Show DONT JUST GIVE UP FOR LENT By TAYLOR CALDWELL Author of the best-sellin- novel g "Dear and Glorious Physician1’ A distinguished novelist describes how this season of sacrifice can take on new meaning for all of us Taylor Caldwell b Mrs Marcus Reback in home life a rarely) and some give up smoking (except the heavy smokers who’d rather give up eating) and some don't read books particularly if they don't like books anyway Most of us—I’m guilty too—give up things that aren’t absolutely essential to our happiness and we feel virtuous about it So while “giving up" something that ian’ta strain on our characters our appetites and our pleasures why not give something for Lent? I know a very shy lady almost a recluse who is doing Just that She has had a very unhappy life and is terrified by people for very excellent reasons She rarely if ever entertains Her last din- ner party was some six years ago and she hasn’t really recovered yet This year she is going to search for lonely and unhappy people like herself and invite them to her home for dinner at least once a week She may even decide to “give" such dinners for the rest of her life ' And then there is a very fashionable minister in our town He has to be a community director a young people's pal a good fellow a fine hand at bridge a sportsman (most of his parishioners are sportsmen) a businessman politician member of the PTA lecturer party-giin the parish hall and speaker at local dubs In short he is expected to be everything but the shepherd of his flock— except in his spare time For Lent he is not going to do a single one of these things demanded of him by his congregation He is going to make calls on people he doesn’t know who don’t belong to any church who have no interest hi religious things reached for the stars instead of the nearest lollipop He will tell of men and women who have never whined “I didn’t have a chance" but who made their oton chances and never gave iip How refreshing in these days when everybody wants something for nothing! I’ve heard of a whole class of young people who are going to help their exhausted teacher for Lent They are not going to demand that aft amuse them or supervise their "play” after school hours They will offer to help her correct papers clean up the classroom and perform other chores Several of the boys have cars of their own The teacher can’t afford one So the boys in turn are going to call for her in the morning and take her home after school They may decide I hope to continue this thoughtfulness after Lent They may see for the first time that their teacher is not their servant but that she is there to educate them and prepare them for the fierce world beyond the schoolman A spiall and weary businessman received a letter from his 10 employees the other day They wrote him that for Lent they are going to give him a full day’s work for a full day’s pay He was stupefied and I don’t think he quite believes it even now ' ‘ Christ spent His Lent in the wilderness prepar- ing to give His life for us There was never a sacrifice in the world to compare with this and never again will there be What are any of our sacrifices-besid- who are unhappy and drifting who go about with sullen challenging faces who have no friends who are in the true meaning of the word Godless Many of them are rich sane are poor He has been suited by them many times Now for Lent he is going to give himself He will go to each of their houses and say "Let me help you!” If they offend him by Indifference or insult he is Just going tq earnest sacrifice Many of us give Lent calls for candy (especially if we eat candy very sit there and talk to them ' I predict he will bring back many of these lost that fr6m Lent on sheep to the fold 1 he will be a real shepherd to his people not Just a “pal to them" also-predl- that her boy to ask for his allowance during Lent He is going to find odd Jobs to do after school and after his minimum expenses he is gang to give the balance to the collection plate in church A rather spoiled and pampered boy he will become a man from this experience I think A youiig girl I have heard of has decided to stop her endless telephone calls during Lent She has found that there are many harassed young mothers in her neighborhood who could use sane help so she is going to give her services free in babysitting and other chores I am sure she will learn from this that as St Francis believed it is in giving that we are given A gossip columnist I know is going to try to write nice things about people he meets instead of “amusing” anecdotes which cause embarrassment sadHe is gang to “give” his column ness and to help others rather than to injure andridicule them He will relate stories of various personalities' who without encouragement and in obscurity I A mother is hot going know told me ' vr ill-w- house-to-hou- se ' Christ’s? What are we going to “give” for Lent as well as “give up" for it? We may find that the "giving” is of lifelong importance to us and that the "giving up” was not a 10th as valuable either for ourselves or for others ill WWW JfomJly COVER: The cheer is the thing in Ozzie Sweet’s shot of America’s No 1 ' spectator sport For a picture feature of unusual basketball doings see p 18 action-pack-ed Woelcly LEONARD - WALTER PATRICK tailhr ' 1 DAVIDOW JVacMoal and FkUUUr C DREYFUS Vtti PrmUtnt L O'ROURKE AdoortMng Director ERNEST MAOAZMS Editor Editor AH DtraHer PMUIP DYKSTRA MEiAMf DC PROFT Food MftoP Addroio oR coRanaalcatlono about odHorid foatwra Faadlr WtaUy SO C JM St Now Vorii 22 N Y FAMILY WEEKLY Editor a CUtf FtTZOIRSON MASOASET RSU Aoatara RORERT Eond U advftitiwg c— wunlwtlom to Wookiy 131 N Michigan An Chicago I III 0 met V HEYN SHI KASTMAN Xaooatfao Editor If INC in N Michigan Aon fVMlywMa |