TRANSLATIONS.

I. Swedish.

THE CHILDREN OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

FROM BISHOP TEGNER.

PENTECOST, day of rejoicing, had come. The church of the

village

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 afore

time.

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

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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 leafwoven 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-chang

ing 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 a

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,b

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

* The Feast of the Tabernacles; in Swedish Löfhyddo-högtiden, the Leafhuts'-high-tide.

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

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

Chimed in the congregation, and sang an anthem immortal Of the sublime Wallín, of David's harp in the North-land

a

Tuned to the choral of Luther; the song on its powerful

pinions

Took every living soul, and lifted it gently to heaven,

And every face did shine like the Holy One's face upon

Tabor.

Lo! there entered then into the church the Reverend Teacher. Father he hight and he was in the parish; a christianly

plainness

Clothed from his head to his feet the old man of seventy

winters.

Friendly was he to behold, and glad as the heralding angel Walked he among the crowds, but still a contemplative

grandeur

Lay on his forehead, as clear as on moss-covered grave-stone

a sun-beam.

As in his inspiration (an evening twilight that faintly

A distinguished pulpit-orator and poet. He is particularly remarkable for the beauty and sublimity of his psalms.

Gleams in the human soul, even now, from the day of creation) Th' Artist, the friend of heaven, imagines Saint John when in Patmos,

Gray, with his eyes uplifted to heaven, so seemed then the old man ;

Such was the glance of his eye, and such were his tresses of

silver.

All the congregation arose in the pews that were numbered. But with a cordial look, to the right and the left hand, the

old man

Nodding all hail and peace, disappeared in the innermost chancel.

Simply and solemnly now proceeded the Christian service, Singing and prayer, and at last an ardent discourse from the

old man.

Many a moving word and warning, that out of the heart came, Fell like the dew of the morning, like manna on those in the

desert.

Afterwards, when all was finished, the Teacher reëntered the

chancel,

Followed therein by the young. On the right hand the boys had their places,

Delicate figures, with close-curling hair and cheeks rosy

blooming.

But on the left hand of these, there stood the tremulous

lilies,