Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-05-27
Humorous Description OF a Fashion.
able Church.

Humorous Description OF a Fashion
able Church.
The New York Evening Post recently
published series of letters purporting
to have been written by Turkish noble
man who visited this country as the agent
of his government to witness the work
ings of our institutions. The satire OF
the following extract from one of these
letters is exquisite. The writer describes
visit to a fashionable church in New
York as follows:
On sunny morning of the first day
of the second week Of my sojourn here,
| requested my young fellow-lodger Of
the st. Nicholas to conduct me to one Of
the numerous sanctuaries. He proposed
that we should visit the church Of the
Shining Kaleidoscope, and we proceeded
thither. On our entering the sacred edi-
fee, the sexton received us quito coolly,
as il to say, What business have you
in this establishment y But when my
companion opened his cont aud displayed
a diamond breastpin of inordinate size.
the face Of the official blossoned with
smiles, and he conducted us 10 an excel
lent pew in the central aisle
My attention was first attracted bv the
decorations of the walls ana ceiling
The principal colors used in the work Of
adornment were light blue, bright yell
low, and deep red, each endeavoring to
display itself to the best advantage
Their effect, when combined with all the
other tints of the rainbow, shed through
the stained glass windows, was somewhat
remarkable; and observed that port
ly lady just behind me had, as the result
of play Of light green forehead, blue
nose, yellow lips, purple chin, orange
hair; and patch Of deep violet over the
left eye. Indeed, | had observed no such
style Of ornamentation anywhere except
in the brilliant restaurant Of Mr.. Taylor,
Broadway. Wonderful, o my Lybian
lion, is the power of association; for
such was the influence Of this paint upon
my imagination, that | came near asking
the usher, who was promenading the
aisle, to bring me lamb stuffed with
pistaohio nuts, and vase Of iced sher.
bert.
The services commenced presently, by
reading on the part Of person who oc-
cupied room in the rear Of the build
ing, and responses from a portion of the
congregation. The reader pitched his
voice so that it seemed to issue from his
toes, and you may judge, therefore, that
his intonations we're hardly natural, (since
he did not stand on his head, but as it
was his Office to deal with the supernatu-
raj, il may be presumed that such sepul-
chral utteranccs were appropriate to the
occasion.
Next came song of praise by four
persons in the organ loft. How beanti-
fully they warbled was carried straight
back to the opera, with its pride and
pomp of scenic illusion. intoxicating
sounds, brilliant eyes, dazzling toi.ettes,
immaculate kids. The soprano led of
with a splendid staccato passage, in which
the high notes danced and capered like
lambs On hillside.
Then she ceased, and the tenor took
up her strain, and prolonged it with clear
trumpet tones; then he stopped, and the
contralto sang few sweet notes; and,
lastly, the basso added his voice 10 the
others, and the whole party commenced
a terrific struggle for the supremacy in
the final fugue. The contest was excit-
ing, and the result doubtful for few
moments, but at last the soprano was
victorious, ending with a tremendous
thrill. which entirely siIenced her antae-
onists. ] lifted my hands to applaud,
but was checked by my friend, who in
formed that, however delighted / might
be with the performances, must not
express my qualification in the same way
that | would at the Academy of Music.
Though this distinction seemed to be ra-
ther nicely drawn, /, of course, yielded
to the suggestions Of his experience.
Qounm..tuo WoDmtr X vour~a Oua