Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-04-04
NO.27--sO6.

a
onous course Of time and affords an op-
portunity for those who wish to hold
sugar parties, trade horses, and do va
rious things Of like nature. Whatev-
er sanctity may have attached to it IN
former period has pretty much drop
ped off, and the question is, is it worth
while to have Fast Day as an annual
Institution. There are times when it
seems proper to observe fast. Great
calamities reveal to men their weakness
and impress sense of dependence
These calamities may be local or gen
eral, and the fasts that arise in conse-
quence are of a similar character. 1t
is perhaps safe enough to say that we
ought to fast once year on general
principles. Perhaps we are wicked en-
ough TO do some fasting every day, if
such practice would bring US into
better frame Of mind, but the fact is,
IN times of great, or even ordinary pros
perity, the mass Of men are not very
deeply impressed with a sense Of their
sinfulness. Fasting for sins that one
does not particularly feel is too much
like the old method of repenting of sins
committed in Adam. 1t is this COM
Portable feeling OF self-satisfaction in re-
gard to our moral status that so many
of us indulge in, that takes the real sig
nificance out of Fast day. And the
meaning cannot be put back into it un-
til changed conditions in the circum-
stances Of mems lives force it in. Dur
ing the years of the War Of Rebellion
the annual Fast day services were the
most impressive religious services Of
the year. The nation was in trouble
and each man felt its disturbing infiu-
ence. The generation in active life
now has seen scarcely shadow fall
upon our national affairs. The appro-
priateness of fasting is not clearly dis
cernible. When an observance becomes
ceremony and nothing more, is it
wise to continue it! The season OF
Spring is a good time TO be thankful,
rejoice that we have passed safely thro'
the perils of another Vermont winter.
If Thanksgivings and Fasts have come
under an unalterable law Of custom,
there are clear reasons for the reversal
of their observance. If this cannot be
accomplished there should be such
combination of features that one can
fast and be thankful or feast and mourn
at each end of the busy period of the
year. Fast day has sort Of under
ground connection with some ancient
pagan festival, and these festivals were
born Of human instincts or yearnings.
and it may be that on this account it is
exceedingly difficult to change or drop
custom out of which for the time be-
ing much OF the meaning has passed
There are some things about Fast day
that we do not like to see. We do not
like to see the Governor Of the State
send out a proclamation calling upon
all the people to turn aside from their
business and engage in worship for
brief season. and find about one in five
hundred paying any attention to the
call. We do not like to see church
expect of minister that he will spend
the best part of a week in preparing AN
extra fine discourse, and then when the
day comes about nine-tenths of them
remain at home. and the minister find
himself compelled to address congre-
CATION composed OF his own family, the
sexton, two old maids. one widow. a
stray deacon, two church mice, three or
four umbrellas and pair of rubbcrs.--
We do not like To see the profane pass
the day in horse-racing, base bah games,
general revelry and drunkenness so that
more sin is committed on that day than
on any other day in the year. and all
because sort of Difference TO custom
drops of from labor. and there is not
moral stamina enough TO carry them
into the range Of religious influences,
and, we do not like to see the pious,
though not participants. standing by as
spectators. when they ought to be fast
ing for their SINS aud getting ready tor
Springs work. If Fast days must be
kept up We would like TO see little
more meaning inserted into them. Let
the fires on the hearth burn low. aud
the larder be empty while the soul looks
n as