Oregon W Emerald
MARGUERITE WITTWER-WRIGHT Editor GEORGE PEGG Business Manager
Entered as second class matter at the postoffice. Eugene, Oregon.__
RENAISSANCE
Peace is a forgotten name, remembered only in dreams.
Remembered in dreams that look' through a dark mirror re
flecting darkness. Peace is a mockery, a footstool before the
seat of the scornful. Somewhere are the peacenjakeis, the
uniters of nations, wearing cutaway coats and striped pants,
and drinking rare vintage wines from the grapes of Euro
pean hillsides where .but recently hunger-bloated children
"scrabbled for roots to eat. We are the peacemakers.
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with staw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass.
Faith is a grey shadow, swinging from a gallows in a
cold wet w-ind. Faith is an ironic smile (you must disarm but
we will keep The Bomb). Faith on its deathbed remembers
Geneva. Easters in Switzerland. Crocuses and furry anemones
pushing fragile faces through the fading snow. And over them
all the white marble place where a League of Nations ex
pressed faith in peace. The marble palace—a suitable sepul
chre. A tomb with words written upon it:
Do you remember that hour before the din of the attack—
And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook
you then
As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men?
Do you remember the stretcher-cases lurching back
With dying eyes and lolling heads, those ashen-grey
Masks of lads who once were keen and kind and gay?
Have you forgotten yet? ....
Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you’ll
never forget! •
All, but you have forgotten! It was only thirty years ago
in April . . . the great war, the war to end wars. And after
wards you built the marble palace in Geneva and your faith
was a pillar of fire doused quickly by blackouts in Europe
in 1939. And with your planes you built greater fires and
killed:
Peace Faith Love Hope Charity
Little children, dogs and cats, thoroughbred horses,
young men with good minds, idiots, cripples, old women
with stained teeth, farmers and poets, music, books
Yourselves!
But look, now it is spring again. Easter again.
To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough ....
Life in itself
Is nothing.
An empty cup, a flight of unoarpeted stairs,
It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
April
Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
Don’t you understand, you ? You listeners to oracles and
radio commentators and syndicated columnists. You watchers
at keyholes and newsreels, gapers at delegates to the U. N.,
haters of communists capitalists fascists nihilists jews negroes
japs germans brothers mothers and fathers. You with The
Bomb in your fumbling nervous hands. You with fountain
pens-that write-ujuler-water hesitating to sign new legisla
tion. What is this senseless babble of flateyecl Influence and
authorities on international relations and economic problems
of the South Pacific—
A cluttered incoherency that says to the stars:
“O God, save us!”
Oh yes, yes . . . That appeal to God. We have heard it
before: when your plane crashes on an iceberg, when your
child is dying, when your LST is hit, when you find you
have cancer.
This is 1 lie way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is tlie way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
"Hallowed be thy name . . . give us this day . . . forgive
'ns, forgive us, forgive us . . . for Thine is the Kingdom, Thine
is the power . . . God, God God . . .
Haven’t you forgotten something else?
This is April. This is Easter. Christ arose! The tired old
earth is covering the scars with clean new grass. Flowers
luirrv to camouflage the tank tracks in the mud. Sheep, goats,
-cattle are leading their naked young into the sunlight. There
is still life. There is still love ....
Now you remember! This is what He said:
Peace 1 leave with you. my peace I give unto you: not
as the troubled world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. This is mv com
mandment, That you love one another as I have loved you.
Ah, through the open door, Is there an ahnond tree
Aflame with blossom!—Let us fight no more.
With nothing fight anymore—In each other at least
See, how gorgeous the world Is Outside the door!
The Easter Story
AS TOLD BY ST. LUKE
o
I
Now upon the first day of the week, very early
in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bring
ing the spices which they had prepared, and certain
others with them. And they found the stone rolled away
from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found
not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass,
as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two
men stood by them in shining garments: And as they
were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, ,
they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among
the dead ?
He is not here, but is risen; remember how he spake
, unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, the Son
: of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,
and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And
| they remembered his words, and returned from the
I sepulchre ,and told all these things unto the eleven, and
to all the rest.
| It was Mary Magdalene, and Josanna, and Mary
:■ the mother of James, and other women that were with
I them, which told these things unto the apostles. And
iii their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they be
■ lieved them not.
Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and
j. stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by
themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that
: which was come ot pass.
And, behold, two of them went that same day to
* a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem
about three-score furlongs. And they talked together
.j of all these things which had happened. And it came
to pass, that, while they communed together and rea
i soned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
But their eyes were holden that they should not know
him. And he said unto them, What manner of communi
cations are these that we have one to another, as ye
walk, and are sad ?
And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas,
answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in
Jerusalem, and has not known the things which are
come to pass there in these days?
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them,
he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to
them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew
him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said
one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while
he talked with us, while he talked with us by the way,
and while he opened to us the scriptures ?
And they rose up the same hour and returned to
Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together,
and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is
risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they
told what things were done in the way, and how he
was known of them in breaking of bread.
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the
midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto
you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and.
supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto
them, Why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts
arise in your hearts ?
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself;
handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, —»
he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they
yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto
them. Have ye here any meat ? And they gave him a
piece of broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he
took it, and did eat before them.
And he said unto them, These are the words which
I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all
things must be fulfilled, which were written in the
law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms,
concerning me. Then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand the scriptures. And said
unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third
day: And that repentance and remission of sins should
be preached in his name among all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses in his name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are wit
nesses of these things.
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon
you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be
endued with power from on high.
And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted
up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass,
while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and
carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and
returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were con
tinually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.