42G

BOMESTIC jAUNN'.:;;S OF TUE riiüSSIANS.

praying and religious ostentation constitutes the great phari-saical vice of the age. The far-seeing people of tlie StockExchange have the following saying,—"The man who goes tochurcli once on the Sunday, trust liim; the man who goestwice, beware of Ihm ; the man who goes tlirice, have nothing atall to do with him !" and assuredly the desire " to be seen ofmen" during our devotions, and love of " trumpeting " ourcharity, according to the Sermon on the Mount, rank as hypo-critical rather than Christian observanccs.

On Ash-Wednesday the Catholics walk through the townwith long dirty streaks on their foreheads, as a sign thatthey have been marked with the embers by the priest; andon White Monday the girls parade the streets in book-muslinand long veils, for two or three days after their first com-munion. At other times you will meet a small band ofyoung ladies marching through the town in the costumeof ballet-dancers, and carrying huge bouquets that they aregoing to present to some schoolmaster or schoolmistress onhis or her saint's day, the lady or gentleman remainingat home the while, in order to receive the customary giftsfrom the pupils; and which gifts consist generally of coffee-cups, or flowers, or cakes, or sweetmeats, or wine, or apound or two of prunes: though occasionally a canary isgiven, and we have heard of the presentation of a silver tea-pot, that was subscribed for by the whole school and dulyblessed by the priest'—whilst, in return for such favours,the young scholars are treated to a farthing picture of someapocryphal saint or mythical " schutze-engel" (guardian angel).

Indeed, the German Papists seem to be determined not to" lüde their light under a bushel," but find especial pleasurein sticking it on some street or road-side altar, as well as incarrying candles through the public thoroughfares, so thatpeople may be the better able to see how holy they are.