Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-02-28
LENT IN DlSFAVOR
AT MANY COURTS
Globe-Democrat.

Globe-Democrat.
While Lent attracts but little atten
tion at the court of Berlin, the kaiser
who is, like the czar, very religious
man, makes a point OF fasting on the
eve of those days of the year on which
he takes the sacrament, a custom in
which he is Joined by his consort.
Moreover, he has been in the habit
since his accession of withdrawing
every year for a period OF tive or three
days TO the Warteburg, hallowed in
his eyes, and in those of all other
German Protestants, by having been
the refuge of Luther and the scene of
his labors. The emperor goes there
almost wholly alone, and shut OFF
from all contact with the outer world,
gives himself up TO meditation-in one
word, goes into a sort of religious re
treat. When one takes into consider
alton how busy his life, how multifari-
ous his duties and his preoccupations,
his brain never at rest, and every in
tellectual faculty subjected to the
highest possible strain, 1t may readily
be imagined that he should feel from
time to time the necessity of period
Of complete retirement for self-eXami-
nation and meditation. The emperor
very rightly argues that no one can
be the worse for such a species OF
spiritual stock-taking, and, according
ly, determined a few years ago, to
afford TO his subjects the opportunity
of giving themselves up for a few
hours to quiet meditation once every
twelve months. He found that since
the Napoleanic wars, at the beginning
of the last century, there had been
IN annual "busstag is to say,
lay of repentance, instituted at the
time when Prussia was in the early
stages Of her war Of liberation from
the French invader, and when she felt
herself in sore need OF the help Of
Providence against the overwhelming
odds by which she was then confront
ed. The "busstag" had been kept up
ever since, in memory of those trou-
blous times. But the character of the
observance of the day had entirely
changed. Instead of being given up
to prayer, fasting and repentance, 1t
was celebrated as one of the most
Joyous holidays in the year, a cir
cumstance to which the fact of its
,alling place in May, when the weather
is SO balmly and the springtime seen
cry of the rural districts so attrac-
live, no doubt contributed. Indeed,
the "busstag" was made the occasion
of merry picnics in the country, of
open air entertainments and of all
sorts of festivities and pastimes. With
The object of restoring to this day
its original significance, the kaiser
changed its date from May to Novem-
her, when the weather throughout his
dominions is usually SO abominable
that nobody feels any inclination to go
holiday-making.
1t must thoroughly be understood
that the "Busstag" is statutory, the
choice of the date being left to the
ruler. In England, for instance, the
law does not compel the sovereign
to have a day of this kind every year,
hut authorizes him to decree one by
means of a public proclamation when
ever he sees fit. In order that the day
thus proclaimed should possess the
full qualifications of legal holiday,
it must be proclaimed in accordance
with the words that 1t Is not only a
day "of repentance but likewise "of
fasting" The last two occasions,
believe, on which a day of this kind
was proclaimed was during the Cri-
mean war, in 1854, and in 1857. in
connection with the terrible Indian
mutiny, when so many thousands of
English women, children and men of
every age were massacred, under cir
cumstances of frightful atrocity.
Queen Victoria declined at first to de-
cree a fast, and declared that it would
he quite enough to order day of
national repentance and humiliation.
But at the last moment the London
bankers and financiers. and in par
ticular the governors of the Bank
of England. took alarm and called
upon the premier and lord chancellor,
declaring that If the words "of fast
ing" were omitted from the queens
proclamation the latter would not be
statutory, and consequently that the
day would not be a legal holiday. and
that bills of exchange, etc, would be
payable on that day. So Queen Vic
toria was obliged to give way. and
the day of humiliation" was likewise
made one "of fasting" in order that
he banking arrangements might not
ne deranged. On each occasion the
lay was observed both in town and
Business was suspended, the
churches were thronged, and, in the
he most turbulent portions OF our
great cities have observed an un.
Usually quietude and decorum" In
he early stages of the war in South
Africa, when almost every day brought
is fresh records of disaster sustained
~ the British troops and colonists,
he late queen was urged to order a |
lay of national repentance. fasting
md prayer, as near half century be- |
ore, on the occsion Of the Indian nut. |
ny. But after due consideration the |
government advised against the prof. |
ct, on the ground that the sovereign |
'crld ret decree day of national |
'rayer and repentance without using |
he statutory words "of humiliation"
which 1t was believed would convey |
he impression to the Beers that Eng
and regarded herself as definitely de-
Gated, and would therefore render
heir resistance still more stubborn.
In Prussia. on the "Busstay" Of each