The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-06
ana hung up opposite the choir. IT s Q hymn, en-
titled, "Just as l am" the first verse running

titled. "Just as l am" the first verse running
thus:-
just as am. without one plea.
Bat that Thy Lloou was shed for me-
And that Thou bldlest me come TO Thee
A MISUNDERSTANDING Episcopaan clergyman ar
rives with a sermon. He has volunteered his SER
vices. The pastor Of the prison reads hymn and.
without accompaniment OF any KIND, the choir
sings in the drawing, nasal manner peculiar to
psalm singing. II Is thought to be devotional In
It's tendencies. pity the prisoners; but remem.
bering that their ears have not been cultivated,
begin to believe that poor music is better than
none, for perceive that the prisoners approach
the doors OF their cells and place one hand ouside
the gratings. as though they were absorbing sound
through the pores. The litany is read; no re-
sponses come from the cells, and then the venera-
BILE clergyman unr0lls his manuscript "What viii
he say TO these present, but invisible. mensn AJAX
myself. scan any talk be more difcultS Can any
one dare TO address them who does not feel fitted
for most peculiar work." Evidently the well in
tentioned old gentleman has such scruples.
lie has selected a sermon which he considers emf
nently suited TO time and place. He tells his un-
seen audience that the Lord is angry with the
wicked every day; that Gods words are
not idle speeches, ana gives such picture
OF the Deity as Ii not calculated to soften obdurate
hearts. lie assures them that misery is the work
u
strikes the inquiring mind peculiarly. wish to
ask whether the misery arising from the murder
OF Phyfer by Nixon Is the work OF God, and If so,
why Nixon Is to be hungS Is the starvation of the
sewing girl due to Gods angeTs l long to put sew
eral questions to the reverend gentleman, but
frain. He talks about conscience yet admits that
| 1t may be luled into reposc He speaks OF SHINING
| against the laws and the sin being found
| out, but he does not tell us how much re-
| spOnsibility there Is for sin when humanity
is reared in brutal ignorance OF conscience He
| declams against the hardened transgressor; de-
| claTes that all sins are remembered by God |;
that as He is holy He must hate what is evil that
as lie is just He must punish. The good man tells
| us, further, how God chastises those He loves,
adding rhat IL He Furnishes those He loves what
can others expect Evidently nothing but ever
lasting torInenr and II any of the prisoners have
listened (Which Doubt, they are much more
hardened in transgress0n than before the delivery
of the sermon. AS the preacher meanders through
his broad river of text the hands grad
ually disappear rom the gratings. Doors
are closed with bang. boy visiting one Of the
prisoners begins to talk loudly. EXhausting con-
versation he sits on the floor with his feet dang
ling over the gallery and reads the Police Gazette.
ilowls, succeeded by groans are heard in the dis
lance. voice not far away exclaims. 'Damn
you, hold your yawpl' The two young men in the
cell opposite my seat begin to laugh, cards are
produced, and quickly distance the preacher in
interest. The youth occupying the cell directly
beside me whistles irreverent airs and tries to add
to my comfort by pufing tobacco smoke in my face.
The more the reverend old gentleman breaches
the more the irreverent young gentleman puis.
The latter evidently thinks that am related to
the preacher and sympahze with his views.
long undeceve him, but Tor fear, and inhale
more bad tobacco smoke in less time than 1
dreamed possible to the most capacious lungs
Iilarity increases until even the cat below be-
comes indecorous and plays with her tail in a
highly reprehensible manner. The preacher heeds
his audience no more than his audience heeds
him. and when it is all leave the prison sick
| at heart, Is this the best that can be done for
| criminals? Shall religion be made q mockerys
/ II prisoners be talked to at all, should 1t
not be by impassioned, earnest, eloquent souls
| capable OF awakening emotion9 viii droning
! platitudes produce wholesome effects upon
shrewd, alert mindsS / do not blame the prisoners
for shutting their doors. Had sat within cell
might have howled. 1t should be remembered that
the majority of prisoners Catholics, to whom a
Protestant service is Objectionable; and contend
That 1t is no more just to expect Catholics to toler
ate Professionalism than expect Protestants to
crate Catholicism. At present no Catholic service
/ is held ia the male prison OF the Tombs.
! II all services like the one l have
described all are worse than useless. Far better
would 1t be to make the Sunday exercises entirely
| musical piano and few good voices singing
not hymns only, but English and Irish ballads cal
culated to recall long lost homes, would do more to
touch hearts not entirely hardened than all the
commonplace sermons that have been preached
since the days of Luther. 1t is CRIME against
crime that little is done to appeal to the better
fh To- loil
Music speaks language to which every soul
| can give the Interpretation most desired,
and l maintain that the organ, consid-
cred absolutely necessary in churches is
lar more necessary in prisons We're there mis-
cradle piano in the Tombs it might be possible to
test the power of music Many pianist, many a
singer would gladly volunteer. Is the city so poor
that it cannot afford this luxury? And If new
prison be erected is there any chance OF seeing an
organ built in every Department. 1t Is not enough
to shut up criminals the majority OF whom are
youths led astray by miserable birth,
poverty and bad company. Something must
be done TO lure them into honest
paths. Thoroughly human men and women
who are not too good to understand temptation,
and who do not force their own righteousness down
rebelious throats ought to set themselves to work
at this greatest of all charities. First, how to pre-
vent crime, and secondly, how to stay its course,
are the problems OF the age. Certainly the present
prison regime Is fraught with drefu consequences,
not the least of which are those caused by the
| weekly performance OF CHASTITY burlesque called
Divine Worship.
| There are Berghs for animals; where are the
Berghs for human souls REFORM.
NEW PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.
/ L