Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-08
Daily eagle
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Easter Week In the National Capital
Tho Season OF Social Gayety Begun
Abused Warrington Babies-The Mod
crn Nurse and the Old Time Nanny
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, ApriL-Easter week was
q gala garish week In the National capital.
The country folk of the Republic do not
universally observe the times and seasons
Of the Christian year, and even IN the cities
there is a dearth of interest If not lack Of
knowledge concerning the changeable
feasts and fasts. The hierarchical ecclesia
have always carefully inculcated and i'm
pressed these things upon the minds of
the faithful, hence the city folk, either by
churchly utilization or by association, have
learned that the Easter-tde Is the season
for display, and the pious consider it the
time for rejoicing, because of the announce
ment from all the puipits that "He is
risen" On Easter Sunday our houses Of
worship were filled with silks, satin, fine
.raiment, costly fabrics, many Of them
brought "from GreenlsnG's icy mountains,
from IndiR's coral strand'' and other
places remote There were gold franklin
cense and myrrh, the atmosphere redolent
Of perfumed handkerohiefs as well as in
cense from the altar. Fair faces beamed
with selfsatisfaction and self graduation;
the robed priests intoned the sltisonant
phrases Of the books, and the organ pealed
forth its thrilling prisons Of joyful power;
blending IN harmonious accord with the
fiute-hke, yea, bird-like, notes Of soprano
and contralto, the devotional basso and
tenor; wealth and luxuriance abounded on
every hand. Again and again 1t was an
nounced from chancel, pulpit and choir-loft
that He is risen," and all the people were
glad.
In the midst Of it all there rose mental
picture which would not down. 1t was one
of squalor, poverty and suffering There
appeared One who had not where to lay His
head, surrounded by few, very few fol-
lowers, all of them poor, clad in sackcloth
and besprinkled with ashes. From a tomb
on the side Of hill angels rolled away the
great stone. and there came forth Man
bruised and tortured unto death. It seemed
that He, the meek and lowiy, looked down
upon the brilliant scene in wonder with
puzzled mien, to ascertain IL this were
really and truly an exemplincation OF the
religion Of poverty, asceticism, sel:-abnega-
ton for which he lived, suffered and laid
down His life. There was such paradoxical
contrast between the mental vision, be-
gotten Of Biblical instruction, aud the real
tangible gala scene, that l took my hat and
walked forth into one of the parks, thinking
that 1.-THE groves were God 8 FIRST temples"
and beneath the shade of spreading elm
and o'erarching 1eafy limbs there might
spontaneously come surcease OF regret and
contumely that these things should be. I'm
hidden and inyoluntariAy came cynical,
critical thoughts inimical to the whole
snowy scene. Was it for such grand dis.
play Of the dollars Of the producing masses
that He lived sad died, and was risen againl
All week long these oogitations have been
whir.ing and whizzing through my brain, /
and they viii not down. Probably there is
something self-conscious, torpid, unnatural,
astringent In an Easter that ought not to be-
Is this gaudiness born of righteousness, or
is it Neoplatouio philosophy incarnate in
stead of Christianity
Well, the Sunday pas sed, as Sundays will
do, and the season of social excitement is
here. From Gethsemane to Gomorrah
seems but little step now, and Sodom may
be near US. Pennsylvania avenue is a
Kaleidoscope glitter of fashion. The ladies
of Washington are not more Snowy, and GER
tainly not more beautiful and attractive,
than their sisters in other cities; but our
broad streets, avenues and verdant climate
lGCnlSu peltcr ieACiilLc5 loE SoSiuS anu OS-
ing seen of men, and the ladies' of this city
do not overlook their opportunities. To be
seen of women is a female ambition, If one
can outshine the other; but TO be seen of
men is the first and foremost wish dear to
every feminine heart, and 1t matters not,
exc We, whether the plumed birds be mated .
or seeking to mate. The love of admiration
is innate, and Is and has been to many the
root of all evil For this were the bang and /
hustle brought into civilized countries, and
the rings, bracelets and paintings of bar.
barisns made commonplace and, neces.
sary in boudoir, parlor, drawing.roo and
public places. For this man millners have