The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-22
SCRAP BOOK FOR TO-DAY

Hebrews throughout the world will observe the fast of Tamnauz to-day, this being the seventeenth day of the month of Tammuz in the Jewish cal endar. This is one of the six lasts observed annually by adherents of Ju- daisn, all of them being commemora- tive of national calanities in the long history of the Jews. Tom Kippur, the day of expiat1on, which falls this year on October I 1th, is the most gen era1y observed of these days of ab- st1nence, the others. besides the Esther, Alb, Gedaliah and Tebet.
 From the days of Moses the Jews made the day of expiation g. day of fasting, and their public lasts after ward became numerous Abstinence from food and drink, at least in part, imposed by all religious. Among the ancient Egyptians fasting was asso- ciated with many religious rites, mo- tably that to Isis, but the observance was not compulsory. The early Christian church, influenced by tra- ditfonal Jewish feelings and by the force of habit, commanded occasional lasts, but abstinence did not at first occupy nearly so prominent a place in Christian ritual as 1t later attained. The Greeks and Romans had perdodi- cal lasts, some of which were Orda1n- ed specially for priests and women. 'HThe continually stuffed body cannot see secret things is still an axiom that meets with general acceptance, Among the Mahometans the entire month of RanaAan is by command of the Prophet observed as a, fast with extraordinary rigor, and the faithful must abstain from all food and drink from daybreak till dark of each day. Of late years this fast has not been so strictly observed as in the past, and to this fact many Mos1em religious leaders attribute the downfall of Fur key in the recent war with the Balkan states.
 In the calendar of Christian saints, to-day is set apart for the veneration of St. Mary Magda1en, "a woman who was a sinner Covered with shame, this white slave came in where Je- sus was at meat, and, without word, bathed His feet with tears, wiped them with the flowing hair which, in her days of ribaldry, had been her "crowning g1ory,' kissed them with humility, poured on them the costly unguent prepared for other uses, and as reward heard from the divine lips the words of a,bso1ution. Later the white s1ave''-to use the cant phrase of our day-stood at the foot of the cross as the repr resentative of the many who had much forgiven. AfterWard to her first the resurrected Jesus made himself known, calling her by name
 One of the most powerful stories of recent years, 'NThe Woman Who Tried to Be Good,' by Edna Ferber, tells of the fate of a present-day Mary Mazda len. She lived in 'tthe House with the Closed Shutters, near the freight depot" in a rural town. sYou passed her in the street with a surreptitious glance and when she passed the drug store corner there would be a snickering among the vacant-eyed 1oafers idling there.' Then sudden 1y she determined to be good, and bought a little cottage on the pr1nci- pal residence street. She saved a boby's life, but even the mother of the infant refused afterward to speak to her So she went back to the House with the Closed Shutters.
 "I knew she wouldn't last we said.
 They never dor said we."