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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1916)
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. Lilies for OBSERVANCE OF EASTER SUNDAY THE- observanco of Easter Sun day dates back to tho founding of tho early Christian church, In commemoration of tho resur rection of Josus. It Is generally bo Itevod by all Christians that Jesus was crucified on Friday and burled. Tho following Sunday certain womon of Judea wont to tho tomb early In tho morning to anoint his body. Saturday was tho Sabbath day of tho JGws. That accounts for tho dolayod visit to tho tomb. Jesus was burled bo late Friday tho womon did not have tlmo to anoint his body. As soon as day dawned that Sunday morning the women wont to tho tomb, and, accord ing to sacred accounts, found Christ bad gono. Tho stone which scaled tho mouth of the tomb was rollod away. At first they woro filled with grief, believing his body was stolen. Thon they re membered tho words of their Master, that ho would riso from tho tomb tho third day. Ills rcappoaranco and as surance that all could conquer tho grave was tho causo of great rejoicing. From tho tlmo of tho flight of tho children of Israel from Egypt, tho Jowa had observed tho Passovor to commemorate tho night when tho an gel of death passod over tho houses of the Hobrowa nnd slow tho first-born in tho houses of tho Egyptians. Tho feast of tho Passover was being ob served by tho citizens of Jerusalem nt tho tlmo of the crucifixion. Tho fol lowers of Christ contlnuod to obsorvo tho feast of tho Passovor, but tho ob Horvanco took on a now mcnnlng. Tho exact tlmo of tho feast was not nettled until tho council of Nico, called by Emperor Constantino of Romo in tho year 32(5. It was thon decided that tho feast should bo obsorved tho first Sunday after tho first full moon nftor tho spring equinox. Tho only great astronomical obsorvatory In tho world at that tlmo was at Alexandria, Egypt. It was left to tho astronomers thoro to determine whon Easter should corno. Tho early Christians did not know tho feast by tho naino of Easter. Tho name la of Saxon origin and camo Ifrom tho foast of tho paschal lamb of the early Christian church with tho feast of tho coming of spring of tho Saxons. Oatara, tho goddess of spring of tho Saxons, was worshiped in England and Germany before the first missionaries to the north of Europo brought tho Htory of Christ. The Saxons, in ac cepting Christianity, continued to ob- nerve their old feasts just as tho Jew- lab Christians continued to observe the feast of the Passover. The mis the Holy Easter Day O EARTH, upon thy breast, By the soft winds caress' t, Bring all thy blossoms forth in From dusky wood and dell Sweet herb and lily bell To ornament his holy Easter Day. sionaries persuaded tho Saxons to ac cept tho feast of tho paschal lamb and simply chango tho name to that of tho foast of Ostara, which later was angli cized to Easter. Tho Easter egg also had its origin among non-Christians. Tho people of northern Europo hunted eggs in tho springtime, bollovlng that it was good luck to find them and eat them. Of courso wild birds laid eggB only in tho spring of tho yoar. Tho Christian missionaries to our ancestors saw an opportunity to win men to a bollof in Christianity by adopting tho egg-hunting day and combining it with Eastor. Tho egg was shown to typify llfo. Ab tho chick lies Imprisoned in tho egg only to burst forth, so will our bodlos Ho In tho tomb only to bo rosurroctod at tho call of God. Tho hunting and eating of eggs 1b observed today In Porsla and In othor Asiatic landB whoro thero Is no Chris tianity, showing that tho custom does not como with Christianity. EASTER IN HEARTS OF MEN Chain of Witnesses to the Resurrec tion Has Been Added to Through out the Centuries. CHRIST is risen." Tho choirs sing about It. Tho prcachora proclaim It. Tho multitudes believe it Does it seem Btrango that bocauso a small group of Bod-oycd, diBcouragod men nnd women, almost two thousand years ago, suddenly camo to bollovo thnt a man thoy hnd loved had ro turnod to llfo after being executed on tho cross, peoplo Bhould still bollovo it todny? Nineteen centuries Is a long tlmo, and Paloatino is far away. How is It that tho bellof of tho first Chris tians has laid hold upon us? mmm u bright array. It Is not enough to exnlaln it as an old tradition, handed down from nen- orntlon to generation. If tho experi ence of tho apostles and tho three Marys and tho flvo hundred brethren to whom ho mnde himself known wero tho only reason for kooplng Easter, it' Is not probablo that Eastof would Btlll bo kept. Faith that is onlv handed on does not survive as this faith has survived. Thoro must bo another rea son. Tho other reason Is that thoro nover has boon an ago slnco tho first Chris tian ago until now whon thero wero not among tho people of tho earth those to whom ChrlBt had becomo a liv ing person. Tho healing of tho seam less dress has been by beds of pain. In tho murat of tho storm and tho stress of llfo, despairing men and wemon havo reached out to touch him, and thoy havo touched him and been made whole again. Martyrs, stretched on tho agonizing rack, havo heard him. Othor martyrs, bound among the burn ing fagots, havo soon him In tho fire. Tempted men havo sought him In tho hour of their temptation, and his arm has sustained them. Such as they do not need to bo told that long ago, on a Sundny morning in tho spring, the gravo released him. They know that ho is released, for ho has becomo tho living power of their Hvcb. When the olovon, nftor tho tragic death of Judas, choso a twelfth apostle, they did bo that ho might bocomo a witnoss with them of tho resurrection. smco thon, from all nations and tribes, a great company whom God alone can number hns been added to tho chain of witnesses. Dnily tholr number Is incronsod. Eastor Is Easter, not bo causo Josus roso long ago, but bo causo Jesus still lives, and because thero aro among ub thoso who know that ho lives. Youth's Companion. -MJ&Vfr"' K 1 GOT me flowero to strew thy way, I got me boughs off many a tree; But thou wast up by break of day, And brought'st thy sweets along with thee. Yet though my flowers be lost, they say A heart can never come too late; Teach It to alng thy praise this day, And then this day my life shall date. Author Unknown. i RAYMONDB ROUSSEAU was a frail, pretty littlo French artist, who lived In a tiny studio In a great building. She made her Uvlng by painting wonderful water color danco orders, dinner cards, holi day greetings and fanciful conceits for social entertainments of all sorts. Also, she added to her Income by singing In the choir of a big church. Until the Europoan war had broken out Rnymondo's brother, Jacques, had lived with her, but when his country entered the conflict ho was called to join his colors. Raymondo cried for days after her brother sailed for Franco, but sho know sho would have been ashamed of Jacques had he been unwilling to go. Tho approach of Easter brought much work to Raymondo, and the lights In her studio burned late every night as she sat over her desk making water colors. She looked very much Hko a French print herself In the quaint costumes she always designed ror her own wear. Her straight, black Eastor Brought Much Work. hnlr and her Ivory skin and scarlet Hps mado her a conspicuous beauty anywhere. Added to this, her unique tasto In droBs mado her more than at tractive. Perhaps It was her continental man nor, perhaps merely her natural diffi dence, that mado her difficult of ap proach. But sho was admired by ev eryone who camo In contact wjth her, and In tho choir whoro she sang sho had many friends oven though sho did not perhaps realize It. Choir rohearsals for Easter music mado her attondnnco necessary, and she found horself hurrying from her studio to tho church,, without taking proper time to eat nourishing meals. Raymondo was very conscientious and sho did not want to neclect either hor painting or hor choir work. , It was tho week before Palm Sun dny and Eastor day that found tho littlo French girl nearly exhausted. A boat had arrived bringing her lottors and papers from her homo In tho sub urbs of Paris. Sho picked up her mall and went to church for a rehear sal without so much as getting a bite of dlnnor. Sho feared being lato and conspicuous In cntorlng tho choir stalls. Instend of being late, Raymonde found herBoir thero boforo any of tho othors, and sho was glad of a few quiet moments in which to read hor mall. Sho looked at her hemo lottors, and thon opened up a newspaper from the suburb lu which sho lived. Her face suddenly became as sot as tho fnco of an ivory Imago sho had Boon her brothor'a name among tho list of boI dtors who had failed to return with tholr regiments. "Jacques! JacaueBl" she bronthml. Just as a merry group of choristers camo upon bcr In tho dimly llghtod church. "Why It's littlo Miss Rousseau!" "Sho'a fainted!" One of tho girls bent ovor her and. as they laid her on the broad church seat and administered restoratives, a man, who bad taken more than a pas ing interest In tho littlo French girl and know something1 of her life, picked up tho paper she had dropped from her hand. "It's her brother V)'b among thoso reported dead in battle. Poor little girl!" Trenton Knox had alwayB folt a sort of Indefinable sympathy for the littlo soprano. Raymondo opened her eyes. "It it can't be true can it?" sho asked, searching tho faces of thoso about hor, pitifully. Trenton Knox bent over her. "This paper is two weeks old It should nover have reached you," he said, kindly. "But why?" sho asked, in agonized tones- nnd pushing bacK the straight wisps of hair. "Tho reports haven't been con firmed, or you would havo heard," ho said. Tho girls helped her to becomo calm and comfortablo again, and though sho sat through the rehearsal sho was un able to bring a note from hor throat, for the lump that seemed to be chok ing her. "You'll let mo walk homo with you tonight, please?" asked Trenton Knox gently. Raymondo smiled a wan littlo smile, and there was none of tho usual Bparklo in hor brown eyes. "It would bo so good of you I I havo been fool ish nnd weak to faint, but I " "You havo been overdoing It and you look as if you hadn't taken time to rest and eat." tho big tenor said, as ho guided hor from tho church. On tho way home they stopped and had a bite of supper In a quiet restau rant near Raymonde's studio, and there, out of sheer weariness, sho per mitted her veil of reserve to drop bo foro tho man who had always been so kind to hor. As thoy walked around the corner to tho studio buldllng Bho leaned on his arm and ho felt as If he could never leave her alone again. Tho elevator boy handed her a mes sage. Sho took it with trembling hands. Gently but firmly Trenton took It from her. Ho saw that it was a transatlantic cable. "Whon wo get up Btalrs we'll open It," ho said. And it was he, not Raymonde, who tore it open and read tho words: "Jacques wounded, but safo at home. Love." It was unsigned, but Ray mondo knew it was from her family, and she knew, too, that they realized that she might havo received tho pa per with tho awful mistake printed in it "I I felt as if I could not open it," Bhe said to Trenton as she sank Into a studio chair by tho small hard-coal fire sho always kept burning. "You are so good to mo." "Good? Good?" he said. And then after a mlnuto in which he soomed to be pondering his subject, "Raymondo, won't you let me take care of you? I see tonight how much you need some one, and I love you? I havo loved you for long, but you novor let mo toll you so till now.' Tears streamed down the little French girl's pale cheeks. Tho night's gamut of emotions had been too much Now Spring Is Here HHHE winter's ice and snow are gonet Flowers bloom, soft breezes blow; The waking earth laughs in the sun And all the ivords aglow. EASTERTIDE By Jean Ericsson Nature voices all her gladness, Lays aside her gloom and sadness, All is peace and joy and gladness, At Eastertide. So let every heart of sorrow Neither trouble eep nor borrow; All is peace upon the morrow, At Eastertide. Tell the resurrection story, Tell of him, the King of Glory, Every tongue repeat the story . At Eastertide. Ring, ye, Easter lilies, ringi In the breezes gently swing; Every heart for joy shall sing, At Eastertide. for her overwrought nerves. "I've felt so so different from you all," she man aged to say. "So so alone!" Trenton leaned ovor her. "Don't' say alone again, Raymonde If If you lovo mo." "Oh," sho breathed, "I do I do." "And you'll marry me after Eastor and we'll have the whole blessed choir , Tore It Open and Read the Words. hero in your studio to wish us Joy after wo come back from the Little Church Around the. Corner, won't wo, dear?" And Raymondo nodded even while she sobbed. (Copyrleht by the McClure Newspaper Syn dicate.) PltOTOBY
