Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-19
TIE LONG FAST.
The Lelten Season and Its Relig
iOus Importance.
ITS Obss rvances In the Catholic and
Episcopal Churehes-..AT Time or Ne
pentance and Self. Denial.


morning. today being Ash Wednesday in
the lesiasticsl calendar. This season
OF forty days is observed by many chris>
tian demo limitations as time to rest from
frivolous smusements. and take advan
tage OF an opportunity to repair their
spiritual forces by PRAYER and contrition.
and salutary fasting and abstinence. The
manner OF observance is. however. qui'e
different among the deuomna atoms, some
enforcing more rigid rules than others.
The Catholic church demands of its
people to fast during this season. under
pain of mortal sin. The beginning of
the Leuten season in the Cath
olic church is known as Ash
Wednesday, Tue custom of the
church en- Ash Wednesday is TO print
the sign Ct the cross on the forehesds of
the comm unicsnts, reminding them of the
biblical declaration, Thou art dust, and
unto dust thou shalt return"
Ia Its truest meaning lent means
spring. The days are frightening, and
tencten or Lent means TO lengthep, and
Lencten It'd is but another form of the ex-
preston. springtime. Hence the word
Lent contains within itself no more
thought Of fasting than of feastiug
Lent is movable fsst-depending on
the tickle moon. This. if nothing else
we're offered in evidence, would prove its
pagan origin. On account Of the uucer-
tsinty of the moon. leuten time has no
stated day for arriving. This year it
opens on Feb. 49, Last year Ash
"Wednesday fell on March To the
Catholic church the following regulations
are observed:
All the days Of Lent are fasting except
the Sundays.
All persons who have completed their
twentv>frst year, unless legitinately Gis,
pensed. are obliged to keep the fast
Custom allows q cup Of coffee. tea or
chocolate, with a small piece of bread, to
be taken 10 the morning. In the evening
of an orc mary meal is allowed
By dspensatioD. the use of fresh meat
is allowed at the principal meal on Mon
days. Tuesdays, Thursdsys and Sat
days. except the Saturday in Ember week
and the Saturday IN Holy week.
The use of fish and flesh is not allowed
at the 81 ne meal during Lent.
All under twenty-one years of age,
those who are engaged in hard work, the
sick and convalescent, and persons who
cannot last without serious injury to
healto, are exempt from the fast Per-
sons excused from fasting on account of
tender age. hard labor and sickness are
not restr cted to the use of fest meat
only one meal on the DAYS on which it is
allowed Those who entertain any
reasonable doubt about their obligation to
fast or abstain ought to apply to their
pastors for advice or dispensation.
In the Protestant Episcopal church
Lent is also regarded as important. Rev.
r. F Sweet, rector of Trinity, has is
sued neat little pamphlet to his psrish>
oners relative to the season of abs
s:iHence and prayer
Society is getting to observe this rig>
orous period more and more every year
not by any excessive fasting or NORTH
cation of the flesh, but as q period Of
rest from the gay whir of winter festivi-
ties, and the fair debutantes who have
thoroughly enjoyed the gay season, now
find some appropriate fad to beguile the
tedious hours away in this penitential
time when dancing Is tabooed. Some
orthodox persons start out with the fixed
purpose Of sbstsining from some habit or
fad to which they are addicted, but like
the periodical New Years swear of, it
is short lived and but q passing fancy.
The maiden may reconcile herself to the
loss of her chewing gum for one day; the
smoker may miss connections with one
cigar; but, as a general rule-not always
they are not lasting, and pass away as
harmlessly as the mists Of the morning
So, aside from several denominations
and some ultra orthordox people. Lent
will not entail much personal abstinence
upon the part of the average citizen. The
butcher and grocer will be patron ized,
and the tailor stood of with the same
unconcern as at any other season of the
year.
A Pitifol Fate.
0verseer Abel. of Scott county. telll
the Democrat story of q poor woman
who recently died In that city which il