The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-10
Are the Poor Driven Away from the
Church,?

Are h Poor Driven Away from the
Church?
A New York correspondent writes: It's
a problem that is hard to solve, how the
rich city churches that wall in their pews
with high prices expect to be forgiven in
the world to come. 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 attend
ing. His tastes led him to that church,
not because II was the most popular,
but its minister was. learned and elo-
quent, and each sermon was as good as a
book. The choir, too, was nearly perfect.
The soprano sang Josephine sweetly in
'PinafOre' and the tenor sang Ralph, the
organist was a composer and the basso
was a profundo. He called upon the pew
committee, looked about the church, and
selected a seat two.thirds OF the way back
in the body Of the church. SLOW much
Is that pew?" asked the applicant. Eight
hundred dollars, sir" said the committee
man. "But l want only two seats In 1t. 1
have no family except myself and wife,"
urged the young man. "We don't split
up the pews." said the committee, super.
%ciliously.
The Nj. Y. NJ. had an income OF $1,000
a year. His house cost him 5000 q year,
and he could live in all Of its three stories
three hundred and sixty:flve days in the
year, and read John Wesley's sermons,
Dr. Bushnell's sermons, and the sermons
Of great men, living and dead. He was
willing TO pay 500 a year to hear the thirty
sermons which q minister gives in q city
church. This would be an admission into
the church OF 81 a head for himself and
wife for thirty times, II they went every
time the pastor preached. II he paid $500
he would Just have 500 left for food and
clothing, aud would be paying over S25 a
Sunday for the sermon he got. He was
told that plenty OF men paid more than
that sum for sittings in the sanctuary.
He explained that he was young, OF fair
income as he thought, aud that he wished
to be identified with a congregation where
his progress would he upward. He was
conducted TO the very last seat in the
house, where the pulpit looked as though
It was viewed through the small end OF q
ItleSEulb anu blC WUluo Va buC hlihlotol
came as indistipct as though they had
been worn out travelling through q tele-
phone. "This seat is $50" said the COM
mitteeman. "If you want anything
cheaper you must 60 up into the gallery
and look at those in the back row."
The young mar walked out Of the
church with plenty TO think about, at
costs less" thought he, ito see Shakes.
peare interpreted by master minds, to
hear the grandest operas sung by magic
voices, to possess books written by grander
men than any who feed ,on delicaCies.
walnuts and wine during the week and
preach on Sunday, 10 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 in his visits there, as a regular
transient attendant, and the exigencies o
the high.pressure church system which
demanded at least a tenth Of his income
fora seat in the consecratel place, KEEP
him a stranger to that house Of worship