The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-01
THE T1URr1UR OF THE WORLD.

Washington May 1.-(Speciai)-Before
the frost returned on the wings of the
night to kiss May as she was dying-to
give to her that last shivering caress,
so fatal to both-every afternoon here,
one saw marching slowly in the streets
thousands upon thousands Of datntily-
robed little brides of the church, white
yelled, all white from the bottoms OF
their dainty little feet to the topmost
little buds of their dainty little crowns
of white flowers.
These little angels of the children OF the
faithful had come in the purity OF their
youth and the sinlessness OF their molly
choral to kneel In blessed sacrament at
the altar and be Joined to God in the
faith that shall never fail in any true or
worthy heart. In all the multitude there
walked none who shall ever forget the
surprising glory or deny the glorious
pledges of this Maytime of their lives
and in what is greater than life their re-
ligion.
This May procession is fuller of beauty
of romance of poetry and OF the ten
der glory of faith divine than any other
one of the splendid ceremonials OF the
splendid Mother Church, spiritual spon-
sor of the Most High 1t is an open pro-
clamatlon of the hottest of all Gods mys-
teries.
As / stood in the immense throng In
spirit of profound reverence observing
ners Of the Cross, banners of the Sacred
Heart, and other signs and symbols OF
the faith and at one moment that SEEM
ed to me to be the most sacred, two
young women pushed their way up, ana
one asked of the other and of everybody
within her hearing:
'Who are these-what is It all about?"
Little brides of the church preparing
for their higher duties" voice an
swered humbly.
Turning to see who had SO answered,
1 behold an aged woman in black, count
ing her beads and now and then bending
her head. She was real Madonna or the
faith and just as she had made answer TO
tho f1ippant ones a bar of gold from the
sun burst through the leaves falling upon
that patient, brave, loving and happy
old face and clarifying 1t. Instantly
recalled the sanity Stafford's
Hail, Mother! Hall, Mother-Hail!' and
I could have kissed the hand of the old
Madonna, standing there under the trees
and silently making her devotions.
The two young women, as soon as they
perceived the religious character of the
procession, hurried away, walking like
cows. their f1ashy finery hetokening their
ignorance of the ways of the world and
tho ways OF the church alike. They are
probably of these who sometimes boast
they do not attend public worship.
How wonderfully beautiful and won
derfully impressive are these May pro-
cessions in great city with a great
Catholic population. The professions
are made up entirely of children. march
ing in double columns. the girls and the
boys In separate divisions, and all graded
according to their respective heights.
At given distances apart, priests and
black-robed and hooded sisters with here
an6 there a very young woman who is
maiden, are in attendance. In the first
place. a. procession is formed at one church
with the purpose of marching to another
church, say mile away. The children
are all formed inside their church, when
that is possible, and outside the door a
band or bands of music await. The
priests proceed to the door, and give the
signal for the procession to move As
they reach the ground. the leading band,
alre ady in position begins the music and
the march, two priests coming next, and
following regular order all engaging In
the procession assume their places until
the church Is emptied, the smallest chill
dren, girls in the first place, and boys in
the second coming last. The division of
girls having all formed first, another band
takes It's place, behind 1t coming enc or
two priests, who are followed by the
boys, the attendant sisters and the as
sistant maidens in white maintaining or
derliness in line as If they were officers
in command of soldiers.
The route of the procession having been
published from the pulpit, great throngs
of people crowd the way on either side,
and the little ones march through a long
lane formed by admiring and reverentlal
men and women. The utmost respect by
everybody and reverence by nearly all