Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-07-09
A New System In Cssy Churches.

| We are not at all sure that the absurdities oil
social life are pushed to their most crimina
length in the great cities. The shopkeeper'.
wife in the country town who stints her chill
drens future, that she may follow 1.-THE fash.
ion, is just - guilty as her spendthrift sstel
on Murray Hill, who squanders thousands
instead of single dollars Certainly, it is from
the cities that all well-grounded plans of So
cial reform have come. They are more up,
to be forced into existence by the friction OF
masses of human beings upon each other,
| and besides they arc much more apt to have 9
fair trial. and easy adoption IN larger than in
smaller towns. A man in metropolis ex
poets to change, to grow. in both his habits
and opinions But for unreasonable conscry.
atism, tor worship of WORKOUT precedent, for
incurable caste distinctions, give us your vii.
lage or country town.
Now. there is system which has been
adopted during the last two years in some of
the large city churches, which seems to us to
| touch upon every relation of home or society,
and to touch beautifully, too, with meaning
of vitality in it of sound common sense and
Christian feeling. We mean the union of all
the members or habituate attendants in a
church in club, for mutual benefit and aid.
1t is primarily, q Beneficiary Society, where
each member pays his monthly quota, and
each, in case Of illness or death, (no matter
how wealthy he may be-, receives q stated
allowance. This plan seems 10 us to contain
the idea of Christian Brotherhood mitch more
truly than the usual uncertain almsgving
system Of most churches, where tho man who
has fallen upon evil ways is placed upon the
pauper list, and receives his dole as charity.
In such o case, as well-t0-tlO people should
remember. it is o much easier exercise of
Christian feeling to give than to receive. Sup
plemcnting this fund for sickness. there is u
coal and provision club, library and reading
room, in which concerts and exhibitions are
generally given, and an employment bureau,
intended to secure situations for men and wO-
men. So fur, tho effort has been successful
10 keep these associations free from that
religious character which would rcpel out
sidcrs and so defeat their object. 1t is to
supplant the charms of the gros shops and
low theatre in the eyes of the workman or
homeless lad about town that the reading
room or library is intended, and not as dis
guiscd lay.Church. These clubs, of course,
must be modified to suit the needs of each
locality, but In any manufacturing town or
place where large bodies of workmen or
women are unemployed in the evenings, their
success has been exceptionally rapid and per-
manent.
Coffee and scading rooms ON = smaller
scale Uhe idea is English, we believe) have
proved rs fortunate and healthful in their in
huencc. These are not necessarily under \
special church influence. One or two ener-
getic men or women, with but small outlay
of time or money, hire room, where books,
magazines and the daily papers are to be
found in the evening, with the addition,
sometimes, of tea or coffee. The admission
- =
refreshment is furnished at cost, by which
the strong sed praiseworthy prejudice among
the working classes against charity is
avoided.
1t really seems to US that If our gently bred
women would use some of these rational,
practical modes of lifting their less fortunate
sisters and brothers nearer to their level of
life, their own homes and lives would be SUM-
nier and stronger. Whether successful or
not, they would at least bring into both the
vitality of noble epurpose.-Scr6ners.