Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-03-25

one hundred and 6ftl-
eth. is an evolution wrought BY Chris
uanIty and civilization from the pre-
historic ages Of the world.
Easter is a popular festival, aside
from Its religious Significance, because
man has always welcomed the recur-
rent miracle OF the spring with re-
joIcIng. AS festival Of the Christian
church its Importance Is obviously
basic. The foregoing linking OF the
birth of Jesus Christ and of the indie
pendence OF America is warranted In
asmuch as IN America church and
state have been made separate and
the American Of today has religious
freedom to observe Easter according
TO the dictates of his own conscience.
He may see In the Easter Of the
Gentle only the Passover Of the jew.
He may confess himself an "inhdeH'
and walk with that gentle old nature
tower and piant-wizard, Luther Bur
bank. He may confine his activities
20 raising for the market the Easter
TILES now made symbolic OF the day
like Easter lilies, pure and white.
Make Thou our hearts, Lord OF Light
Like Easter lilies. let them be
Sweet chalices OF love TO Theel
He may take part, II he choose, In
the parade OF fashion IN the big cities
and yet stop short at the church
door. He may shut his heart to the
Easter bells and content himself with
the egg-rolling OF Faster Monday at
the White House OF the President Of
the United States. or he may go to
church with that President and add
ais voice to the jubllant chorus.
Christ Is RisenF And no one shall
say him yea or nay.
For. 10. the winter is past. and the
rain Is over and gone.
The flowers appear on tho earth; the
time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice OF the turtle dove Is
heard IN our land;
The fg tree putteth forth her green
hgs, and the vines with the tender
grape give a good smell Arise. my
love. my fair ones and come away.
So Solomon's Song welcomes spring
and so has spring been welcomed al
ways by primitive man. And especial
~ great was the Joy Of primitive man
20 whom winter was the season Of prl-
walton, OF peril and Of uncertainty OF
the future. To him the return Of
spring was the promise OF another
span of life. the incentive to prepare
Tor the future, the urge to perpetuate
hls kind.
Easter" comes to us from Anglo
Saxon forefathers OF long ago. Easter
and East" are obviously akin. With
the vernal equinox Sol, the sun. re-
turns from his excursion to the wintry
North to his rightful home In the
effulgent East. And who hath wlled
him back home, with his grateful ]
warmth and revivifying raysi Why.
none other than Easter. the fair god
dess Of spring. SO said those Saxon
sorefathers-who worshiped Easter
long before they had ever heard OF
Jesus Christ. the Son Of God. And
the story goes on:
There fell from heaven one day, long.
aong years ago. an egg OF Immense sixe;
II rested on the Euphrates. where doves
descended and Matched II. when out
from II rose In splendid beauty Easter
or Venus; and that explains why eggs
are q favorite food during the festival l
of this splendid deity When the early
Christians came TO our Saxon lands
they preserved this feast but changed
SITS application. we Will maintain your
celebration" they said. but Il shall /
henceforth mean the resurrection OF /
Christ" And that explains why II is |
that this Joyous Christian festival bears
an old heather name. Similarly with |