Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-02-18
TIE LENTEN SEASON.

c,,sou. a fast of forty days which
~;mmcdiately proceeds Easter. The
Irwin of the word is uncertain; some
,1or;ye it from the Saxon tonctcn, inn
Icing spring. or the season when the
l,,s ..lcngthen''; others from the Ger
u,n Icincn, tothaw. The object ofthe
f,s, is also disputed, but it is generally
regarded as a preparation for Easter,
.nd a time specially set apart for re-
,o,,auce over the sins of the past
r.,r. while the number of forty days
.,o,o,cd to it is thought to have refer
,rce to the Savior's forty days fast in
,ho wilderness, to the forty days of the
dolrrc. the forty days wanderings OF
,ho Jews, the forty days granted Nine
,ites for repentance, or tie time spent
in fasting by Moses and Elias. st.
Jeromcspeaks of the fast as Il memo
ri,l of the Savior's passions; as well as
(. I co. II. Augustine. and most of the
t,,,crs of the fourth and fifth centuries.
Itwas Instituted by the Apostles. al
,ho,rh Professionals commonly hold
,h,, i, was not established until the sec
ond or third century. 1t seems
~ have been made obligatory at least
~ c,rlv As \. u. 80. At first there
"oS rrclt diversity in the time and
w,n,rr of its observance. Its dura-
ION was soon fixed by the church at
thirty-six days. to which four were
,ddrl. The first day OF Lent to-day
i. called Ash Wednesday, from Il Gus
tom which still prevails III the Roman
,,tholic Church of sprinklingthe head
+ or forehead with ashes. 1t Is the forty
.ixth d,v before Easter, the six Sundays
which intervene between it and that
festival no. being counted as part of
Lent. nor observed as fast days. In
the Roman Catholic Church the ma
turc of the fast Is prescribed by rule.
only onr meal Il day Is allowed, and at
mi, the use of flesh meat is prohibited.
thc pycccpt of fasting always implying
thnf of abstinence of flesh. \ slight
rc.rrrtien. however, may be taken
4 mornings and evenings, the quantity
I of food not to exceed two ounces in the
/ former case and eight ounce in the
LATER. Notifications of these rules arc
made in countries where the climate
or habits of the people render their OBJ
SII III ~ w - ~ ah-
pen "a ions are also frequently granted
in favor Of particular persons. In the
Uni cl safes the use of flesh meat is
allowed several times a week. at 'he
discretion CT the Bishops. In the
Greek Church the rules are strictcr;
and there are four Lenten feasts during
the wear. The Protestant denomina-
tion> which recognize the season of
lent leave the manner OF observance
to intiNi lual judgment. TIE fourth
SUNDAY OF Len is often termed mid
Len; or Passion Sunday: it as form
criv known as Carl S~undav-on that
day beans ~ peas. called .carling>.'
used 10 he given away or eaten. The
day before Ash Wednesday is called
Shrove Tuesday, because the faithful
used To then confess and be sllriVen i'll
PREPARATION tor the feast.
Tnc season is preceded in some coun-
tries 10y the designations OF the caIni-
val. ana is marked by the frequency
OF masked and fancy balls, to which
TIE public is inii>criminatcly admitted.
IN the Southern cities OF our country.
more especially New Orleans, King
carnival reign> supreme. Thousands
"f The citizens in the few days reign
81 mirth and .ioNialtY are G ON the
stress, in motley professions, all
masked. and following their king in
lis Wandcrings through the town; but
when the midnight hourarriycS usher
in@ in Ash Wednesday. the giyc,y is
thrown aside. and until after Easter all
attendance 20 amuScmcntS is RETAINED
from. Balls, parties and theaterS are
Iiscarde | for the time, and everything
tending to lead the mind away from
the observance of the season is. by the
more dcvout, religiOusly abstaincd
from.