$8.20 Fast

To Roman Catholics the 40 days of Lent mean frequent light meals, frequent meatless meals. To most Unitarians and Congregationalists Lent involves no extraordinary self-denial. In recent years churches of the middle ground--Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist--have observed Lent with increasing mystical piety. Last week Easter Sunday brought joyous release to a Methodist minister whose Lenten fast had caused him as much belt-tightening as Catholics experience. However, Rev. William H. Alderson, supervisor of the Methodist Church on Long Island's North Shore, had curbed his appetite for economic as well as religious reasons. For 40 days Methodist Alderson, his wife and his three children had lived on diets drawn up for families of five by the Nassau County Temporary Emergency Relief Administration, at a total cost of $8.20 per week. Their object: to see how relief recipients manage.

Mrs. Alderson scrabbled in the shops of Hempstead, L. I. for cheap vegetables such as beets, carrots, potatoes. Twice a week the family also ate cheap meat, low grade eggs. A can of pears was a treat for dessert. Supper consisted of sandwiches with cocoa, tea or milk. Last week Methodist Alderson reported the five had not lost weight, had suffered no ailments worse than colds.

"My mouth watered for a good juicy steak a few times," declared Mr. Aider-son.

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