Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-18

dollar. to be used and
given back at some day in the dim future.
which sometimes never comes around.
But, said the first speaker, do you put
away all smiling when Lent comes each yeari
had no idea that you wore so religious
1T isn't religion at all" said the serious man.
I'm Unitarian and don't observe Lent bu,
other people do, YOU see. What is there to
smile at l should like to know
What. indeed! There are to be no more ger
mans, no more dancing parties, no more Of
those glorious big receptions, no more crushing
teas. The dancing shoes can go into retreat,
the white kid gloves can go to be secured.
There will be very good chance, too, for q few
OF the customary ashes to be sprinkled upon
the dress suit. so that its shining surface may
be toned down little.
But is the town reallyso quiet during Lent2''
writer for The STAR asked n number of peo-
pie about this. and elected variety of differ
ent replies, all showing the point Of view OF
people.
"What are you going to do during Lent?''
was asked OF man who goes about from one
ball to another as long as the season lasts, eats
innumerabe state dinners dances like an en-
thusiastic boarding school girl. paws q dozen or
more calls on some days and two or three every
day; and, In short, ACTS the part of society
man to perfection.
WHAT SOME PEOPLE WILL DO.
why" he answered, I'm going to Sleep"
Poor fellow, he has done his duty with VEN
geance. and he spends the holy season in re-
cuperation. He goes to bed at 10 o'clock every
night, and he brings back the bloom to his
faded cheeks When Lent is over and the old
sport begins again he will emerge from his re-
tirement as fresh daisy and ready to keep
it up with the best Of them.
Another person was asked the same question
and he replied that he went to just as many
parties during ent during the season. He
Ia society man. too, and goes to a great many
parties, but the Lenten parties are very differ
eut from the parties during the season. They
are quieter. and there is no dancing. But OF
card parties and quiet theater parties and
little dinners there are vast number given in
Lent. and, il a man is fortunate enough to
know the people who give them. and TO receive
invitations. he can keep on ''going ont" during
Lent just as much as he did before. He will
not find his dissipationsas wearing as they were,
and perhaps upon the whole it is more salts
factory to be entertained under these circum-
stances
The third man whom the writer questioned
said ne would spend Lent in making the ac-
quaintance OF the members Of his family. He
declared that for two months he had hardly ex-
changed forty words with them. 1t was very
easy to see how this could be, az he was up
nearly all night, he rarely got to the breakfast
table until after his family had left it, then he
the afternoon to go to his room and make a
hasty toilet, after which he made calls and went
to teas until it was time for him to change his
clothes again and go out to dinner. There is
no room in this arrangement for the family
chat about the fireside. OF course the society
man had his nights off but then be was SO tired
that he yawned through an hour or two in
silence and sought his couch in the endeavor to
do three weeks sleep in one night. This pic
ture is no exaggeratIon. For the genuine soci-
ETY. man. who is popular and accepts the invita-
tions he gets, there cannot be any home life.
GOING TO VISIT HIS FAMILY.
So this particular man avails himself Of the
pious forty days fast to see how his family are
getting along. He meets them with much
pleasure, and they have long and delightful
conversations very much as people do who
have been living in separate cities for some
time and who come together and compare
notes. lie finds that new cook has been en-
gagged during his absence. that one Of his little
nephews or nieces has learned to speak that a
distant cousin whom he never met has died. He
has leisure to notice that there lis new carpet
In one OF the bed rooms and that the dinner
hour has been changed. In return for this in
formation he tells the old people Of the differ
ent new people he has met. and what tine others
are doing He describes the beauties Of the
various bellies, and expatiates upon the excel
lence of the variouf dinners he has attended
he talks Of more than the others? Is he going
to bring one of them home some day
to see the members Of the family
with view to further announcement? Not
yet, at any rate. The season has its uses, for
then the men and girls can see and make the
acquaintance OF each other, but they have not
had a very good chance to do anything more
crowded ball room is a very good place for a
ten-minute Irritation. 1t may even be q good
place for people to fall in love, but there ia not
much chance for the real serious business of
serious love making. The truth is that the sea-
son is merely the forerunner Of Lent In this
matter, and that while the falling in love NAV
take place before Lent the contamination will
not be accomplished until there is opportunity
for the tete-a-tete conversations in the parlor
or the walks after church. Lent is naturally
the season OF engagements and the weddings
come OF in the spring.
On the whole. then, Lent is an excellent in
sti:ution. 1t gives sleep to one man. quiet
recreation to another. It restores one man to
the bosom Of his family, and to a good many
men 1t gives an opportunity for trying togst q
wife.
LSNrEN SACRIFICES.
what do you deny yourself, my dear, during
the pious Lenten season. said the clergyman
to his young lady parishioner.
Il don't use powder" she answered
But do YOU use powder the rest Of the year,
said the astonished pas tor.
mo, but you see l might, and when Lent
comes always resolve that under no circum-
stances will use powder till Easter, and nv
resolution always lasts through Easter and up
to Ash Wednesday, when resolve over again"
However absurd this species of self-denial
may be it is certainly better than the pious
fortitude OF some people. who give mp butter
and use jam, or those men who don't drink
during Lent and then drink too much when
Easter comes. There are even instances of
heroic men who give up smoking, but refresh
themselves by chewing tobacco. There is not
much virtue, either, In going to church during
Lent just because you can walk home with a
particular girl, when You would willingly stop
the church If you could have the walk with
out 1t.
The best instance Of rigorous keeping of Lent
on nm original basis was furnished by noted
character In New York, who died some some
years ago, regretted by large and admiring
get Of friends. He used to give great many
dinner parties. and when Lent came he did not
stop the dinners, but he was determined to sat
isfy his conscience, 80 he invited as his guests
| all the people Of his acquaintance who he knew
would dislike to dine in one another's society
Thus II two men had had grand row and were
not on speaking terms they would be sure to
ind themselves near together at his dinner
table. man who had been fitted BY girl
and looked upon her as hcartlcss creature
would DO lei mp to her and told to take her in
to dinner. Two old ladies who had had such q
battle royal early In the season that the whole
town had been talking Of il found each other
rubbing elbows one night at one of his Lsnten
feesss When he frst began to keep Lent in