St. Landry democrat., 1880-03-20
The Religious Element in New Sharon,

The Religious Element in New Sharon.
The following is an extract from Mr..
Henry Kings "Over Sunday in New
Sharon in the March Scribner:
Incredible, too, as it may sound, there
were religious services in New Sharon
that admirable forenoon, in an unplas-
tered room over a bowling ALLEY, where
we found congregation of at least a
hundred persons; and there were a
choir and cottage-organ, and ushers
showed us to seats when we entered. 1t
looked a tritle out of form, even in New
Sharon, to see a woman at church in a
low-necked and short-sleeved crimson
gown; but she seemed to be unaware
of it. l diverted my fancy by likening
her-1 scarcely know why-to those
women of olden, prophetic time, who
"went out with timbrels and dances )"
and that other one who sat near her,
dressed in white, her hair in a braid
down her back, and her fingers nerv-
ously twirling, as though they held I'M
seen castanets-was not she a typical
daughter of Babylon? | dared have
been sworn | saw Desdemona there,
also, and Iago darling malevolent
chances at her from across the
aisle, the scoundrei! But Othello
was absent. l noticed Rob Roy pres
ent, however-several Rob Roys, | may
say-booted and spurred in authentic
fashion. For special wonder, too,
walked in Werther, and stood with
arms folded, spying pensively about for
some random and signing Charlotte.
And we had not been men-at least, not
men of taste-had we omitted to observe
the violet-e eyed miss with the curls and
the silver-fligree jewelry, who sang
soprano in the choir, and sang SO charm
ingly well; for surely that face of hers,
those lips, those checks, compelled
many sonnet, bankrupted many
heart, away back yonder in the time of
Petrarch; only New Sharon was not
much of a market for sonnets, nor did
hearts break there with facility, [ am
inclined to think.
The minister read for the morning
lesson, and for his text as well, the para
BILE of the Prodigal Son. "He's going
for 'em,' Eastman whispered, and we
sat anticipating an old-fashioned speech
for the prosecution. TO our surprise,
not to mention our relief, we heard
nothing of the kind. The sermon, am
bound to say, was original, good-tem-
pered, and strikingly effective. If the
speaker sketched the riotous part
of the Prodigal's career rather
freely and floridly-"as if he
knew how it was himself,'' Eastman
suggested touched the husks and
swine, the grief and repentance, in a
sparing and subordinate way, he but
chose the method which Debufe pursues,
you remember, in that familiar picture
of the same story; and he did not fail,
as think Dnbufe does, to convey, some
how, a very distinct and serviceable i'm
preston that a life of wickedness is bad
policy, at least. Likely he knew such
to be his best way to reach his audience.
Certainly he interested them and held
their attention past sigh of tagging |
shall never forget how perfectly quiet
they were, and how generally they
leaned forward to listen, as he passed
the strict letter of the parable and, leav-
ing the father busy about the feast,
went on to speak of the returned wan
derer's suggestions and waiting mother
-" We all have mothers, somewhere
he softly remarked-and to depict the
homely, tender, caressing mood in !
which the dear Wintry-haired and tot |
tering old woman must have taken her
boy-her youngest, and hence forever a
baby in her eyes-back to her heart that |
had never CEASED to love and pray for
him. 1t was stroke worth more than
bn T
Then he abruptly reverted to the
gay and ensnaring scenes which
the Prodigal had found so de-
lightful for a time, and afterward
so empty and so fatiguing, and dwelt
upon them few minutes earnestly, let
ting the background of shadow move a
little further forward than before, and
yet saying never word of the grave or
the judgment on the other side of the
grave. And then he paused for an in
slant or so, and when he spoke again
it was in a voice of mellowed and lin
gering sweetness, and his words were
the quantity touching ones that good old
George Herbert uses in his "Pulley,n
to tell how the Creator, when he made
man, fastened to equip him with bless
ing after blessing-strength, beauty,
honor, pleasure-till only rest
remained, and how that one choicest
boon of all was left unbestowed, to the
end,
that at least,
If goodness led him not, yet WEAKNESS
night some day toss the longing and
'estless being to its Makers breast. I
could not for my life have told, when
lie had concluded, what denomination
# Christians the minister belonged to;
Tor did it really seem to me to be
natter of any consequence.
We waited after service to make ac-
Iuaintance with this surprising pastor,
Who proved to be very frank and
greeable young man, literally edu~
ated, who respected both his calling
nd himself, and who had also a keen t
ye for the absurd and homogeneous, no l
sss than the picturesque. He was able q
0 tell us a great deal about New =
'haron and its people; and it appeared t
D amuse him not little that my idle S
sychology had in several cases so near t
Y grazed the truth regarding the GER /
ain types of individuality that picked O