Year: 1874

The yearly fast has already made its usual
marked change in social gayeties. Weddings.
balls, public carnivals by German ChOrs and
Bunds were crowded in the cities into the few
days before Ash Wednesday, and now society
of high and low degree has retired until
Easter to the grayer level of receDtions
lunches. and dinners.


In the Episcopal Church, the fast has per-
haps rendered moro observable the recent di-
vision in that body, tho radical churches en-
deayoring more earnestly to spiritualize its
meaning, while the conservative add deeper
and darker shades of outward gloom to their
sack cloth and iashes. Lent belongs TO that
class of religious Observances whose inward
meaning is in constant danger OF being
obscured or lost sight of In the out
ward garments and trappings which from
age TO age have been hung upon it. Even
with this drawback, however, the most in
different spectator cannot but acknowledge 1T to
be both wholesome and salutary. Perhaps the
conception of that mysterious conflict which
his neighbors have, and their manner of COM
memorating it, appear to him absurd and be-
lifting enough. But if they did not remem-
Der or commemorate it at ALI The washer
woman abjures her daily sausage for weeks:
that is poor sacrifice to divine faith, 1t Ii
true; but it is the highest for her, as her food
and the earning of it occupy nine-tenths of her
time and thoughts. The pretty partner at q
ball will indulge in no gayety louder than
high-tea until Easter is over; Germans and
the dresses sent over by the last steamer she
turns her back upon. But whether human
being, whose soul and brain are so often given
no TO the choice between tulle and faitle, or the
decision between @ shade of ciel bter or btand
glacier, whose highest earthly enjoyment con-
sists in whirling through the German with
mirror in her hand and flag on her head,
with numberless other tagged and mlrrored
swift-legged creatures, is capable of compre-
hending the God who made her with any but
the very smallest glimpse of intelligence, is
question not for us to answer Every soul.
says the old proverb, measures its own Deity,
and we perhaps should be thankful if to such
az these, in their perfumed ballroom atmos-
phere, any glimpse of the infinite truth and life
which underlies the world should be permitted
to penetrate through Lenten forms, even
though these should be hampered by scents
and sights which have still ballroom flavor.


Within this circle of loungers in the outer
courts of the temple we should remember the
countless multitudes Of sincere and earnest
worshipers to whom this yearly pause in the
busy ways of everyday life comes full OF
strength and comfort. 1t is time when they
can turn their backs on market and house,
hold, on trade and toll /; when they can forgo<
that there are children to drudge for, an ex-
travagant wife to support, a drunken husband
to bear with and to shelter; they can put ous
of sight the debt to be paid, the fame worked
for which never came, and for brief space
turn their eyes inward on themselves. In this
age, with the picture of humanity incessanay
upon us, we have fallen into the danger OK
forgetting what with our duties to our chill
dren. society, the Civil Service or the Board OF
Brokers, that we have soul inside OF our
tired bodies, and that there is God waiting
TO hear certain words from it. If it Is but to
remind us of this, aud that He, who bad
higher and more work to do in the world than
any man, found it good to give many days TO
solitude and quiet communion with that un-
seen Power, Lent is a necessary and health
full observance, and one that well deserves 70
Ia hold sacred