THE

CHILDREN OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

PENTECOST, day of rejoicing, had come.

church of the village

The

Stood gleaming white in the morning's sheen. On the spire of the belfry,

Tipped with a vane of metal, the friendly flames of the Spring-sun

Glanced like the tongues of fire, beheld by Apostles aforetime.

Clear was the heaven and blue, and May, with

her cap crowned with roses,

Stood in her holiday dress in the fields, and the wind and the brooklet

Murmured gladness and peace, God's-peace! With lips rosy-tinted

Whispered the race of the flowers, and merry on balancing branches

Birds were singing their carol, a jubilant hymn to the Highest.

Swept and clean was the churchyard. Adorned like a leaf-woven arbour

Stood its old-fashioned gate; and within upon each cross of iron

Hung was a sweet-scented garland, new twined

by the hands of affection.

Even the dial, that stood on a fountain among the departed,

(There full a hundred years had it stood,) was embellished with blossoms.

Like to the patriarch hoary, the sage of his kith and the hamlet,

Who on his birth-day is crowned by children and children's children,

So stood the ancient prophet, and mute with his pencil of iron

Marked on the tablet of stone, and measured the swift-changing moment,

While all around at his feet, an eternity slumbered in quiet.

Also the church within was adorned, for this was

the season

In which the young, their parents' hope, and the

loved-ones of heaven,

Should at the foot of the altar renew the vows of their baptism.

Therefore each nook and corner was swept and

cleaned, and the dust was

Blown from the walls and ceiling, and from the

oil-painted benches.

There stood the church like a garden; the Feast of the Leafy Pavilions *

Saw we in living presentment. From noble arms on the church wall

Grew forth a cluster of leaves, and the preacher's pulpit of oak-wood

Budded once more anew, as aforetime the rod before Aaron.

Wreathed thereon was the Bible with leaves, and

the dove, washed with silver,

Under its canopy fastened, a necklace had on of wind-flowers.

But in front of the choir, round the altar-piece painted by Hörberg,†

Crept a garland gigantic ; and bright-curling tresses of angels

*The Feast of the Tabernacles; in Swedish, Löfhyddohögtiden, the Leaf-huts'-high-tide.

The peasant-painter of Sweden. He is known chiefly by his altar-pieces in the village churches.

Peeped, like the sun from a cloud, out of the shadowy leaf-work.

Likewise the lustre of brass, new-polished, blinked from the ceiling,

And for lights there were lilies of Pentecost set in the sockets.

Loud rang the bells already; the thronging

crowd was assembled

Far from valleys and hills, to list to the holy

preaching.

Hark! then roll forth at once the mighty tones

from the organ,

Hover like voices from God, aloft like invisible

spirits.

Like as Elias in heaven, when he cast off from him his mantle,

Even so cast off the soul its garments of earth;

and with one voice