The times., 1899-04-09

ions, and the general public During the
last decade these time -honored customs
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 lull of emotion that prevails in
sll Christian countries, Protestant 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 a few hours away.
At sunrise on Easter morning comes
| another triumphal procession The risen
Christ is borne from the cathdral toward
the old church OF Santa Catalina and is
| met on the way by a procession from the
| latter. bearing St Mary Magdelene seek
ing her Master. At the moment of meet
ing salute is fired On the instant can
| non boom, drums beat, trumpets blare the
hushed church bells clamor again, flags
are hung out from the harbor forts tow
ers 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
human race.
beautiful High Mass.
High mass in any OF Havana's twenty
| churches is a thing to be long remembered.
| and military mass in the cathedral is
start!ingly impressive. The old building
itself is very quaint and interesting, an
uque Spanish in architecture, its stones
moss-grown and its interior as religiously
dim as heart could wish; rich in rare paint
| ings, Vestments. gold and silver candelabra,
altar equipments and sacred vessels but
| there is also too much of the tawdriness
and bediZenment so dear to ignorant taste
and especially dear to the religious heart
| of Spanish-Amerca. AS everybody knows
the ashes of Christopher Columbus reposed
| IN TINS 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 carry these sacred
| relics away from Cuba, but they did so un-
hindered by their American conquerors,
and the fresh plaster around the recently
displaced stone that closed the vault tells
of emptiness within.
On Easter morning the finest treasures
OF the sacristy are brought forth to drape
the affairs and glitter In the floods of waXen
light Jewels sparkle amid the gold en-
broideries of the white vestments of eccle-
siastics within the altar rail. and a
cFoWu OF ofhcers IN iull uniform lends color
10 the scene. The other soldiers stand in !,
body near the middle of the church,
Around them kneels a motley gathering
ladies of high degree with their children.
poor reconceDtrado women, negro servants
galiy bedecked courtesans. handsome
bronze women from the Canary Islands in
gorgeous petticoats and chemises whose
yokes and sleeves are stiff with red and
blue embroidery; perhaps a stately coun-
tess in Lyons satin and a Barcelona man
tilla worth its weight in gold. beside
beggar in filthy rags; a somewhat worldly
looking canon in lacquered shoes and SOU
tame of the most exquisite quality crowded
against barefooted Carmelite in his
coarse brown habit, or FRANCISCAN friar
in blue with rope girdle. Very Continental
sounds the Latin, both in the sanctuary
and organ loft. Very elaborate is the cross
ing.
Instead of the simple In nomine patris,
etc. touching forehead, breast, and shoul-
ders-here forehead. mouth, and heart are
severally blessed, and then the thumb and
forefinger make a cross, which is kissed
At the elevation OF the host these Is n tan
upon the drum. Swords fash out and the
soldiers bend stiffy. Then a long, still
parse-another tap upon the drum-the
soldiers straighten themselves and the
swords are sheathed with a clatter.
Coming out of church. one has to run the
gantlet of a crowd of mendicants at the
door-men, women. and children of cul-
minatine degrees of poverty and dreadful
varieties OF bodily misery. Nobody of Gu