~haRedness and shame before on, fel.
~lows-they also slagger on like us-to
helpless death; then to become fun of.
Ten Tue p'ckings for buzzards and Wi.
lures and carrion crows-if nil this.
what would Easter mean with It's
promise OF u lille OF triumph to come?
herce aud wild demand that in thai,
lie 10 come should be "a chance To re.