The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-22
Strange News from Western Massach u-
sets.

As tho traveller journeys through the four
western counties OF Massachusetts,, his eye
Is caught at every turn by the white church
stccple, glistcning in the sunlight 1t is n
constant and characteristic feature ~ the
landscape. We forget how many Of these
steoplcs can bc seen from the top Of Mount
Holyoke on clear afternoon; but the count
has been made, and the total is an impress
sive figure. As rule they are not models
Of architecture, but their quaint LONELINESS
is not without charm OF It's own. Behold
ing them, the visitor from abroad feels that
he is indeed among the "stoopled hills of
which all good Yankees sing ON Thanksgiv-
ing and Fast Day.
The stccples are still thcrc but whore Is
the ancient piety that reared them? Here
in wcl-known New England newspaper
we find letter from West Cummington
The writer reports that one OF the two vii
lage churches l. now rarely opened, save
when n stray sprtualist lecturer comes
along, and then goes on to say what fol-
lows:
There is ono thing which strikes an observer with
forccthc deafness OF religious enterprise in the midst.
of an ahouniin- population Its safe say that
farmer in three attends church IN this valley The great
cons, qucncc, one Of the churches virtually dead
the other lives langud feeble existence, while
mon, and no doubt w,fouuiod. report exhibits sad
state OF domestic morals Several couples living
together IN tile village or its ncgAi uoi defiance Of
our marriage laws and Of decent public opinion There
is plenty of work 10 be done here rs church or ty
churches that dare 10 deal with living moral questions
1t is of western Massachusetts, town
that these things are written; town which.
no doubt, has heard JONATHAN EDWARDS
preach, and in time past has sent out mis-
sionarics from Williams College and mis-
sionaries' wives from Mount Holyoke Semi
nary to convert the heather. Now it is it.
self relapsing into heathcuism.
We are sorry to hear such bad news Of
West Cummington. Other considerations
aside. and even from a purely worldly point
OF view. it is a bad thing for the farmers TO
stay away from church. They need the
break in the hard monotony Of their week.
day lives which the old-fashioned New Eng
land Sunday gave them. II was as health
full for body and mind as for the soul. The
sooner they get into the habit Of church,
going again. the better for them.
But does the fault rest wholly with tho
farmers; Are the churches and the preachers
wholly hlamelcss in the natter These are
serious questions and We commend them 60
the serious consideration II the various cc-
clcsias,ical bodies that have allowed these
western Massachusetts sheep to stray from
the fold. writer in the October Atlantic
asserts that the old religious life and power
have departed from the churches, in west
ern Massachusetts, and elsewhere, and that
the preachers believe even less than their
people Of the doctrines of their ciecds." In
plain English this means that the churches
have become social clubs Of rather dull
sort, and that the preachers are hypocritcs.
II this, or any part Of II, be true, ii il not
surprising that the West Cummington farm
crs should spend their Sundays on their
farms