The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1868-12-11
Cory O'Lanus' Eplstle .-On
= Strange Subject.

Did you ever notice What,a q simi-
larity there sometimes is between
the traits of some remarkable peo-
pie and others.
Mr.. Beecher observed the other
evening in familiar chat with his
Sunday school that he used to 90 to
sleep in church when he was a boy.
So did /.
The only difference between our
cases is-that it was his father who
used to preach him to sleep,-my
father used to wake me up.
That is, ifhc happened to wake
before I did. -
By observation and practice,
however, l generally hit upon the
particular part II the service when
the old gentlemen would wake up,
and anticipated him by a few Sec
onds.
Then when he opened his eyes be
would meet the sorrowful and re-
proving glhnce of his offspring.
But my calculations could not
always be relied upon. Our neigh
Dor in the next pew might snore
little louder than usual, or . fly
might buzz round the old gentle
mans nose and wake him up before
his time, which was sure to make
him mad and he would take it out
in waking me up.
1 agree with Mr.. Beecher that
church pcws are much more comorta-
bly, fitted up now than they used to
be.
Still they might be improved.
The backs are too low.
They should either be built high
er or have head-rests like those at
tached to barber's chairs to give
you an easy shave, and which you
can raise or lower as you prefer.
l recommended this style to the
Long Island Historical Society
some years ago, and they said they
wonld adopt it when they put up .
building of their own.
Mrs. O'Lanus thinks people
hadn't ought to sleep in church.
If they cart keep awake they
shuould stay at home. :
And she wanted to know what
good a sermon did anybody if they
slept all through it, and didn't hear
. word Of it?
To which I responded by asking
her another conundrum: What good
did sermon do 4 person who heard
every word Of it. but couldn't for the
life Of them make out what it was
about?
She gave it up.
So did I. sa .-.s
The church has attractions which
draw people in spite of tho preach
ing.
Not to reflect on the ladies by
limiting at the fashions, there is the
music.
like music.
After the collapse of the Philharo-
monic Society and in the dearth
Of opera, church music is not to be
despised.
Besides you have it on Sunday,
when there are no other entertain
ments going on.
The quartette singing in some of
the churches is really very fine.
The church choir is coming to be
regarded as tho nursery Of the ope-
ratio stage and concert room.
It is very good school.
When / was boy oil hands in
the church used to pitch in when
the tune started, and swell the
note Of praise.
And heavy swell it was.
But that was in the days when
they didn't build several hundred
thousand dollar churches, with TWEEN.
ty thousand dollar organs, and
twelve thousand year preacher.
The people had to do their own
singing. They could't afford if
teen hundred dollar soprano. a
twelve hundred q year tenor, q
thousand dollar baritone and an
eight hundred dollar contralto, or
an organist with diamond sleeve
buttons.
We have improved much since
then, in piety as in other things.
They had no pew auctions in
those days.
The gospel hadn't been exhaust
ed then, and the ministers didn't
have to fall back on politics.
The Episcopalians were not disturb
ed by Ritualism, were not afflicted
with Tyngs, or Stubbses, or Dogg-
ses.
Methodist deacons could chew
tobacco without fear Of being over
hauled by the Conference.
The Reformed Dutch Church was
not ashamed to be called Dutch.
And Long Island was innocent
Of bishop.
But the dominees then had their
failings.
They hadn't as much respect for
the feelings Of refined tastes and
delicate sensibilities.
They used to preach more sui
phur, and you used to hear = good
deal more about the devil than you
do now.
Excuse my mentioning this shock
ing parsonage, who is seldom re-
ferred to now, and when hois, tits