PS 1079 
 ■B65 fl7 
 1885 
 
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 A STORY OF EASTER EVE. 
 
 X 
 
 Ry L. M. LANING BAYLEY. 
 
 CHICAGO: 
 
 JANSEN, McCLURG, & COMPANY. 
 
 1885. 
 

 COPYRIGHT 
 
 By Jansen, McClurg, & Co. 
 1885. 
 
 R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS, PRINTERS. 
 
" Hocfe of ages, cUU fot me, 
 net me f^i^t meseU in tijee.** 
 
(^t (^t Soot of i^t Ctoee, 
 
 WMBER and pold \\)e sunset 
 
 0t evenina of Easter -tide; 
 Purple tlpe shadows tl^at darl^ened 
 
 ^\)e nnoss-arown mountain side; 
 Screen were tl^e crocus and lily, 
 
 ^nowy tf)e lilac s bloom, 
 Qnd i\)e air of tipe blus^inp spring -time 
 
 Was Ipeavy wit[? rici? perfume. 
 
^^VER i\)e winding bill -side 
 
 ^tood a bomestead, old and pray ; 
 0nd just beyond i\)e brool^let, 
 
 ^tat rippled and flowed away 
 bike a beautiful ribbon of silver 
 
 © er tl^e areen and nnossy sod, 
 powered t^e stone cl?urcb, old and massive, 
 
 ^[?e ivy -crowned j^ouse of God. 
 
TN i\)e c[?urcb-yarcl, preen and quiet 
 
 "brods-acre, solennn and blest, 
 Were i\)e graves of t[?e dean departed 
 
 Wbo \)Q(1 entered t(?eir perfect rest. 
 Witpin tl^e [jouse of prayer 
 
 blossomed tf^e Qaster flowers, 
 rHal^inci of altar and cl^ancel rail 
 
 Wonderful fairy bowers. 
 
ngBAUTIFUL snow-wblte lilies, 
 iXinpinp fl^eir waxen bells — 
 
 I ure as a dream of heavenly [jarps 
 Wt>en i\)e\r golden melody swells. 
 
 Green were tl^e vines of tl?e smilax, 
 Orimson i\)e passion -rose, 
 
 Qnd over all in tl^e sunset fell 
 be busi? of a soft repose. 
 
HR0UGH tbe beautiful stoned windows, 
 
 Witb t^eir colors so ciay and briaf^t, 
 (^>\)e sun in \)\s dylnp splendor 
 
 Riasbed a radiant flood of lia^t ; 
 f)o peaceful tl?e air, so boly, 
 
 It seemed as if Q^oSs own arace 
 PRust dwell in tl?e hearts of tl^e people 
 
 Wt>o entered t[?at sacred place. 
 
 18 
 
^AH, 90W could a soul e en wander 
 
 (^pat Ijad once found entrance i\)ere, — 
 (^\)Qi \)q6 prown in ctiildfjood s innocent faiti? 
 
 Wt tl^at cf^ancel rail in prayer ! 
 but alil^e to castle nnd cottaae roof 
 
 ^00 oft comes a day of ill ; 
 Wnd sorrow came witt> t[?e Baster sun 
 
 (^)o tl^ot (?omestead over tl?e t>ill. 
 
 15 
 
BN years apo tf^at Baster, 
 V^\i\) ciuilt and sin in \)er breast, 
 y wondrousiy beautiful nnaiden 
 
 Had strayed fronn t[?at baven of rest ; 
 Her face was a radiant vision, 
 
 Her peart ever tljrobbina in sona, 
 ^ill i\)e tempter came, and sbe listened — 
 Wnd life was forever wrong. 
 
 17 
 
^L0SEiD was i\)e door of tfje homestead, 
 
 Korbidden \)er once loved name ; 
 ^\)e fatl;jer grew stern and [gardened, 
 
 \^\)e motl^er was crusl;)ed witf? sl^ame ; 
 Qona were i\)e years and dreary 
 
 In tj^e homestead over trje 91II ; 
 riever a sound of lauafjter, 
 
 Dut silence, solemn and cpill. 
 
J|©NG were ti^e years and mournful : 
 
 (^en Qcsters canne and went, 
 Defore, bowed down in repentance, 
 
 nomeward \)er steps were bent, 
 (pattered and worn \)er aarments, 
 
 ^ilvered ti^e raven [jair ; 
 Witr) many a line on \\)e sunken cl^eebs 
 
 ^\)a\ were once, alas I so fair I 
 
 ^1 
 
rf^VER \\)e winding biH-side, — 
 
 ^icl? wit[? \)er weicibt of sin, — 
 yp to tl?e door of \\)e homestead, 
 
 Prayinp, "0b, let me in!" 
 But stranaers stood at tl^e portal, 
 
 Qnd paced tl^e fanniliar \)Ci\\ ] 
 Hewer i\)e voice of a loved one 
 
 Qnswered tljat pleadinp coll. 
 
 23 
 
flftUT in f\)e mossv arave-yard 
 
 ^wo mounds tijeir story told ; 
 W marble cross above i\)em, 
 
 ^traipl?t, and stately, and cold. 
 In tl?e dusl^ of t^e Basten twiliaf^t 
 
 fSbe passed tbroupb tbe l?omestead aate ; 
 Spying, "0 gbrist in beaven, 
 
 l\epentance bas come too late I 
 
 25 
 
JLI® word for me of forcilveness ! 
 
 rio word of ]\)G old-time love I 
 Dead and left me forever, 
 
 l\estinp in f?eaven above. 
 mot[)er, tlje mother tl?at bore me I 
 
 father, wl^o pave me life I 
 Send me a message from l^eaven 
 
 ^o cjuiet my [heart's wild strife I 
 y ot)rist, t[?ou pityinci ^avior, 
 
 Wbo perisM tM souls mlp^t live, 
 Is tl^ere no peace, no pardon ? 
 
 threat b^-od in t'eaven, foraive I " 
 
 87 
 
T|PR0NEl on tbe araves, all moss-^rown, 
 
 Her face to \\)e around, sf^e lay ; 
 Wben lo 1 in i\)e c(?urcl? sl^e f^eard tl^e c\)o\r 
 
 O^antina for Qaster day. 
 Pure was tipe melody sacred 
 
 ^\)ey Sana In tl?e oraan loft, 
 Qnd it fell like bainn on tl^e bruised t>eart, 
 
 ^enderly sweet and soft. 
 
 29 
 
^^MEY cf^anted i\)e Baster antbem — 
 
 Joy for i\)e Qord set free ; 
 ^\)en san^ t[)at prayerful, pleadinci [?ymn — 
 "Uotk of ^8^0, rieft for mr." 
 
 It bnoupl^t to tl^e listenina mourner 
 
 W cius[? of repentant tears, 
 Wnd dasl^ed from [pen (peart tipe stony masf? 
 
 It bad worn for ten lona years. 
 
 31 
 
l^yW dare I asl? fomiveness ? 
 
 How can I pardon aain ? — 
 Wut tproual;) i\)e open casement 
 
 nloated i\)e tender strain ; 
 ''(ttoultj mp ttsLXS foteber floto, 
 (ttotiltj mg fcal no languor fenoto, 
 Ct)is foe 0tn coul^ not atoni?; 
 Ei^ou mu0t sabe, anti Cf)ou alone. 
 Noti)ing in mp ^antr J firing, 
 Simplg to €l)p cross 5 cling." 
 
flgREATHLBSS tbe mourner listened 
 
 (^o i\)e solemn oraan strain, 
 Wpile over l^er face tl^e tear-drops fell 
 
 Qil?e tpe early summer ram. 
 In a vision si^e Ijeard tl^e rustlina 
 
 yf an anael s snowy wina : 
 (^is tpe messaae from f^eaven, s\)e wl}ispered ; 
 " (^o (^i\)y cross, dear ol?rist, I clina. 
 
HE melody ceased; and f\)e sinaers 
 
 J^new not tbaf tfje words of prayer 
 Had pone witfj t[?e sinner's soul to [?eaven, 
 
 Qnd l^nocl^ed for admittance tl^ere. 
 Wnd out from tl?e ivied casement 
 
 fluttered a snow-w|?ite dove, 
 roised on t(?e cross above l?er l?ead, 
 
 Wn imacie of peace and love. 
 
 87 
 
^ARK&R tbe sbadows falling, 
 
 goffer tpe summer air, 
 Wben tbe c[?oristers came from tlpein cbantina, 
 
 Portl? from i[,e f^ouse of pnaver. 
 4eat[? t[?e star -lit heavens t^e^ found \)er, 
 
 (fbe dove of Peace on \)er breast; 
 Witj? tbe arms of (Jod around ten, 
 
 ^l?e [?ad entered eternal rest. 
 Witt) ber sins forever pardoned, 
 
 I unped from all earthly dross, 
 ^be bad found, not deatb, but eternal bife, 
 )bere at tbe foot of tbe 6ross. 
 
 39 
 
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