The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-29
EASTER.
JOttIDgs of Its Observance.

The weather yesterday was beautiful-warm.
Pras,,, PIsas,sh,I ana lnvlgorating The heavens were
pLopluous 10 Easter; for while to-day could
not well be more drear, the FIRST drop OF rain
did not fall until midnight. BY the ringing OF
Ine maIln Dell tne streets were thronged with
the devout. or course, SO thinks the age pieiv
does not exclude fashion, and, therefore many
most gay of spring bonnets. Besides, Yesterday
was display day for the good singers of the
Guy; why not, then, for the well dressed among
llsJeners7 All the churches we're open and
crowded, morning, afternoon, and evening.
Easter was never more heartily observed. The
programme Tor the day, as published in 5atur-
day sTELEGRAPH, was essentially followed. The
chief centres of attraction for the idle, the
curious, as well as the religious were the Roman
Catholic and Episcopal Churches Those of
other denominations worshipped just as fer
vently, put with less gaud and pOmp. They
waited lhelr prayers TO heaven on the breath
of unostentatiols piety, depending but little
upon the aid OF loud.toned organs, singing
men, singing women, and a full brass band.
These latter, however, are all right, VINO can
object To them? AS a good old preacher once
s SAD, the Devil SHOULDN'T have all the muslc."
me Cathedral on Eighteenth street made tue
focus for the gathering OF multitudes. Toe
show there-that is, the outside show, the
packed crowds, the torn clothing, and the de-
Inoiished hats-was better than circus What
II was inside would be matter difficult to tell.
y policeman Inside the doors stopped
us, because we didn't have pew" Though
he stopped our progress towardsthe mead OF tue
place, he allowed MS TO wedge little way in 10
the swaying mass OF people, when we did. We
heard some grand music, and saw Rcolyte or
hurried 10 the outer world. Not only the inside
OF the Cathedral, but the outside, the euro
ple-they VINO had st1iven lhsrd to enter. and
then s'rlven harder TO get out, like ourselves
or they who waited the chance of ingress
which we had forced. Eighteenth street, as far
as the eye could reach, north and south was
alive. Crowds were surging in and OCT OF the
church in a cons tant stream. The cathedrals
of the Ola World couldn't have done better. The
same excitement, ,throngs,a and grandeur, Though
in q som ewhat modified degree. Obtained at ST.
ctr
There the boy ch )risters rendered most ravsh-
ing music, and sang the words of the prosy
LltaDy In neDlhuous sweetness Had they
done the same Ia Beecher's Brooklyn churcn
they Wonld have been rapturouSly applauded.
The unseated hundreds who thronged the aisles
and doorWAys stood the fatigue oraVely, and of
course DIDN'T at all envy the downy stools on
which the more lucky bent aristocrauc knees.
Crowds here 8lso.were ebbing and lowing, but
we didn't notice any policemen inside keeping
order. At many of the other churches likewise
were multiludes of worshippers. More grand
praying was done yesterday in this city tn an
had been done for months before. But the true
Christian who took his way to the tieIds, and
there communed with his God, was Inst as
readily heard, and stood just as good a chance
of being answered,
At the Cathedral the PontifcA High Mass
was celebrated by the Right Rev. Bishop Wood.
The sanctuary and main altar were profusely
and uniquely decorated with flowers and lights,
and the music-the Grand Mass of Hummel-
was performed with an accuracy that displayed
to good advantage lis well .known excellence.
After the gospel the Very Rev. James O'Connor
preached from the text. This is the day which
the Lord hath made; let us rejoice Inereiu.'
The sermon decisive argument on the
authenticity of the proofs of the resurrection
drawn also so as to be applicable to the final
resurrection of mortality on earth Before
giving the PonIifical Benediction Bishop Wood
addressed the vast congregation on the subject
OF the coming Gcumenical Council The svil
effect of the Reformation, he said, had already
been removed by the growth OF the Church and
the restoration of so many nations to the old
faith but there was still greater evil to be
remedied, the wide diffusion of intidelity over
the world-an evil which the Catholic Church
alone could combat