Life, 1917-04-05 · page 20 of 70
Life — April 5, 1917 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This editorial satirizes the Christian Endeavor Society's campaign against wearing new Easter clothes, reportedly begun in Chicago during World War I. The author argues the Society is mistaken on multiple grounds: **The argument:** Whether Easter is viewed as a pagan spring festival (where nature renews itself in fresh garments) or a Christian resurrection celebration, new clothes are spiritually appropriate. The editorial dismisses prudishness about display as misguided, especially given that Easter offers "hope to the desolate" during wartime. **The satire:** The author mocks the "ruling class of the Middle West" for their joyless moralizing while acknowledging a valid counterpoint—that wartime suffering makes lavish spending questionable. However, the piece concludes that *if* new clothes are to be purchased, Easter is the most honorable occasion for them. The poem "The Vestal" above reinforces this celebration of April's renewal and Easter's ceremonial beauty, contrasting with the Society's grim opposition to festive display.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Vestal PRIL is no dissenter, nor of those Who wear their faith garbed in dismal gray But, like a priestess, robed in vestures gay dull- She pours her praise in glory of the rose, And incense, which the lily-buds unclose Their chalices to scatter on her way; The daffodils lend her their gold array For candles; and a sunlit halo glows Above her through the leafy open- ing Where waking birds sing matins shrill and sweet, And jeopardize their tiny throats to greet The resurrection of cach growing thing. so—with great and small- April holds Easter ceremonial! Charlotte Becker. And benison from Easter Clothes and Other Matters ET us not hold with the Christian Endeavor Societ: which, the newspaper says, has begun at Chicago “a movement to oppose the custom of display of new attire on Easte: The paper says the Endeavorers deplore the custom on general principles, but especially this year, be- cause of the European war. The Endeavorers are off the track in this matter. It is perfectly suitable to break out in new clothes at Easter. It matches the spirit of the day. It may, of course, be over- done, like everything else, but general principles are all for it If you are pagan and Easter is no more than the great spring festival, does not spring re-clothe the earth in fresh rments and shall not you do likewise? And if you are Christian, the Lord ha nd it be- comes you to decorate not only your church and your house, but your person, and, especially if you be a woman, your blessed head All the Easter instincts make for decoration. The paper must have lied about the Endeavorers at Chicago, but perhaps not, for you never can tell what particular thought a member of the ruling class of the Middle West may have quite missed having. S to the war as an argument against Easter glorics, of all other times it is in war-time that Easter comes best, the day of most hope to the desolate, of most con solation to the bereaved. If the Chicago friends think our Easter should be frumpy because we Americans have not done enough in the war to warrant us in any great bravery of raiment, there is basis, of course, for that opinion. If they hold that with so much distress in the world we Amer icans can do better with our money than spend unne ry dollars of it on dress, that also is true. But if there is to be new garb, there is no occasion it can better honor than Easter, and no Easter fitter so to be honored than Easter this year. comichooks.com