STORY OF THE FIRST EASTER DAY.
"You know that the enemies of Jesus crucified him as I told you, and he died upon the cross."
"Yes," said Margaret, soberly, "I know about that. My little kittie died. She went to sleep, and couldn"t wake up any more. Poor little kittie!"
"Yes," said mamma, "and you know that dear Grand-mamma White went to sleep and didn"t wake up, and G.o.d took her dear, beautiful soul to be with him.
"After Jesus had suffered on the cross, he went to sleep, that sound, sound sleep that we call death. Then they took him from the cross, and placed his body in a tomb dug out of the rock, and rolled a great stone before the door. His disciples and all his friends were very, very sad, because they thought they would never see him again."
"But they did, mamma," said Harold.
"Oh, yes," said Margaret, "he wasn"t truly dead."
"Ah, yes, my dears," said mamma, "he was truly dead, but after he had lain there quietly for three days, a wonderful thing happened. He came to life again. He came out from the tomb. He went to see his friends and his disciples. He made them very happy. He told them that soon he must go back to his Father in heaven, and that they must go everywhere in all the world, telling people about him.
"Now I will read you the beautiful story of the first Easter Day, as it is told in the Bible:--
{267}
""Now on the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, unto the tomb, and seeth the stone taken away from the tomb. She runneth, therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him."
""Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. And they both ran together: and the other disciple outran Peter, and came first to the tomb; and stooping and looking in he seeth the linen cloths lying, yet entered he not in. Simon Peter therefore cometh, following him, and entered into the tomb; and he beholdeth the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, that was upon his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then entered in therefore the other disciple also, which came first to the tomb, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again unto their own home.
""But Mary was standing without at the tomb weeping. So, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beholdeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou?"
""She said unto them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him."
""When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and beholdeth Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
{268}
""Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?"
""She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, "Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away."
""Jesus saith unto her, "Mary!"
""She turneth herself, and saith unto him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" which is to say, "Master."
""Jesus saith to her, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto my Father and your Father, and my G.o.d and your G.o.d."
""Mary Magdalene cometh and telleth the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and how that he had said these things unto her.""
"That is a very beautiful story, is it not?" said mamma, when she had finished reading. "And how glad Mary and all the friends of Jesus must have been to see him again! Now the sunset has faded, and I will sing you an Easter hymn."
[Footnote: Tune, "The Son of G.o.d goes forth to war."]
"The terror of the night has fled, Its shadows fade away; The tomb wherein our Lord lay dead Is open to the day.
"That Easter morn when He came forth, Who gave Him greeting there?
The flowers, the birds, the radiant earth, And all the garden fair.
{269}
"Once more the glorious day is here, The day that saw Him rise, When Love was victor over fear, And glory filled the skies.
"Who comes to greet our risen King?
Not birds and flowers alone, Our loyal hearts to Him we bring, And worship at His throne."
{270}
THE STORY OF THE FIRST THANKSGIVING
Harold and Margaret had been hoping for a snowy Thanksgiving, and they were very happy when, two days before Thanksgiving, the snow began to fall in great flakes. The sun shone again on Thanksgiving morning, and at nine o"clock the sleigh with the two dapple gray horses was ready to take all the family to Grandpa Emerson"s over the river and away four miles across the snowy fields in the country. How they enjoyed the ride in the fresh cold air! What a merry tune was sung by the jingling of the sleighbells! And how happy they were after they reached the big old farmhouse! First, of course, they were kissed and hugged by Grandpa Emerson and Grandma Emerson. Then they went out to the barn to see the horses and cows. Then they went sliding down the hill behind the barn. Then they made a beautiful snow man, and by that time they were ready for Grandma Emerson"s Thanksgiving dinner. They were to stay at the farm for a few days, and toward evening as they sat before the roaring fire in the big fireplace they asked mamma for a story. "I will tell you," she said,
THE STORY OF THE FIRST THANKSGIVING.
"The first settlers of New England were the Pilgrims who came across the sea from England in the ship Mayfower."
{271}
"Oh, yes," said Harold, "I remember when we went to Plymouth and saw the Plymouth Rock and the old houses and the monument on the hill."
"Yes," said mamma, "that is where they landed and built their log houses. I will recite a poem which I learned when I was a girl and went to school like Margaret."
"The breaking waves dashed high On a stern and rockbound coast, And the woods against a stormy sky Their giant branches tossed;
"And the heavy night hung dark The hills and waters o"er, When a band of exiles moored their bark On the wild New England sh.o.r.e.
"Not as the conqueror comes, They, the true-hearted, came, Not with the roll of the stirring drums, And the trumpet that sings of fame;
"Not as the flying come, In silence and in fear,-- They shook the depths of the desert gloom With their hymns of lofty cheer.
"Amidst the storm they sang, And the stars heard and the sea!
And the sounding aisles of the dim wood rang To the anthem of the free!
{272}
"The ocean eagle soared From his nest by the white wave"s foam, And the rocking pines of the forest roared-- This was their welcome home!
"There were men with h.o.a.ry hair Amidst that pilgrim band-- Why had they come to wither there Away from their childhood"s land?
"There was woman"s fearless eye, Lit by her deep love"s truth; There was manhood"s brow, serenely high, And the fiery heart of youth.
"What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?-- They sought a faith"s pure shrine.