Nuhou, Volume I, Number 23, 7 April 1874 — Easter. [ARTICLE]

Easter.

The Pasehal.Feastof Greeks and corresponding to the Pa4over of the Jews, derives its name from ' tlie aneieul Gothic goddess who pteīided ov. j i the tilth and husbanc|ry M of earth and humanity in the w.rm,. vernal season. Thc Germanic Christianwhen they firstj;>ehel j'the' A?!eb!ratiou of the great spring festival of th> ehu'ieh, and saw that its occurrence was identical wilh the feast of Ostera, they continued| the aneieni nāme to satisfy a superstitious plopulaee, ever hankering nfter ancient legends'and associations, and"called the Pascha <|f Rome the Ostern daag, fTnd henee our Ei>glish "Ēaster The Day was well celebrated| in Honolulu last Sunday with high rnass, clioral service, and u praise servlces.* % If tuneful orisons and mellifluous laudation C|Ould inspire c!iarity and general good will,| we ought to rejoice in an overflowsng sea?Qn of mutual sympathy and love. But alas|! our hearts and ears are widely |suudered and do not respond with a reciprocal sympathy when tuneful churches challenjje m our attention. The raellifluous vox humaua, of thc sweei intoning orga» may jouch humau souls of every elime to thrill in|'unison; but then ihe voiee of do.īnna jan£les forth its discord, and sunders and"'em,bitters And so we su!)deraif in Hawaii t where it was so Uyporfant that unity ōf faitli have prevailed. It was important, !>ecause these reU children of Pb!ynesia needed the full and confident exercise of their credulity. When thoy cast down theu* h\!eeus b!ocks of wood and stoue, they were ::eady to up their sou!s, witli undiv:Jei faith to tlie worship of tlieir wonderfu! w ihe vi<iiors a and if thoy had ne\er wltuessevl ihe ious jealou*ies and contentlous of the foreignens, \Vhat a faee of bt?fie\ln£ enihu£usts " I 'I ■ 1 • they !u\vo K\ n. But uo^, skeptu : lsiu • • ufter !ikej*tkisin, \vUuicver foriya!tty uw) lv a?samed, ttie jjrevultuii: seutltncut oumawā». v :- . "J \> o uust it win uot be fot oue moiueu(» (hut are iucuued euteiuiii* or UuU iLe oi clioral forais ol worsfaip, wheu e\efcised b± w ho kne jUereioiorc readaraUon% oi a can\ul aiul ti>rbidden cluracter, ,\\ 0 W ,

joir(; to a teu<lency amorjg al] crecds to cultivatH in their churche* (!»o a-s(hotic tastc in man, by ■pa^intipg&; > flowers, bannerfe, stained ;lights, above all by mēlodious worship. W r e would be happy to sit in our Evangelical fanes during an Ēaster celebration and li>sten to the ravishing choral glories of the Cape!kt Sistina of Eome. The tender, appealing strains of the venite, fiowing forth 'in me!lifluons floods from tunefu! young "th-roats, would touch and open our obdurate world worn and gnarled with hate and strife, whilst the hars!i, humdrum ; or pretentious unctuous voice of pulpit declamation, would only serve to shut us up with an unloving, critical ahtagonism.— Therefore chaunt and ehime, Oh, Churches! Fill the higliways of the islōs with melodies, Sound the poeans of praise on the hill tops; and fill our fruitful vales with vocal aspirations of love and laudajion to a Wbavenly Father, But mind you,- —whilst you have tuneful jubilee in whose aspiring shafts point to Heaven, do not foi'get to impart some of your melody and tuneful aspiration to the humhle huts of the land, whose thatch ē;ver points *downward to the gravē, You must tiine up their inmates with some liope of life,—some domestic order,—some gliiripse of virtue,—some desire and strife for better things,—with some comprehension of love, and convictions of duty; and when you have so attuned, those who now sit in the mire of slutns, With blotch and scab and taint of blood, and hopelessness of soul; —so that after a time, a healthy and a happy humanity shall fill our groves and homes of grass wi(h songs of adoration, then will your choral services of praise have found their most fitting Temple, and the truly regenerated isles will rejoice in a glorious Easfer. The Si FRAisE sekvice " at Fort Street Church on Sunday last # as an Eas(er eelebration was attended by a very (ull cot%regation. The programme of service embraced the * £ Venitg! exultimus Domino u Glona Patri ;' v Mozart's mass for Easter, the t$ Beneelie anima mea of Morgan ; 11 How Beautiful are thy Dwellings M by Leaeh; the Benedictus,'' and several congregational liymns. Some fine passages in <{ Benedic anima inea'" were well rendered by the mleasant semi baritdne voice of "Mr. Cooke. 3lr. Hairs tenor is vēry good, and the lady' soprauo produces some pleasing oflects; but we must say, that the solo and quarfette " of Leaeh was a jfaiiure } though not ihe fault of the Jady. A beautiful floral cross decorated tlie eommunion table f and ihe orgah enclosure, or ehaneel was festooned with garlands. Mr. Frear, the pastor, said in hisadr dress that Protestants, and especially Puritans had been too mueh conte'nt vvith mere ineulealioLi and rec?ption of truth, (olhe negleot of the vocal expression and manifestation of worship. A man who would not listen to the preaching of !he mighf have it sung into his heart, whieh tfoc(rlne we fally endorse,

The native Special Poliee recruitedbj are like!y to prove & very usefiil aud eionomieal force. They are now on dufy at llie Court House t during the trlals of the rloters; aiul those men recruited every oneby u$ t and known to he (aithāil friends of the King, may he depended upon ih help keepjhe peaee,

Thk eonvietion of five rioters jesterday, proves that our naiive juries are to he pend?c! on to mainlain law oncf order