Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-04-26
Easter Among the Ton
4. kawaians.

Dear Advertiser:
"a One of the largest newspapers in
this state is, .The Daily Oklahoman,' y
and Il shall designate the citizens of
tftbis town as the Tonkawaians, while
members Of the nearest Indian tribe
/ are known as the Tonkawas.
81 shall call this article Easter
Among the Tonkawaians." On that
fday, everyone was recalling the glo-
irious time they enjoyed last Easter
in some lovely town in tt South or
Elsewhere. / only recalled a two mile
hike to and from a mining camp in
Minnesota where l had a Sunday
kfhGel, with the ice SO thick on the
5ground and the air so bitter cold that
y stopped at intervals from necessity
Giin order to breathe, and really won
Ftdered whetherSI / would ever arrive at
my destination alive or not. 1t took
a long, long time to walk that one
mile, with every step test of will
power.
When finally arrived at the Sum
day school, the children who had
ventured to come through the cold,
had gone and / went back again la
|boriously on the ice like a child who
lis just learning to walk. However, I
could not reach my room, but had to
Fstop,on the way and 60 inside a house
to thaw before, renewing my jour
|ney. It is not easy to imagine how
cold it was, and it is not pleasant to
remember.
Last Sunday, the air here was
halniy and the fruit trees in bloom
bordering the roadside. 1t seems to
me that if I could choose, but one
time in all, the year, when / might
attend really beautiful and sacred
service, Il would choose Easter. The
sGhristmas spirit is more tangible.
One can somehow feel it in the at
imosphere outside of a church, but
there must be an Easter choir sing
ing ing beahtifu music, and vases of
hereto that q
am, there must be Easter hatsFo9eE
the congregation, these material
things in order to pave the way for
the spiritual exaltation that comes.
AOnly those of US, who have been
reared in the fear and admonition
of the conventionalities know what
"a poignant shock it is to go to GER
tain churches and hear the congrega-
ton clap and applaud, with the
preachers earnest approval. / did not
think could bear to hear them clap
on Easter Sunday. My rebellious
thoughts on the subject might coun-
teract any good the service would do
me. To me church is sacred place
and clapping is secular.
So this day, 1 chose new church,
one which had never attended. My
best friend here, a Southern girl,
went with. me. I think / induced her
to leave her own church, because,
perhaps in this new and untried
congregation, we might find new in
spiration. With high hopes we ap-
preached the church doors.
The crowd was so large that we
could not, at first find entrance. They
were finishing the Sunday school
service. Suddenly there came the un-
mistakable sound of loud applause.
My friend reeled, almost overcome.
We looked at each other resigned.
There was no other place to go, so
late, and the cheering had broken
the quiet. sweet spell of Easter.
Such is Tonkawa, among the Ton
kawaians. The service began with
the observance of Fhe Lords Sup
per. They did not say eff you are a
member of our church lyou may par
take," but rather seemed Ito say,
ePartake all ye that are weary and
heavy laden" If they had asked for
my church, should have perhaps re-
Piled, 81 am a Christian, for above
creeds there is universal brother
hood. But in saying that, / should
have misled them, for this was the
Christian church. ~
The West is broad like the plains,
but / sometimes wonder whether it
is broad from a consciousness that
broadness is better than narrowness.
II wonder if they have, thought Gus
toms and conventionalities through,