St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-18

interpret the requisite music done by noted
Spanish composer, priest named Esclava.
Again it is sung on Thursday evening.
On Holy Thursday and Good Friday there
takes place curious service. which is known
as that of the Monuments. Immense wooden
structures covered with staff to represent
marble are erected in every church as well as
the Cathedral. A consecrated host is de-
posted in each. The devout endeavour to
breathe prayer before each such temporary
altar, once in the forty-eight hours The
whole is brilliantly Illuminated with five or
six thousand candles, and one hundred and
sixty silver lamps.
From Monday to Friday curious process
ions, known as cof'ddias, pass through the
streets every day, twenty-three in all. They
consist of one or two pasos or wooden statues
OF the Virgin Mary, the crucified Saviour, the
two thieves, etc., mounted on wooden plat
forms, borne by men carefully concealed
They are intended to depict scenes in the
life of Christ. Then follow long lines of
military, attired as Roman soldiers, or a
concourse of Nazarenes in sackcloth and
ashes. The effigies of the Virgin Mary are
draped in very costly robes, being princi-
pally of velvet, stiff and crusted with gold
and silver embroidery, costing up into the
thousands of dollars. The professions last
all night, and the streets are as full Of specta-
tors as in the daytime. These cofradias are
viewed by the rich people from boxes and
seats erected in front of the townhall
Almost every nation is represented, and
squads of cabelleros, officers, etc. file up and
down the streets, to get good views OF the
senoritas.
On Saturday morning, an immense black
veil, that all the week has hid the reredos,
an emblem of the darkness that enveloped
the earth during the disappearance of Christ
is suddenly rent apart, amid the laundering
echoes above. Immediately the "a bells of
the city awake, and fill the air with sound.
This is taken up by the bells of the 146
churches, until the whole air trembles with a
vibratory earthquake. Cannons and guns are
fired, and each individual human unit, who
has any means for making noise, contrib
utes his or her share. 1t is one upheaval of
discords.
There are many strange customs which
are observed in various portions of Europe.
in byeways and sequestered villages, that
are mere survfvals of the Middle Ages. One
very ancient one, was that of putting out
all the household fires, and relighting them
on Easter eve, from the sacred fints In
ireland even now, children and the more
ignorant rise early on Easter morning, to
see the sun dance for Joy.
Of all countries of the earth. Russia is the
one where Easter is celebrated with the
greatest ceremony and with evidences of re-
joicing from ear to peasant. Every one
goes about embracing ard kissing, and cry
ing out; :" Yes, the Lord is risen. He is
risen indeed" Even the Emperor meets
his relatives and officials in that way. 1t is
after long fast, more strictly kept than
would be possible in England or America.
that Easter Eve arrives. Every prominent
building in st. Petersburg, and every other
town are decked with flags, and the white.
green and red of the national banners flash
and wave all along the streets. In all the
bake shops and confectioners' windows.
gorgeous with gilt and gingerbread work,
the Easter toys and offerings attract crowds
of not only eager boys and girls, but of
grown people as well. Curious confection-
cry, in which the Easter egg is conspicuous,
fill the eye of childhood, along with the
curious compound called the pashka, with
which all the orthodox break their fast in
the morning. 1t is white, made of sour
cream and speckled with faisins.
The streets are packed with the throngs
that gather and increase as midnight ap-
proaches. The Nevski Prospect, brilliant
with its rows of electric lights, stretches
for several miles through the city, crowded
from end to end with with carriages.
droshkis and pedestrians. Kazan cathed-
raj and the Cathedral of st. Isaacs.
the northern rival Of the great Roman
church, are the most attractive points. At
the latter, admission can only be gained by
favor, and beneath it's golden dome that
shines consplcuously afar above st. Peters
burg, there is a crowd of the nobility the
majesty and the responsibility of the Russian
Empire. Exactly under the dome. is a
raised dais, and on that stands table, bear
ing the full length picture, representing the
Lord in the grave, On either side blaze a
forest OF great candles. Men and women
advance to the picture, and reverently cross
ing themselves kiss it, and sometimes repeat
the operation. Handsome young guards
men In White uniform, stand up in long
line. The cathedral is but dimly lighted, to
prefigure the darkness of the tomb, but even
by the Pickering tapers, the gigantic and
elaborate proportions of the church are
visible, and here and there one can see the
gorgeous splendor of the ornamentation.
Easter dawn, just as the hour of midnight is
reached. The candles are lighted, and as by
magic, out flashes the glory of the great
cathedral; pillars of green malachite sup
porting the screen, the blue columns of lapis
lazull on either side of the gilded gates, that
concealed the altar form an imperial frame
for the great mosaic pictures, Jesus of
Nazareth, and the Mother Mary with her
child, colossal haloed saints, among them ST.
1saacs of Dalmata and st. Nicholas fayorite of
Russian saints. This is suddenly interrupted
by great burst Of song from the choir. which
stands before the altar, arrayed in blue and
yellow vestments. The gates open. and
beyond the steady glare of the candles. and
directly before the altar in the eastern
window is the gigantic figure of the Risen
Christ; and thrill of Joy goes through the
crowd. Then the gates close again, and the
singing continues while o procession Of
banners, preceded by an antique lamp and
cross, pass down the nave to the further end
OF the church. They go down the cathedral.
then pass around it, asking everywhere,
"Have you seen Him? Have YOU seen Him p''
with sort of dramatic action. At length
they come to the dais, and as thew ask
where is He?" there comes the reply ssHe is
not here, He is risen p and the sudden out
burst of sound is the grand choir chanting
the anthem of the Resurrection" in reply.
Then follow marchings and countermarch-
ings, chants and responses. Then comes a
gorgeous procession Of ecclesiastics swing
ing smoking censers and bearing candles in
numerable. Nearly every person in the
cathedral has white taper and at the proper
time with one accord the tapers are lighted,
until the vast church is an undulating sea of
light, above which the dim smoke of the in
cense hovers like an autumn midst.
The first part is over at two O'clock in the
morning. All around the sacred edifce long
rows Of paschkas and colitchies, clotted
cTrr oDf oolya 10