New-York tribune., 1879-02-26
days study of the proceeding in Congress
Sn0geSiS.


HHAH AND bLIL LENT
Lent begns to-day; and Lent. ID our large
cities. commands notice now not only as a
religious but n social and secular la"t. In
deed. to the majority Of people il only means
Il sudden cessation Oi dissipation IN an cX-
piring flush of camivals, balls and kettle
drums ON Mardi Gras and the substitution IN
stead OF mild lunches, concerts, ana quiet
dinners, with good deal Of church il-g0ihg
by the women mortised in between. Caterers,
theatrical mqn1gcrs florists and butchers Will
find trade lag heavily for forty days, "lhie
fish and eggs Will rise and hold the
market Onc thing is observable: that we
all keep Lent, if we keep 1t at ALL
in a body gregariously, just as we celebrate
Christmas all together or march by pdtoons 10
musterS and picnics on tie Fourth oi July'
The EpiScopllinn and Catholic authorizes
have issued general directions, Morning ser
"yice or sermon so many days in the week.
or "Mcat forbidden except TO certain classes
etc. If there is any spiritual good TO be found
in the keeping Of Lent, We are all going along
the same road to get at it, iii precisely the
same way 80 much fasting, 50 many church
services daily, so few dinners or balls Men,
succ the world began, have chosen to march
in droycs along an approved road, whether III
fashion, in politics or in religion.
Looking at this business of Lent however
from an outside point of view, we are net al
all sure that the approved road always leads
to the desired end We suppose tie end OF
Lent to be, in plain English, that each human
being should have one season during the year
i'm which he should withdraw himself from his
ordinary life and seek to understand more
clearly the 20 it0n in which he stands to tod.
If a man or woman is helped to DO this by
chuuh--Olug and fasting (aS no doubt he Is III
Il maiorlv Of cascs), then he !, right and hon
est in Joining in these ob>crvauces. Bur IT he
gives up balls and substitutes small dinners,
if he goes TO church daily and eats oysters in
stead of beef, simply because it Is
" the thing" to do from Ash Wednesday
to Easter, he Is only cinglng more
desperately than ever to the world IN the very
time when ne should turn his back on it, and
holding the most miserable Of frauds ana
slams up between him and his God. The
Saviour in His Lent did not 20 to the
crowded syrasosu,s OF fast with His disciples
FROM this or that article OF food He went
into the wilderness and was alone with Cod.
There /, not man Of us all endowed with
ordinary sousc or feeling who does not know
perfectly well that hc should sometimes stop
in the daily grind IN house or shop or society
TO take breath, 10 push back the hamUcrng
Ioujinc of things and people about him, 50
that he can look into the awful facts OF the
God who gave hIm life, the use which he is
making of that life, aud the death which waits
beyond. Each man knows for himself how best
he can make th> pause, dud can get furthcat
away from his everyday thoughts and aims.
Men Of business may reach this "wildcmess'
where God waits 10 speak TO them, through
the unaccustomcd music and prayers and SER
mons in church; there are myIiads OF pi0us
souls who mount on these aS on Well-U1d-
den altar Steps to their Makers presence.
\ woman Of society might ind it more
quickly in the back alley, where some
of His brethren. hungry and poor, have
a direct message from Him to give TO her: it
is possible that to many a clergyman, for
whom the meaning of church and hymn and
sermon has become dullcd through long Itera-
ton, Lent would be most real it, like their
Master, they could leave them all behind and
| face God somewhere with neither form nor
ceremony between.
But, however We accept Lent, do not let Il,
make a sham and fraud of it. Neglect it al
together. if that seems right take some other
time, unknown to any human b.ing, 10 strive
to come nearer to the great realities OF Life
and Death aud God. But ii we profess to Use
the season at all in its high and 1wth pur-
pose, let there hc no fashionable hypocrisy
about it. Fi-h-cating ami church-g0ingAir
good thiug, i'll their place, and serve red>On-
able purpose when kept there bat if they are
substituted for the justice which a man
should metr out to lis own life when Il is put
or trial, or the genuine abasrmont OF soul
with winch he should approach his Maker,
they are the most pcriIou> of frauds.