The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-28

u though modish sackclOth and she
is eternaIly on her way to or from
service. Her hands clasp over her little
prayer book with its marker hung on purple
ribbons and her eyes are usually meekly
downcast. as she takes her way to morning.
afternoon or midday service. Now and then
she is caught in a stained-glass attitude,
with eyes uplifted and full of rapt medita-
tiOn that is not of this earth earthly. She
embodies the spirit of the forty days of
fasting and repentance and is a marked con-
trast to the butterfly girl of the other
periods of the year., is the lenten girl.
Perhaps she is all that ~lsewhere. Here
In Indianapolis, however, the lenten maid
differs little from the girl of other days.
The lerten girl. as a type, seems not to
exist here. The Indianapolis girl, it is true,
does go to service occasionally, or perhaps
IL would state the case more exactly to say
mat the occasional girl goes to service. But
unfortunately she does lot fulfill all the
requirements of the occasion and she goes
without any of the accomplishments of de-
thure movement and rapt attention. She
Is likely TO sail into church or chapel with
.nat breezy, alert air with which the all
the-year-arOund indianapolis girl takes her
constitutional. She is likely to wear a bow
or scarlet maline at her throat. or her most
frivolous hat, with an utter disregard of
the Observation-Disclosures effect; and ten to
one she doesn't care to bother to bring her
snatch one from the rack in the church
VestlDule as she sails by. There is nothing
II the least stained-glassy about her and she
Is net In the picture at all, so far as out
ward appearance goes.
And IN the matter of lenten doing-the
giving up or the pleasures which make the
remainder of the year gay. the taking up of
duties, the visiting of the poor and the sick,
and the other methods by which the strict
observer OF Lent passes her time-it is to be
feared that the Indianapolis girl leaves the
lenten proprieties even more in the lurch.
There Is a considerable amount of charita-
bic work done by Indianapolis women all
Ine year around, II IS true, aud most OF the
girls in town belong to some one of the
charitable organizations or sewing clubs
which do systematic work in caring fer
those ia need. But that Is all in the years
work and so ii cannot be called the per-
Torrance OF a lenten duty, as, except in
rare individual cases, no increase is made in
the work assumed.
As to the custom of lenten fasting. of
denying ones self some one of the material
good things of which one is especially fond.
IL is TO be feared that that lenten penance
Is more honored in the breach than in the
observance among the young women of the
Protestant denominations, even Of those
whose tenets require some modification of
the ueSh during the lenten season. The
children are usually Jealous and faithful in
the matter of giving up some of their small
pleasures and many of the older women
kttP ItUt Will a SlEiCl OBSERVANCE 10 GER
tain lines of study and discipline which
they have laid down for themselves. But
the greater number of the younger women
pay little attention to the season. except,
perhaps. in the matter of augmented church.
going, and go their way in very much the
same manner as during the other seasons
when there IS no particular reason for deny
ing themselves the good things of life.
CUSTOMS IN OTHER CITIES.
The lenten season in the larger cities in
the East is usually marked by an obvious
~quieting down OF festivities, and the rule of
small and early entertainments is vigorously
observed. indianapolis. however. does not
have the incessant round of big parties that
such cities as New York and Washington
have. so even were the custom of Lenten
observance in the matter of entertaining fol-
lowed more strictly here. Ii would be less
obvious because there would not be so great
a contrast offered. Neither are there the
number of EpiscOpalians here that there
are in the older cities of the East, and
while all the Protestant denominations are
coming to pay the season some observance,
none OF them have the rigorous rules which
the members of the Episcopal Church are
supposed to follow. There is no DENYING
that. socially, Indianapolis Is always COM
paratively dull during Lent. though enter
tanning is never entirely foregOne. 1t is
doubtful. however, if the quiet is wholly
due to the fact that IL is Lent. That il Is
the end of the winter. and that entertain
ments have begun TO pail somewhat on both
entertainers and entertained. that ii is that
crucial time OF year when the planning of
the spring and summer wardrobe presents
itself as an imperative duty. and that
women prefer To give their time To their
clothes rather than to partieS-thoSe two
facts work together TO distract the thoughts
of madame and mademOiselle from social
affairs. and prObablV are more nearly re-