Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-04-14
IA Legend Of the \
NJ Easter Children
LESLIE PINCKNEY HILL EfSSsg
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For children's hearts are quick to feel
The deadenng pail of mortal pains
And children's hearts are first to heal
When light and comfort come again.
And they had loved the Lord Christie face,
And on His knees had laughed and CRIED
And heard Him say the heavenly place
Is where all child-ke souls abide;F
And they had often heard Him tell
Strong men by pride and greed denied
That they could never please Him well
Till they were humble child:
And they had heard the tale that grieves as.
All little hearts: how One so dear .st -
Was nailed upon a cross with thieves, =.
And tortured with poisoned spear; ~:
And how the temples wondrous veil
Was riven by the lightning stroke, - ~.
While, mingled with the womens wall,
The earthquake and the thunder broke3
And how black night came down at noon,
And ghosts from graves that opened WIDE
Skulked out beneath bloodred moon,
When He that loved the children died.
For two long days no girl or boy si s.-,i :
In Calilee Jordan plain y. ~: =
Could laugh sing, for hope and JOY
I'm every little heart was slain. =
But when the earth that third day morn
Was flooded with such golden light =
AS never since the world was born
Had come to dazzle human sight, :. ::
Then every child, the legends say, ~
Knew that the time was at an end
Knew that the stone was rolled away,
And few to meet the risen Friend. Ii eHe q
And long before the Magdalene x- s@A
Had reached the empty sepulchFes !, 1-S
Or Peter heard what she had seen, =" g. =! =.
~. Or feet John fastened after her, -
The children, had gone forth and found u ~, ~
The Master in the garden walk, ,y.,, ,parer =
And scattered lilies on the ground
,. And seen His smile, and heard Him talk. ~
No child was puny, halt, or lame, -, ! SO h3'c
Or hungry, in tatters clad, ,,.sif,, 49, - ~
But clothed If in light they. camesq,ql, -;
And all were whole, and strong, and glad s.
They throng along the kedron rill, % q -
ss They thread the city through the gates, = ~
Straight up to Josephs garden hill, aes So S.
Where He that loves the children waits. 9g !
They dance, they sing, they climb the trees,
They circle round an ring and file; Y @r x
They know they cannot fail to please, - - -
And win the guerdon of His smile. - =
He lifts His hand: al bore the pain n' : -
Of death for men by sin defled; -
Irise henceforth to live and reign 1sS}
Lord of the Kingdom of the Child" ~
They vanish, and He stands alone; SlzT
And when the women come to weep, 'nySN
The garden flames with flowers new-blown- rIesg
The children at home asleep. -
'What makes that garden spot so bright?" ~ Il
The learned rabbis stroked their chns; !; :;
They knew not yet that love is light, "A;
= That knowledge fails where love begins. fMM,
But somehow still Easter 49,. W
The world is beautiful again, Il
And in each child-lile heart is born ~ -. 81
Some yearning of good will to mem =. sA
Some haunting sense, some happy dream u
49, Of singing birds, of daffodils, = Z
7 Of olive branches, or the CLEAN z.e.+ a
OF dew-shine the Syrian hills
~ $50 {, @toa.t -Philadelphia Ledger.