Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-27
RELIGIOUS NOTES.

piCuNAluS u1aOcu ID oAAOuAoSN w 10
held in public hall in Dairy, Scotland. Tho
hearers are to judge OF the merits OF the contest
ants.
The Baptist ministers OF Philadelphia are
trying to decide whether 1t Is right or wrong to
observe Christmas and Easter. At latest ac-
decision.
Mr.. Moody believes in personal devil Be-
ing asked by St. Louis reporteri II this was true,
he replied that he !" most certainly" did believe
with facts In corroboration of ii. He is the
Prince OF Darkness, and has this world for bis
kingdom"
Mr.. Spurgeon, who Is now at Mentone
writes home in anything but an encouraging
way of the condition OF his health. 81 am
very sorry," he says. that am altogether
overwhelmed by similar attack to that which
has laid me PROSTATE during former years. 1
very low. ~ trust rust that Hattie the Warm a and geSai
weather will enable me to rally much sooner
than If had been at home. cannot write
more, for am very ILL"
Notwithstanding the oddities and eccentric
tiles OF the people who call themselves the sSal-
walton Army" considerable good seems to have
been accomplished by it In the manufacturing
towns Of England There are now 1872 stations
where members Of the .army" regularly work.
There are over 200 officers, and nearly 1900
speakers These speakers have addressed over
two millions Of people since last New Years
Day. The people addressed are OF the toughest
ucoCIipbitl, anu OlJtn give dtItuUlOu W blt
speakers during rain storms On recent Sun
day about 5000 persons thus listened to a dis
course which lasted an hour. They filled large
market place in Nottingham.
The p esbyterian Board of Education utters
a complaint that its friends are not standing by
1t with the funds it wants DR.. Poor, the Secre-
tary, issues an earnest appeal to the churches
to hurry up their contributions. He asks: ''Shall
we suspend payment before bankruptcy over
takes US, and tell our 400 young students that
we have nothing more for them?" Dr. Poor
says that churches In which the pastors have
fairly presented the cause from the pulpit have
sent contributions, which are In some cases libe-
raj. He argues that where contributions are
not sent, it is because the pastors have not told
their people of the necessities Of the case.
"A correspondent of the Illustrated Christian
Weekly is exercised as to the right or wrong of
on Monday. He says: II have always consid-
cred it wrong to take or read the Sunday edi-
tons Of the daily papers, but have been told
printed on Sunday; IS It not Therefore equally
wrong to read them7" On this subject the edi-
tors say: "ThtS Is one OF those questions where
each one must determine his line Of conduct for
himself. For ourselves we have no Scruple in
reading the Monday morning papers. II we
could find what we want in any paper that was
not prepared with Sabbath work we should be
"A singular case of disturbance in church is
reported from St. Johns Of Hampstead near
London. One Elizabeth Tocock has annoyed
the vicar so much with loud and importune
singing and has persisted in it so long against
the repeated complaints which have been made
to her, that the vicar at last carried the case
into police court. He testified that she dis
ing noise, which he supposed she would call
singing, at the topmost fitch of her voice."
She did not sing with the rest of the congrega-
ton Or the Choir, but either little before them
ting stop to singing in the church altogether,
and again had thought he would shut up the
church, so greatly was he worried For two
years the singing had become worse and worse.
In reply Miss TOcock said she had not the slight
est intention to annoy any one. On the con-
trary cher whole heart and soul were in the
services of the church which she had attended
for twenty-Seven years." and she had always
felt she was doing her duty in singing. She ad-
mitted that her voice was very high, but said
court decided that Miss Tocock was liable to
fine Of SIS or two months In jail; and that it was
not necessary that the annoyance should be
malicious. The summons was, however, ad-
Journed for month to see II the annoyance
ceased.
During the performance of an oratorio in
one of the churches In Chicago recently, two
young girls in the piece approached the King
church member who simpertngly asked whether
the time had come when the House of God Is
to be converted into dancing academy" The
pastor felt called upon to say word or two IN
explanation, and discharged the responsibility
thus: In certain part OF the oratorio two
young ladies, entering parts OF the platform,
am willing to confess that the motion was not
walk. but am equally sure that it was not a
dance"
- The Rev. DR.. Ormiston, Of New York, has
sharp, black eyes with which he can almost LOOK
Some years ago, when he was called to his
present charge In the Reformed Church on Filth
avenue, he found, On entering the pulpit on the
first Sunday, that not many OF his congregation
had arrived. He waited unt1l the TINA for ka.
ginning the service, when he rose in his pulpit
ready to offer the opening prayer. Still the
people kept coming down the aisles one at II
time. The preacher stood perfectly silent in
his pulpit, turning his penetrating glance to
each late-comer as he opened his pew door, and
for several minutes this silence upon his part
was kept up until the last arrival had been
seated. This was an absolute cure for lateness
In that church, for the members much preferred
to sit waiting in their pews for half hour BE-
fore the service rather than run the guantiet of
their pastors keen eyes in the solemn stiffness
Of his church. 1t was severe remedy but the
people were forced to admit that it was thor
Oughly successful one.
The trouble with ministers in respect to
their salaries is quite as likely to arise from the
uncertainty as to when they will be paid, as
from the smallnesS OF the salary itself. The
utter lack of system which prevails in many
churches, and the feeble sense Of responsibility
in regard to the payment Of the salary, Is
source of perpetual anxiety and discomfort to
many mfnister.-[MOrnin0 Star.
-" st. Nicholas!' who was he? No s'toeic of
the times" is more prominent just now than
this kindly Saint. 1t were q pity, knowing
him so Well, not to know more about him. His
home, 1t is said, was In Asia Minor. He lived
about the time OF st. Augustine. He was a
bishop His benevOlence was unlimited and
was continually sonding him out on errands OF
unexpected kindness. II some noble family
had fallen into misfortune and poverty, 1t was
his special delight In an unknown disguise, to
surprise them with the means of relief Ills
gifts, discriminatory distributed on every
side, in spite OF his attempts at self-conceal-
ment, made him famous; until, after while,
his good deeds having. been, perhaps, consider
ably magnited. as men re-tOld the delightful
story of them, he came to be taken as the per-
sonal embodiment OF the gift-giving spirit of
Christianity itself.-[Chicago Adpance.
One OF the stories lately told Of Mr.. Lin
coin, is the following: When he was young he
boarded with a deacon, who came one night to
his room and told him to arise, for the stars
were falling and the Judgment Day had come.
Young Lincoln arose, looked out OF the window,
and, sure enough, the stars seemed to be falling
In showers, but when he looked away In the
distance and saw the grand old consultations
remaining firm In their places, just as he had
seen them from his childhood, he returned to
his bed, feeling that all was well so long as the
old consultations were not moved. So, amid
all the alarming signs which Mr.. Saith dis
Germs In the social and political heavens, filling
him with the fear that "a collapse of religious
folfo of no