The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-04-17
Our Broadbrin Letters.


! ferenoe-Book 6ales-O Opening Of the
Academy Of Design I'D Metropolitan
| Art Nuseum-Gypsy Robbers, Etc.
| New YoRi, April 10, 1880.
EDITOR CHIEF:
As if glad to be released from the
sombre season Of Lent,all the church.
es, without distinction joined in the
Easter celebration. D.. Adler, the
most heterodox of Jews, found cause
for jubilation that Christ had come
again and DR.. Gottteil, the cham
pion of Israelitish orthodoxy, in the
great feast of the Passover, when cell
ebrated under the lig,t Of the new
dispeDsatioD, found additional cause
for congratulation andrejoicing. Even
the followers of the stem Calvin shook
off the iron rule Of tie conventical,
and the earliest and pst beautiful Of
the Spring flowers, m.de their sltars
| bloom like the gardep Of the Lord.
The musical portion Of the Easter
ceremonies was especially attractive
! and delightful, and first-class so
| pranos, contraltos, tedbrs and bassos
were in active demand, and at ex-
orbitant prices. One d the most mag
nificent celebrations, @ might be ex-
pected, took place 4 the Catholic
CATHEDRAL, which ID probably tho
grandest church edifiee to be found
on the American continent. The day
was not pleasant; . old, sharp wind
swept through the streets, reminding
US uDcomfortably that March had not
yet gone; few ladies had courage to
fly their Spring kites, ard those who
did looked like roses twined about
the North Pole, Or daises blooming on
an ice berg. To return to tho cele-
bration at the Cathedral: the crowd
was simply immense, but vast as the
building ie, the mass of the people
who desired to get in would more
than have filed it twice. Expecta-
tion was great. Cardinal McCloskey,
clad in the royal robes Of his sacred
office, was to o61ciate in person, and
in addition to that, large plumber of
eminent clergymen were expected to
BE- present; for this Fe4st, SO sacred
in its associations, takes precedence,
Of every other church festival of the
year. Of course every sensible man
knows, whether Christian or Pagan,
that churches, like profape institu-
tions, must be supported, hut con-
fess that it was not without q shock,
that | saw each aisle guarded by a
dozen ushers, while the money chang
ers that Christ cast out of the TEN ole.
sat by their tables, demanding their
dollar and half dollar Of every man,
woman and child who passed the sa-
cred goal. When one reads those
lines Of loving promise, that the
Bread Of Life shall l'e given to them
who are hungry, and that the Waite,
Of Life shall be given to them who
are thirsty, without money and
without price," it looks as if the
promised land for the poor, the needy
and forsaken, was yet far off, and
that in heaven, as OH earth, all good
things were reserved for the rich. One
and may add, unusual
feature at the Cathedral, was the en-
tire absence of anything like floral
decoration not rose- bud or a violet
to te seen. This was understood to
be the Cardinals desire, who wished
it especially on the score of economy.
The vestnents that His Eminence
wore were rich and rare, covered over
aud over with magnificent and costly
lace, wonderful jewels of fabulous
value sparkled on his breast and on
his fingers, the value of a single one
of which would have covered the
temple with flowers. Plymouth
Church, even in mid winter, is lavish
in it's floral offerings, but on an occa-
sion like Easter, the contributions are
not only liberal, but exquisitely beau
tiful. Over the lovely parterre of
flowers, beamed the face of the pastor,
Mr.. Beecher, who looked as hale aud
as rosy as if his lines had always fall
en- in pleasant places, and bis dwell
ing place had ever been " a land flow
ing with milk and honey" Brother
Talm.ge, too, gave and elaborate cel-
ebration, his Easter tide Thanksgiving
being supplemented by the fact that
his appeal to Dives and Lazarus has
met with liberal response, and if the
Peters-pence come flowing in as they
have for the past three weeks, they
will no longer be under the necessity
Of mortgaging their church organ.
The Independent Catholic Church
is making rapid strides; e1-priests
and monks giving daily additional
strength. New halls are being opened
in New York and Brooklyn, and it
now looks as If the schism would be-