New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-14

large globe lamps Of colored glass, in which wax
tapers we're burning. At FIRST l could hardly
understand so novel spectacle, having never
heard ofbut one sensible person carrying slighted
lantern in the streets by day Diogenes in
search Of an honest man. But, remembering
that il was Ail-SAints day, when the Catholics
pray the souls Of their deceased relatives out Of
purgstory that fancitd halfway house between
earth and heaven, knew that the festoons and
wreaths Of sweet-smelling flowers were intended
to hang over the tombstones Of the dead, aud
the lamps to be placed over their graves many
hours n order that, according to their childish
belief the Gin taper might light the unbound soul
to its heaven home. Having but little 20 do,
dressed myself and fell in with the crswds that
were passing toward the cemetery.
Though 90 late in the season it was made to
blossom with roses, and the dewy tears on the
cold marble sat like gems among the flowers
All the avenues were filled with people walking
here and there, or busted in decorating the
graves The festo0ns and wreaths were hung
over the monuments which, both large and small,
were generally of the shape Of a cross. The
SOIL over inc IiItlt mOunucf hhlCn uS wv
love to disturb, is there from year to year made
into small hower-bed, which is never so care
fully arranged as on Al-Sants day. Tapers
were lighted over them all, and the good mothers
end sisters were kneelng ON the cold ground
beside them, repeating the prayer which is pre-
scribed for releasing the souls of their friends
from the plaques of purgatory. noticed, no y
ever, but few manifestations Of grief, for dis
turbing the earth ever those they had once loved
did not seem greatly to harrow up bitter
thoughts in the hearts of the living.
saw many poor women, very poor women
kneeling by the side Of monuments far too cost
ly for them OF theirs, and asked why they did
so in the cold morning air. Hu bettn tar die
Il" Seelen der Todten," 1--WE are praying for the
souls of the dead,) said one Of them; "and if
"you will give US krewzer we will pray for you
"also." Wherever there is human life some
thing can be learned of human nature. These
poor women such as we SEQ only in the streets
of European cities, are so accustomed to look
up to the rich and powerful when alive that
they 90 and whisper their pater. nosters by their
graves when dead.
spent an hour in wandering among the
graves and reading the epitaphs. Among the
monuments were those of dules counts, and
great generals, who had rendered their names
memorable in the annals Of Austrian history.
BY chance came before the tomb Of Beethoven,
over which is an obelisk, ornamented with Tyre
and surrounded with acacias. 1t is almost
worth pilgrimage across the Atlantic to stand
by the grave of that great genius. Who would
not like to 60 there yearly, when All-Saints
day returns, and say a pater nOs'er' He must
have heart Of stone who will not give the poor
old woman who often kneels there, a few
kreutzers for her pious prayers
That evening / attended Tie Deam at the
cathedral of st. Stephen, when all the saints of
the calendar were invoked. After music com
menced the great prayer, which was responded to
by thousands. Although believer in the per-
severance Of the saints found the invocation
was approximating to the length of Calvin
istic sermon. l grew impatient and couie Dol
help whispering to a young lady by my SIZE;
FrduIein erlauben Sic mir, ace riee HeIttge ge6t
es? miss, allow me-; how many saints are
there y Nur drei hundert tanf ind sechzig, (oRly
three hundred and sixty five she replied smil-
ing. That was enough. Not to appear lrreserent,
| bowed and made the sign of the cross to the
Madonna and passed out through the Gothic
archway into the world that was beating anu
throbbing on the great square of st Stephen.
Catholicism belongs to the South, and is in my
estimation most agreeable religion in hot
weather 1 am fond of lingering for hours in
these old Catholic churches, which are delight
fully cool compared to the world outside When
at Vienna it was my supreme delight with
Faust or Alamontade in hand, to while away the
sultry hours in some sequestered corner OF the
gray.worn cathedral Of st. Stephen. There
were soft paintings, which had grown into
things of beauty under the cunning hand, toiling
to realize the ideal; the marble angels seemed
poised for ascending or descending flight, aud
the MadOnnas looked so beautiful that ween
the silent wOrshiper often forgets his prayer
before those affairs. 1t is not little amusing
to examine the votiye offerings suspended be-
fore Catholic shrines Here are hung up minia-
ture silver legs and arms, typical of human
extremites relieved of luxatiOns or fractures
by celestial surgery, and models of ugly tumors,
in whose heroic treatment solution OF con-
tinuity had been effected without the aid OF
carnal instruments; there may be seen tableaHr
representing diseased spinal columns straight
ened by the interpretation of a saint, and feyers,
devils, and the like, exercised by simple sign
of the cross-sIl modern miracles-cures Wit.
messed by the eye of faith.
| When Diaporas the philosopher visited the