Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-04
EASTER O6SERVANC[
-.
Elaborate Programs Of Music
in the Churches.
lt-1l
FLORAL. DECORATIONS
DISPLAY OF n4raR rrnrnr ON
THE THoR0UeHFAREs.
Old Boreas Plays Havoc With the Mil
linery = Cold Weather on
Beautiful Day.


Old Boreas assumed control of the affairs
| of the national capital yesterday and dis
turbed. somewhat, the usual Easter parade
In the morning the bright sun gave prom
Use of beautiful day. That portion OF
feminine Washington that had connected
| with new garments with which to dazzle
| the eyes of all beholders, took fresh cour-
age on raising the blind after the long and
FESTIVE nights sleep. Arrayed in all the
glory of the new colors and twists of sar-
toriaI architecture, the ladies, smiling
| self-satisfied smile, sailed forth from their
| own fireside-and then wished they hadn't.
| There was no indication from the observer,
| safely housed, that Boreas would play all
| sorts of pranks with skirts and hats, and
render the creations of tulle, chiffon and
such, on which womankind had spent so
| many tedious hours, like so many colored
clouds flying before tornado. But that is
just what he did, nevertheless.
The gayly- dressed young woman who
| marched bravely down her own front steps
was destined to wear her glad Easter smile
but few minutes; for the cold, chilling
wind, that is no reSpecter of personageS,
however handsome they may be, would
catch hold of some loose end of the young
woman's neckwear and turn it topsey tur-
vey in much less time than 1t takes to tell
it. Not satisfied with this, the breeZes
WOulu llTOuSH tIfS- CdT6IulIy tffhfucu
millinery and tear holes in the filmy
draperies of the headgear. And the wind
was from the north and west throughout
the day. Sometimes there was a luil. but
most of the time there was great discom-
fort from the cold breezes.
On Connecticut Avenue. q s
Connecticut avenue, a favorite parade
ground on Easter Sunday. was one of the
worst streets for pedestrians in the city.
Running as it does. from southeast to
northwest, it offered its whole length and
breadth to the sweep of the breeze, and the
breeze was not bit backward about tax
ing advantage of its opportunities.
But even though the wind did blow and
the deliberately placed costumes were dis
arranged in about three seconds after
reaching The open air. the Easter parade
took place just the same, and there were
hundreds of people in the parade, too. The
streets were not as fAIl as they would have
been under better conditions, but they were
comfortably full and all sorts and condi-
tinns of mankind and womankind could be
met in a walk covering na5 few blocks. The
decefying appearance Of the day tempted
numbers of people to desert their homes
and warm fireSides to show the outside
world what their Easter finery amount to,
and consequently the parade was extensive.
An hour before the begin2ing of the morn
ing church services aSnumber of people
were on the streets. Every style of dress
was to be seen, worn by persons whom they
fitted and who fitted them. The churches
were all filed during thes morning services,
and when the crowds again reached the
streets at about the same hour the pre-
liminaries of the Easter parade began.
One of the remarkable features of the
Easter this year-waS the number OF persons
to be met on the street carrying growing
and blooming plants. Three orafour such
people ceuidsbe met IN the iwalk of single
block. Everyone coming sfror or going to
church seemed to be carrying flower or
plant. The afternoon crowds were not SO
large as those of the morning, but were
more, conspicuous, because the afternoon
crowd was on the street 'ostensibly and os-
tentatiously to be seen and to See The
costumes were marvellous, as they always
are, and the manner of wearing them was
quite as wonderful.
The Exchange of Gifts.
One of the Easter customs that is grow
ing every year in this country is the ex-
changing of presents Easter Sunday. 1t
was only in the families with pronounced
English tendencies or real English descent
that this custom prevailed to any degree
up to the last few years. But now Easter
is pushing Christmas as day for the ex~
change of gifts. And these gifts take
variety of forms. The fact that this season
has become almost as great a holiday time
as Christmas is eyinced~6y the special stock
put in by the leading merchants and by
their heavy sales during the week preceding
Easter Sunday.
In all the department stores of the Dis
trict during the past week the rush of
trade has been enormous. 1t has always
been so In the departments where dress
goods and accessories were dispensed, but
now the fancy goods. bric-a-brac and little
odds and ends sold in the various depart
ments are almost as profuse as the sale of
clothing and millinery. The custom of ex-
changing gifts is an old one of Europe. where
Easter is great day Christmas, and
I'm forms ohSarsya
1t is growing in this country and bids fair
to become the biggest holiday of the year.
The Church Services.
In all of the churches the Easter services
were of the most elaborate kind. AS a re-
ligious holiday Easter reigns supreme and
its celebration by all Christian sects and
denominations is made the greatest of the
year. In the Catholic churches of the Dis
trict the masses sung yesterday were the
works of the greatest composers. and were
sung with the greatest care. The decora-
tons of the churches were almost past de-
scription, flowers being used in the utmost
profusion. The priests in charge preached
most eloquent sermons. Special music,
frequently with orchestral accompaniment
was used in all Of the churches
In the Episcopal churches the scene was
quite as dazzling as In the edificeS of the
every chanceI, and the choirs sang with
more care and rendered greater music than
is usual. The same may be said of the
other churches of the Protestant denomi-
nations.
Large Attendance.
The attendance at st. Patrick's Catholic
Church vas as large as usual on Easter
Sunday. several hundred persons being turn
ed away because of5eheslack of room. Sol
emn high mass was celebrated at IL o'clock
In the morning, Rev. Thomas Michigan
acting as deacon The choir sang Haydns
Sixteenth Mass. assistedsby a full orchestra
Al the end ofthe mass the Alleluia chorus of
Handel was sung TIL. church was beauti-
fully decorated with Easter flowers and
greens. The morning sermon was preached
by DIR. Stafford, who took for his subject
THE Fact of the Rcserreetion and Its Sig
nifcance." a.,
Rev Father Buckley celebrated solemn
high mass at st. Matthews Church at II
o'clock. The sermonoSas delivered by Rev
Father McPeak. Tile choir rendered an
elaborate program Under the direction of
Miss Jennie GlennaG aHs
At st. Pauls Church HAv. William Sulli-
van, G. 8. p, preached ut the solemn high
mass in the morning. The church was fes-
to0ned with floral decorations and a fine
program of music wassrendered.
The Easter sermon at ST. Augustine's
Church was preached by Rev. Father Bur
fyat ,f tho Catholic -TTp5x.arSffv