The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-04-12

Thus our week of sorrows and our way by the
Cross, lead us to this brightest morn of time, to the
shining mount of Immortality, to the glorious vision
of eternal life. What a gift is life! What ii JOY
it is to live! The joys of sight and the visions of
the eye; the joy of activity and work. the joy of
high and noble aims. the joys of the heart. of
friendship, and love; the joy of elevated thoughts;
the manly joy of overcoming difficulties; the high
transports of doing good and sacrifice for truths
sake; the JOY in the sense of the beautiful and
sublime in nature the ecstasies In the rapt har-
monies of music; the joy in religious worship and
prayer-what tongue of a~rchangel can tell the joy.
the bliss, the rapture, embraced in this all in all
lifel
But sweet, varied and glorious as is this gift of
life, we see confronting it the black, spectral, In
evitable figure of death. Who, then, but must study
this question which concerns his happiness more
deeply than all else? This death, which steadily
creeps toward me, will 1t really wrest from me this
priceless possession of life? This Is the supreme
thought for every living soul to reflect upon on
Easter Day. To study in the light of the Gospel
of the Resurrection.
Nature here is our first teacher. She is full of
emblems of the Resurrection. Could you forecast
the golden fruit from the withered blossom, or the
bird from the broken shell. or the brilliant, plum
aged insects wings from the ~chrysalis coffin from
which 1t energies? SO spring Is full of signs. Ev-
cry spring, In forest, garden and field, death Is
swallowed up of life. All winter the trees stand
stripped and bare; the shrubs, the grasses, the
flowers sleep in q cold white sepulchre of snow.
But in the spring comes the dawn of a new life.
The drifts melt, the fountains flow, the rivers burst
their Ice bonds, the trees put forth buds and leaves.
the grasses awake from their chill slumbers, and
the crocus and myrtle peep from the ground-the
advance guard of that lovely army of flowers which
will decorate the whole summer with their plu-
mage.
1t is the Resurrection time of the visible crea-
ton. 1t Is the Easter of the world. 1t is natures
prophetic answer to the inquiring soul of man,
and 1t Is full of hope. 1t is the grand Epic Of In
mortality, written by the finger of God upon the
strata of the earth.-lev. ]. b. Remensnyder.
There is one day in the year on which custom
requires that the grounds of the White House.
ordinarily sacred against intrusion, shall be thrown
open to all corners. 1t is Easter Monday. which Is
par excellence the children's day In Washington.
On that occasion the little ones com from far and
near to roll eggs on the smooth lawns in the rear
of the executive mansion, and their prerogatiye In
this regard is of long standing.
1t is one of the ~prettlest customs of the festive
kind that survive in this part of the world, and
nobody knows exactly how or when 1t originated.
Ever so long, perhaps a century ago, In the neigh
borhood of Baltimore and adjacent counties of
Virginia, it was the habit of the children to 90 out
In little parties on Easter Monday and roll eggs.
For some reason unexplained the sport has become
In a manner localized in Washington, and in earll-
er days the egg rolling was done on the capitol
grounds as well as at the White House. But on
one unfortunate occasion so much damage was
done to the grass that unsympathetic legislators
for the nation promulgated a decree forbidding the
practice.
Thus 1t has come about that the children all as
semble at the White House, where the grounds
are specially adapted to that purpose, being Of a
rolling contour, with many small mound-shaped
hills, down the slopes of which the eggs easily
travel. Mckinley took much interest in this Easter
pastime, and usually found time to go out himself
into the crowd and watch the sport for a few min
utes. General Grant used to do the same thing,
n cigar in his mouth, and Nellie Arthur, who was
n child when she lived In the executive mansion,
herself took part in the games. Benjamin Har-
rson's grandchildren did the same thing.
The festival Is one to which nearly every child
in Washington looks forward when Easter time
comes round. and not the least part of the fun Is
the decoration of the eggs, which must be dyed
beforehand In all sorts of colors. The older young
sters take pride in coloring their own eggs, while
the younger ones depend upon mamma. BY Satur-
day night the eggs must be ready, snuggled in a
little basket, with some green excelsior. If possible,
to counterfeit grass. Then, when Mondays sun
has risen, with promise of favorable weather, the
bairns start for the festive scene, in most cases
accompanied by parents or nurse.
1t is an all-day affair, this business of egg roll
ing. and the children are anxious to begin it as