The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-18

PERFECT EASTER LILY.
are expended by churches and private
individuals i'm purchasing lilies at Eas-
ter time. and affairs and apartments are
profusely decorated with them.
The lilly is frequently spoken or in
the Bible In the Canticles we find It
introduced i'm such beautiful language
as the rose of sharon and the lily OF
the valley" and ''he feedeth among the
lilies" In his sermon on the mount
Christ said. Behold the lilies OF the
Held" and continued that Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like one
of these"
The only true lily found now In Pales-
tine is the scarlet Martagon. but il is
probable that by the term in Scripture
Is meant the scarlet anemone. which In
color and abundance answers the re-
quirements. But as the Arabs apply
the term lily now To many flowers. IL
Is possible that the word was thus gem
orally used by the authors of the books
of the Bible where ii is introduced.
The great profuson of the lily and
similar classes OF towering plants In
the Holy Land is remarkable and forms
the most beautiful and attractive fea-
ture of the landscape. blooming as they
do In winter or the early spring The
plain OF Sharon, the lower slopes OF
Lebanon. the shores OF Galilee and the
bare, craggy terraces OF the .JudRan
hill country are at certain, seasons
afame with white and scarlet and goid-
EN- lilies, whose glory is the most strik-
ing OF all the aspects of the country.
The plain at the foot OF the mount OF
Beatltudes Is covered at various sea-
sons with a vast profusion of lilies and
other flowers. all of brilliant colors.
| When Christ directed the attention Of
| his auditors to the lily as an illustra-
ton of his beatitude., there We're doubt
less thousands of the flowers 10 be seen
wherever they turned. "a
Blooming when all else was dead and
precursors of spring and the super.
abundant life OF summer. II was but
natural that the lily should become the
resurrection flower. beautiful type of
that life to come. which forms the es-
sential hope and doctrine of the Chris
tian faith II also became the emblem
of purity. for could anything be more
emblematic of a soul freed from all the
defilement of Sin than those stainless
blossoms, pure and beautiful enough to
be exotics on our earthly soil trans
planted from the gardens of heaven?
A monl<ish legend OF the second GEN.
! tury states that Mary the mother or
Christ like her Divine Son. also rose
from the dead IT relates that the apos-
ties on going to her grave on the third
day after her burial found the grave
open and the place where her body laid
filled with roses and lilies. AS this story
OF the assumption of the Virgin" gain
ed credence throughout Christendom
the lily became the Virgin Mary's spe-
cial emblem. The species which medi@-
val art associates with her name Is the
"annunciation hly'' of our gardens
U.ilium candidum).
In old italian and Flemish paintings
representing the Virgin a vase Of these
flowers is always placed by her side.
with three blossoms crownng three
green stems. In later pictures Of the
annunciation the italian painters place
spray OF great white lilies in the
hands of the angel Gabriel.
Thoughsthe celebration OF Faster as
a recognized festival Of the Christian
church was not general until 400 or 500
years after the birth or christ. II was
observed by many Christians previous
to that time. Gregory Nazianzen. who
died In $50, calls Eastars the royal day
among days" Previous 10 his time and
subsequently vigils were held on the
night preceding Easter In anticipation
OF the second coming OF Christ as it
was supposed by many that he would
appear at this time. In apostolic times
and for some centuries after the second
and speedy coming of Christ was an
ardent matter OF belief 20 many Chris
tians. and there are thousands even to-
day who await that event with as eager
hope and as firm faith as the early
believers i'm the second advent.
1t seems almost like a rhetorical de-
scent from everything that is beautiful.
refined and elevated TO assign 10 eggs
as to lilies i'm connection with. Easter. a 4
symbolism relative 10 the future llfe.
still there is little doubt that the use OF
eggs at this season was originally sym
bolical OF the reviviication OF nature i'm
spring and OF the future life. From the
Christian point OF view this feast OF
eggs at Easter has been usually CON
sidered emblematic OF the resurrection
and Of life surviving physical decay
The Jews at the time of the Passover
also attached special significance to tho
eating OF eggs. and among the Persians.
even now at the time of the solar new
year In March, present each other with
colored eggs. NEIL MACDONALD.
----~-