The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-20

Wednesday next is Ash Wednesday, the
first day Of Lent, the day which prac-
ucally marks the end Of the winter so
cial season. With the coming OF Easter
Sunday. April 10th. the spring season will
open. In the meantime society viii alb
stain from all gaiety and will devote it.
self TO church going for IT has long since
put the seal OF its approval upon the
superficial Observance Of the season, at
least. and IL is distinctly bad form to
entertain during its continuance. or
course. this is the superficial side only
representing by no means the hundreds
who also "use such abstinence OF the
spirit" as the beautiful collect In the
Book Of Common Prayer appeals for
grace TO use, and which Robert Her
rick quantity says in the old poem, often
quoted, Is the true Observance.
THE OBSERVANCE.
In the Roman Catholic and Episcopal
churches tho season will be marked by
the usual special and numerous services
In the latter. as I'm former years, there
will be the interesting union services each
afternoon. OF which II has been said. by
some nippant individual, who. however
told the truth, that lit is the fashion 10
attend them That individual was, pos
sibly, less accurately posted as TO the
tender charity, the constant kindliness.
which "thc fashionable contingent as
class. are constantly extending to need
than their brilliant entertaining and over
looks the fact that plain living and
high thinking are not necessarily cor
relative There are the MONDAY services
for men, and the early morning ser
vices-the last being regarded by many
az productive Of he greatest stimulus
of
at the beginning of the busy days. and
are reminders that Man does not live
by bread alone which influence the
whole day. During the Lenten season II
is thought perfectly good form 10 give
small entertainments for the beneht OF
local charities OF other worthy enter
prises. The Rosemary teas one year ran
through the Lcnten period. and this year
numbers of those teas" felcitOusly called
"silver." are planned for the benefit Of
the hosptals, etc. Between this time and
Wednesday some delightful private en-
Pertaining will be done. and the Richmond
German Club will on Tuesday night give
an extra german. as finale 10 the pleas
ant winter of 1898. After Easter there
will be for time 81 whirl OF gaiety and
one Of the most brilliant entertainments
of the whole year is planned in the play
to be presented under the auspices Of the
einia Antiquities. Mrs. L. ID. Hotchklss
being the chairman for that affair.
BEGINNING OF LENT.
with regard to the beginning OF Lent
which is. of course, reckoned from the
date Of Easter Sunday memorable feaal
there IS general misunderstanding. Inc
ecclesiastical calendar. which is adopted
IN all the Catholic and most of the Pro-
,frfn q
country. Is Luni-Solar being regulated
partly by the solar and partly by the
lunar year-a circumstance which gives
rise TO the distinction between the NOV
able and the immOvable feast. The date
of Easter governs all the other movable
feasts. which, according to the regula-
lions OF the Council of Nice, must be de-
termned from the following conditions:
!. Easter must be celebrated on a Sun
day.
2. This Sunday must follow the four
teenth day Of the paschal moon, so that
If the fourteenth of the paschal moon
falls on a Sunday. then Easter must be
celebrated on the Sunday following:
8. The paschal moon is that OF which
the fourteenth day falls on or next fol-
lows the day of the vernal equinox.
A. The equinox is, fixed invariably In
the calendar on March twenty-first.
From these conditions II follows that
the paschal full moon or the fourteenth
Of the paschal full moon. cannot happen
before March 2lst, and that Easter, m
consequence. cannot happen before March
22d. III the fourteenth Of the moon falls
on the 2ist the new moon must fall on
the Sth. for q minus Is equals $. and the
paschal new moon cannot happen before
the Sth For suppose the new moon 10 fall
on the 18th then the full moon would ar
rive on the GOTH or the day before the
equinox. The following moon would be
the paschal moon. But the fourteenth OF
this moon falls at the latest on the 18th
of April. or twenty-nine days after
March 10Th. Now if in this case the 18th
OF April is Sunday. then Easter must be
celebrated on the following Sunday or
April 18th. Hence Easter Sunday cannot
happen earlier than March I'D or Apri'
18th. The word Lent is derived from the
Anglo-Saxon Lencten. spring. and the
season Is identical with that known In
the early Latin Church as Quadrasesma.
1t is commemorative Of those forty days
during which the Christ tasted for our
sakes forty days and forty nights and
VIGOROUSLY combated the temptations OF
"the world. the flesh and the devil IL Is
observed by the devout with varying de-
grees OF strictness leading up. for those
who use its privileges Alright, to the tri-
umphant JOY OF Easter.