New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-08

INTENSE DEVOTION AND FERVENT
PlETY OF THE COMMON PEOPLE.

From The New Review.
The amount of real fervor-for going to church
here is not dreamed Of as thing that looks
we'll it is too common, too universal too vul
gar Gf l may say SOD to be in the slightest de-
gree respectable-is. of course, a quantity known
to God alone. Yet. if we may judge by certain
exterior signs, lukewarmness is by means the
shortening of Polish Catholics. Look at that
old woman hobbling into church. She bears on
her arm ! am sorry 10 say. her purchases from
the market: sometimes a couple of fowls are
heard cackling in her basket sometimes heavy
thump on the pavement breaks a bottle Of
vinegar or of sour beetroot juice for the barszcz
at dinner. But she comes in, kneels down. and
lifts up both hands in prayer, in the attitude of
a priest saying the Collects. Presently signs
are heard tears trickle down her cheeks. she is
so absorbed that she does not hear the crowd
passing to and fro. and jOstling her: for she
has knct right in the middle of the passage up
the nave. And now she bends down. touching
the pavement with her forehead. in an ecstasy
of devotion. and remains in that posture till the
end of mass. Her action is not at all cxtraor-
binary; you may count hundreds in the very
same attitude Sometimes a peasant work
ing man will stretch himself PROSTATE on the
pavement. with his arms extended and his hands
open, if crucifcd. | have a painful remem-
brance of one such case. The church was
crammed. and those who wanted to get to the
communion table had to push and struggle, so
dense was the press. one of Them not noticing
the man lying on the ground. accidentally set
his foot upon the pcnitcnts fingers | saw the
lifted heel from distance. and. unable To pre-
vent it coming down. could hardly keep from
calling out in church But the man who lay
there did not even stir
At the moment Of the elevation. and often AT
any very striking passage in n sermon people
will lie heard to utter Il long "Ah-h-n" of
astOnishment and devotion. These simple. child
ish outbursts (Which in truth. are the reverse of
extraordinary. if we remember that all atholics
believe that Christ becomes really present on
the altar at thai solemn mOment) are rarcr in
towns. but very frequent in the country ! once
was present at the opening sermon of mis-
sion preached by four Jesuit fathers at the rate
of six sermons a day. for a couple Of weeks. to
a congregation of about twelve thousand peas
ants. come from all the neghboring villages.
The sermons were. of course. delivered in the
open air outside the church. The father spoke
in vigorous. homey language and waXed louder
and founder, more and more vehemcnty ear
nest. he went on. After some time. became
aware Of "A strange thrilling tremulous sound,
somewhat like the many noises of running
brook. that filled the pauseS between each SEN
tenCc 1t was the suppressed weeping of the
whole assembly. unable To repress their emo
ton, and | saw not only the women but the
men with big tears running down their rough
checks 1t made a peculiar and quite unex-
pected impression upon me, for the stod. heavy
faces had seemed to denote anything but an
impr ess Enable race.