The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1880-02-05
cosr OF caURcH GOING

a New 0rk correspondent writes:
It's a problem that is hard to solve,
/ how the rich city churches that wall
10 their pews with high prices, ex~
pect to be forgiven 10 the world to
cone. A moral young man, of good
intellect and predisposition toward
all that is good, related to me the
other day his experience in trying
to get a pew in a church he was
fond Of attending. His tastes led
him to that church, not because it
was the most popular, but its minis
ter was learned and eloquent, and
each sermon was as good as book.
The choir, too, was nearly perfect,
The soprano sang Josephine sweetiy
ia Piuafore, and the tenor sang
Ralph, the orgauist was a composer,
add the basso was a profnndo. He
called upon the pew committee, look
ed about the church and selected
seat two,lhirds of the way back 10
the body of the church. How much
is that pew ? asked the applicant
Eight hundred dollars, sir, said the
committeeman, But want only
two seats 10 it. | have 90 family
except myself and wife urged the
moral young man. "We don't split
up the pews," said the committee
man, superciliously. The M. Y. NJ
had an income of 81, 800 a year.--
His house cost him 5000 year, and
he could live in all of its three stories
three hundred and sixty five days in
the year ard read John Wesley 8
sermons, DR.. Bushnell's sermons, the
sermons of great men, living aud
dead, He was willing to pay 500 a
year to hear the thirty sermons
which minister gives in city
church. This would be an admis-
sion into the church at 81 head
for both for thirty times, if they
went every time the pastor preached.
If he paid $500 a year he would
have Just 500 left for food and cloth
ing and would be paying over $50 a
Sunday for the sermons he got. He
was told that plenty of men paid
more than that sum for sittings in
that sanctuary. lie explained that
he was young Of fair income as he
thought and that he wished to be
identified with congregation where
bis progress would be upward. He
was conducted to the very last seat
in the house, where the pulpit look~
ed as though it was viewed through
the small end of telescope and the
words of the minister came as indis
tinct as though they had been worn
out travelling through telephone. -
This seat is eighty dollars, said the
committeeman. "If you want any
thing cheaper you must go up into
the gallery and look at those 10 the
back row The young man walk
ed Gu: of the church with plenty to
think about. 1t costs less, thought
he, 80 see Shakespeare interpreted
by master minds, to hear the grand
est operas sung by magic voices, to-
posses books written by grander men
than any who feed on deIicacies,
walnuts and vine during the week
and preach on Sunday, to travel and
see the beauties Of nature, to
visit art galleries and print stores
than to attend church." There is
not much wonder that he didn't go
to church. His pride could not en-
dure the feeling of deadheadism,
which seized him ia his visits there,
as a regular transient attendant and
the exigencies of the high pressure
church system, which demanded At
least a tenth of his income for seat
in the consecraled places, kept him
stranger to that house Of worship.