Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-01-10
NUMBER 2
From the New York independent.
HINTS TO MEAN PEOPLE.
BIZ A CHURCH usHEa.

By CHURCH usHEa.
There is hardly place outside cf
narket-house where man, If he be
Keen observer, has a better chance 10
study the character Of people than In 8
shurch, more especially if the Observer
be an usher. If the subject we're not
serious in its character, it certainly
would be amusing to see how much of
Adam and old Nick respectable
dressed people often exhibit in the very
house of God. The great number oflit-
| tie selfshnesses and nnamiable mean
nesses evinced By people where the
christian cruces Of pslitensss aid kird-
ness ought, if anywhere, To- reign, IS
really surprising. Many people who, at
home among their guests, in the social
circle, and on the street, are uniformly
courteous and polite, are rude. selfish, and
mean in their behavior in the railcarand
in the church. On this subject permit
me to offer few kindly intended hints.
Because person pays rent for pew,
he has no right to expect It will stand
empty if he does not come to occupy it,
and it is his duty to indicate his desire
to occupy by being on hand in season,
and not come late and "look daggers"
because strangers, who had been stand.
| ing for twenty minutes after the com
lmencement of service, have been invited
by the usher to take the vacant seat.
It appears selfish to see three persons
so spread their robes as to ell q seat that
will easily contain Eve, while strangers
are Wearily standing il the doors and
passages.
It appears selfish for person to come
late to church and crowd through q
party of modest people, who stand wait
ing to be invited 70 occupy chairs or ocl
casional spare seats, and insist on being
supplied, at once, not only with > seat,
but q very eligible one.
Itappears selfish for strangers to de-
cline, especially when distinctly re-
quested BY the usher, to pass to the up-
| per end of the pew, though ltmay notbe
quite so eligible place as the entrance,
and thus compel the owner of the pew
and his family, when they arrive, to
squeeze by them to get seats
1t appears mean for persons having
come very early to demand the most de-
sirable front seats, and which, if occu-
| pied by thsm, will crowd the regular at
tendants, who own the seats, back, ar
compel them to stand
It is amusing to see how many are,
though still young, "a little hard Of
hearing" while endeavoring to secure
forward seats; and, having become desi-
rably located, to see them carrying ON
Ian animated conversation with their
companiens by sohisperin9.
ways filled, and all standing room occu-
lpied it is very annoying to have chill
dren in droves come early without their
parents, and occupy seats; and then,
tjust as the sermon is fairly commenced,
to have these children, one by ono, start
|up and GO out, compelling, perhaps, 6ffy
persons to rise half a dozen times In
single sermon to give room for them 10
leave.
1t is not believed to be polite for
strangers to appropriate all the hymn
books in pew, thus depriving the pro.
prietor and his family of the privilege
of joining in the singing, or of extend
ling the polite offer of the hooks TO shs
stranger whom the usher has made his
iguests. s
1t is believed TO be mean for the per.
soma belonging in a pew to appropriate
each hymn book, and neglect to offer
the full or joint use of one to "tho
stranger that is within their gates. -
/ It is not pleasant in t'dog, days. to
lend an only fan to stranger, and have
it retained through the service, and per-
haps handed to another pew to be shared
alternately by the stranger and his friend,
with no consideration for the wants Of
the owner of the fan aud lie original
lender. ~
When you rise to give lady the only
spare seat in your pew, it is provoking
to have her take it with no grateful rec-
ognIition, and then beckon her beau to
occupy your seat, aud thus turn you out
and compel you to stand; nor Is it deemed
! polite for a man thus to take the seat of
one who has offered his only spare seat
to lady.
In short, meanness is ueaner, seldst
ness more selfish, and impoliteness more
[inexcusahle in church than any where
Islso. So thinks An UsuER.