New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-10
THE TESTiL MONTH

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There {, a growing impulse IN this country 20
make The month Of October sor OF fesial
month THIS impulse takes various forms. som"
of which d. not appear to be- closely related To
each other. hu. all Of which are developed from
the old English Harvest Home festivals. II =
Interesting 10 note BY the way, that the Eng
lish Harves- Home festivals have largely
lost their Joyous. spontaneous character. and
! have hecoma more or less mechanical religious
services. At Least tha' IS what Is said by many
English religious journals which declar" that
the most marked feature 81 The day Is the over
abundant and tastelesS decoration Of the
churches with fruits and vegetables Harvest
Home a. a religious festival has a. yet found
little Judgement in this country. and possibly
il never viii unless We take THANKSGIVING Day
TO be the American expression Of H. But the
ideal loveline.s Of October in amoSf every part
Of M country has already called into existence
various autumn festivals, In which mufltudes
of people are taking a keen delight. II Is dur
ing this month that great numbers Of country
people chiefly farmc :. organize excursions
10 III, nearest large CITY. During the last fcw
DAYS thousand, Of our fellow citizens from
Northern NcWIork ana \cwtnSlanl have
been guests Of this city and in spite Of the
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joyng TO the full. the many sided attractions II
has to offer The rame thing Is i'm" of Boston.
Philadelphia. Chicago. s.. Louis and the other
great cities Of the country. The sociological
and economic results Of This pleasant custom
must be far-rcach'ng. and VIII do mnch 10 weld
together She citizenship ~ the country IN unity
Of purpose and thought.
There are. however. other NOR, marked de
|
clally coming into prominence this year as one
OF the results Of returning prosperity. We re
fer 10 the great numbc: of "pro,pcrity festivals"
and "pagcants' and "carnivals' that are tax
ng place in 50 many States. Some Of these, a.
the "Festiya Of the Yelled Prophet" in ~.
Louis. and the Parade Of the Priests Of Pal
las in Kansas city. with their gorgcously COS
TUNED Kings and Queens" ana Maids of
Honor" are timc-honorcG local institutions.
whose popularity with enormous numbers of
plain people shows that Il democracy cannot or
at least does not, eradicate the average mans
love of glitter, pomp and ceremonial These
and other autumn festivals like them. occurring
after the farmers have gathered IN their crops.
, are growing in interest and popularity every
wear II is easy 10 Sncer n them as childish
and unmcaning. Buj in n measure The same
civic. military or religious that appeals so pow
erfully to the human Imagination. and through
| which the race is raised TO The lofiest heights
OF patriotism. vaor and morality. symbols
mean much in human life: there is profound
| philosophy in clothes. Notwithstanding the
| barbed sneers Of the Sage Of Chelsea, and JUS
| because most men and women must live arid
and prosaic lives, they fairly hunger and thirst
for the rich tones and cOors OF some great cere-
| monial. and the joyous abandon of n festal
day that is celebrated solely for Itself. and not
| for the utilitarian purpose OF gain. II is well
to encourage this side Of the American char
| acter There IS danger in this age OF tremen-
dous material progress that the people may for
get how to be happy simply for the sake Of the
happiness itself. Unless we are to become a
| Nation of plodders and money -getters, we must
| learn how 10 play AZ well as work. And there
are many evidences that this fact is coming to
| be generally understood.
The number Of lmpromptu carnivals Of pros
! perity that are being held this autumn. espe.
| c!ally in the Western States that have been
| most loudly complaining Of their poverty. fur.
nishes gratifying evidence Of the elastic hope
fulnes. Of the American people. Only few
| months ago the threatenings OF Populism made
many tmid Americans fear for the future, and
convinced sundry European journals that the
American Republic was on the verge Of dis
solution. But how changed is the whole situa-
ton now! A bountlfu crop has turned the cry
Of discomfort into pmans Of JOY, and many Of the
men who a few months ago were denouncing
eastern Shylocks' and 'plutocrats" are head