Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-14
HOLY WEEK IN HABANA,
The Season Sackcoth and Ashes Observed by Latin
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of Lent Pain Sunday Good
Friday and Esster-kneeing Beside the Now Empty
Tomb Of Christopher Columbus


FpttlW N'titrbvhe'"e'.
Habana. April .. ise9.-Lcnt in Gu
ba bears little resemblance to the pcni-
tcntial season in the United States ana
Northern Europe. and though the peo-
pie are exceedingly devout. II seems
TO be well nigh shorn Of Its rigors- First
In the matter Of weather. We felt II
q wholly diajoin,ed and unnatural pro-
ceeding to drive to midnight Mass on
Christmas eve. through air Ms bnlmy
as New England June. flower scented.
and murmurous with gentle sea-
breeze playing amid the feathcry foll-
age Of the palms. And how much more
unreal nj Easter. with the Thermometer
skyiarking toward the nincticsl The
alters In all the churches were glitter
ing mountains Of waxcn candles. price
lees inces and frost work embroiderics
on cob.web pima. cmbowcrcd In strange
exotic blooms. and the congregations
Of men In cool white linen. and the wo-
men In thinncst musiins. with neither
wraps nor bonncts but the lace man
tliln. completed ones bcwildcrment.
Even a protracted ientcn feast could
not be very severe In this tropical Isle
Of always simple living. pure air and
lavish fruits. n one chooses to deny
himself the morning coffee or choco-
late. which IL served with bread i'm
mcdlatsiy on rising-therc are sweet.
Juicy, Incompatible oranges to slack
ones thirst. while golden Cuban
bgnana contains nourishmcnt enough
for full meal. Depend upon II. the
Old monks we read about. who lived on
fsp, rairlns and Roats-milk cheese, did
not fare badly. In this country u
would be no deprivation 20 10 without
butter. or the imported compound that
passes under that honotcd name, Tor
wngon.srease and aoap-fat II savory
In comparison. II one IN hcrolc~iiy
bent upon vcritabio modification OF
sense and spirit to atone Tor some
grieyous sin. he might perhaps shut his
eyes to the small black dots that are
rprinkicd through the excellent roll nl-
lowed with his morning coffee. and lot
them no the natural way With the
bread. instead of disguatcdly pinching
them out with their cnvcioplng crumbs
and hiding them under his plntc-rim.
That would indeed be q pcnnnce ~
antique robustneHa. worthy OF spain
IN inqulnliion dnyn-for every black
dot IN a fiea. NJ recognizable In Its
minute anatomy and articulation M
f,les IN the amber. II IL an open auer-
ton whether the sweet, light. we'll
baked bread which II 80 crcditnblc to
Havana bakeries could possibly he
made entirely without the wicked flca
which no Cuban purructh; since IN the
dnintlcrt private housekeeping Of the
irlnLd the pcatifcroun insects make life
q burden. rwnrming the beds, the ward
robes the cans-ncat chairs and rouchen.
even the seams OF the marble iioorr.
Every carriage. car. or other public
vehicle II literally alive with them.
and one invariably returns from q
promenade with polka-dottcd hose and
undor- garments. II IL taken no much
n matter OF coursc--thiA pest Of nccs--
that nobody wonders when the person
90 whom he ~ talking suddenly rctircA
for a private hunt. OF smiles To- ncc the
priest IN tho pulpit reach down TO
scratch u ier In the midst OF prayer
or cxhortntion.
A. for abstinence days In cuba, the
most carnlveroua OF mortnls could
have nothing TO complain OF where
the encifc'ing seas ufe nwnftning
with nm infinite variety OF the very best
frh In the world. ilavana'a superb
nsh market-buiit by the half pirate.
half nmuggier and whole scoundrcl.
MART. IL worth 10 the bon vivnnt. the
naturalist aud the artist. taking long
voyage merely 10 look at. hut ON palm
Sunday women. al least may realize
that Lent II a pcnitentiai season.
Think Of being compelled TO kncel. on a
hard stone floor. three hours at a
rirctchl The stocks. the pillory and the
Iron Ninvin were M nothing To- this
plOun torture. While some seats are
owned by the privileged few, there arc
no pcwa IN cuban churches. nor chairs
and kncellng benches for hire, ~ In
Eurupc. The SWEETEST thing for ladies
Ia. 49, - -. Ai.sH.
man. or small black page In gorgcpun
livcrles. 20 carry 'prayer-carpct" and
nprcad II wherever he can Ind room
ON the church floor, aud then. when the
soft knees OF his mistress are crooked
upon H. 10 drop on onu corner behind
her for his own dcvotlona. The men ~
the congregation stand throughout the
services, leaning against the walls IN
solid phninnx, taking things easy after
the manner 81 the lnay sex, expecting 10
yet Into heaven on tho merits 'of their
daughters. wives and mothers. The
women, however, INSTEAD Of rising To
the feet al Intervals. US In other coun-
tries. keep right on knccllnE. from start
90 finish, regardless 81 bodily torture.
relieving the position, when flesh ana
bones can endure M more by settling
back upon the heels In kind " cap-
hal n attitude. only a born Hilbanene
can do II gracefully. In u few minutes
Wv ANf'AhHfi MbNHlfN NlltNhNN III ~
dcmoralixed heap. ana feels a good deal
more like Cinderella In the ashes than
decomua church communicate.
The Palm sunday Gospel. when road,
N very long indeed. and thrice LONGER
whom chnnied. 10 kneel continuously
throughout the performance. without
the slightest extonal support. II To the |
novice an experience which for painful
ness throws far In the shade walking
tour 10 Mecce. with the drycst OF peas
In the iightest OF shoes. Instead OF the |
hprlEn OF box or hcmlock. used In colder |
Countries. whose leaves scatter them |
selves broadcast before one can get the I
blessed branches home-yrrltahlc pain '
leaves are " course distributed here.
such ~ marked the Saviora entrance
Into Jerusalem. The Cuban ladies.
taught In converts, are wonderfully In /
Keniou- IN plating the nexiblc palm |
leaves. Besides the long branches ]
blessed by the priest and Thought from |
tho church. which all the rvat Of the |
year remain twined In window bars |
Tor luck" like the Druids mlntlctne- |
u n the fnEhion TO make little baskets, |
CROSSES, necklaces bracelets and other |
pretty tribes OF palm, have them duly |
bleshed by some accommodating priest. |
ana distribute them umunp nu,ts /