The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-04-20

the city walls
 On Good Friday only business or work, public or private of the most impera- tive need, is done, and in the houses or the devout it is as if the dearest member or the family were lying dead. Ladies wear sambre black, discarding all orna- ment. But one meal is served in the twenty-four hours, and that at midday of bread, rice and bacalao The latter is CodfiSh, but so compounded with oil and saffron, tomatoes and peppers that a Nantucketer would fail to recognize his own At twilight, images of the dead Christ, of his sorroWing Mother of St John and Mary Magdaene, together with the instruments of His Passion are borne through the streets at the head Of a vast following of clergy, religious or ders confraternities, charitable associa- tons and the general public, During the last decade these ime-honored cus- toms have been somewhat on the wane in the more cosmopolitan capital, and in this year of American occupation were comparatively omitted, but are still in full force in other parts of the island.
 Then comes Holy Saturday, the blessed pause and Hull of emotion that | DIGNdlS III all Slll lStlcll tOulltllNS' | i' testant or Catholic--the loosening of the strain of weeks, the resting from the gloom of the latest days in the sure knowledge that a glad time, the great day the Lord hath made, is only few hours away.
 At sunrise on Easter morning comes another triumphal procession The risen Christ is borne from the cathedral to- ward the old church of Santa Catalina, and is met on the way by procession from the latter bearing St, Mary Mag dalene seeking her Master. At the mo- ment of meeting a salute is fired; on the instant cannon boom, drums beat, trum- pets blare the hushed church bells clamor again, flags are flung out from the harbor-forts towers and house tops, from government buildings and ships in the bay; carriages dash unchallenged through the city gates, the orb of day rises glorious from the sea, and the Son of Righteousness too, is risen, having conquered the grave for the whole hu- man race.
 High mass in any of Havana's twenty churches is a thing to be long remem- bered, and military mass in the cathe- dral is startlingly impressive. The old building itself is very quaint and inter- esting, antique Spanish in architecture, it's stones mess grown and it's interior as religiously dim as heart could wish; rich in rare paintings, vestments, gold and silver candelabra, altar equipments and sacred vessels but there is, alas! too much of the tawdriness and bedizement so dear to ignorant taste, and especially | ,f ii, America. As everybody knows the ash es of Christopher Columbus reposed in this church through two long centuries. and above his tomb hung the rusty chains with. which his ungrateful master bound him. The departing Spaniards should not have been permitted to car " these sacred relics away from Cuba; but they did so, unhindered by their American conquerors, and the fresh plaster around the recently displaced stone that closed the vault tells of emp tiness within.
 On Easter morning the finest treasures of the sacristy are brought forth to drape the altars and glitter in the floods of waxen light. Jewels sparkle amid the gold embroideries of the white vest ments of ecclesiastics within the altar rail- and a crowd of officers in full uni form lends color to the scene. The otb- CT soldiers stand in body near the mid dle of the church. Around them kneels motley gathering-lades of high de- gree with their children poor reconcen- trado women negro servants, gaily be- decked courtesans, handsome bronze women from the Canary Islands in gor- geous petticoats and chemises whose yokes and sleeves are stiff with red and blue embroidery: perhaps a stately countess in Lyons satin and Barcelona mantilla worth it's weight in gold be- side beggar in filthy rags; a somewhat worldly-looking canon in lacquered shoes and soutane of the most exquisite quality, crowded against bare-footed Carmelite in his coarse brown habit, or Franciscan friar in blue with rope gir- dle. Very continental sounds the Latin both in the sanctuary and organ loft, Very elaborate is the crossing. Instead of the simple In Nomine Patris, etc, touching forehead, breast and shoulders, here forehead. mouth and heart are severally blessed and then the thumb and forefinger make q cross, which is Missed At the elevation of the Host | there is tap upon the drum. oWOruS flash out and the soldiers bend stiffy. Then a long still pause-another tap upon the drum--the soldiers straighten themselves and the swords are sheathed with a catter.
 Coming out of church one has to run the gauntlet of crowd of mendicants at the door-men, women and children of eliminating degrees of poverty and dreadful varieties of bodily misery No body of Cuban blood ever treats these poor creatures harshly. Many of the la dies never go abroad without wearing velvet bags on their arms filled with small coins and paper scrip for the beg gars benefit. On Easter morning the giving is unusually generous, for who should be sad or hungry on the glorious day of good tidings to all mankind! A refusal is always couched in a gentle Va, con Dios,'' (Go. with God), which sounds like a benediction, and elicits nothing worse than God bless you sir. or madame, another day" It may not be enlightened charity in every case, but it is very sweet and winning,
 Later on Easter Sunday I went into a little chapel that is the heart of a con- vent and saw a lovelier interior than the