The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-01-19
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

One night during Mr.. Moody's SER
vices IN San Francisco a very drunken man came
stumbling from the street into the aisle of the
church where the evangelists were holding ser
vices; he began making disturbance, and the
ushers We're going to put him out but Mr. Moody
interposed. Make him sit down" he said. and
then he appointed a Christian BODY guard for
the poor drunkard, who probably dimly realized
what was done to him. ~ cannot preach to
night, Mr.. Moody then said every word of
my sermon Is driven out of my mind" So he
held special prayer meeting for the drunkard s
dement, and the situation was an intense one as
the lnebriate cried out Oh. Mr. Moody, do save
me If you can" 1t would be an unworthy end
ing of such story to have to say that the man
returned again to his mre He did not but at
the present time is a new and very earnest con-
vert.
The CHURCH AND THE PLAYA
writer in the New York Herald, in a labored
defence OF theatres, cites the names of number
OF clergymen who are its patrons and speaks of
very nice play now on the stage in this city
and says:
The theatre is owned by the proprietors of
the Churchmdn-one of them minister. This
play was recently acted week in st. Louis for
the benefit of an Episcopal church. when the
receipts were between $4,000 and $3 OO0 We
venture to say that could the private cards of
all the patrons of the better class theatres for one
night be gathered together, this minister would
ind among them the names of large numbers of
good men and women, and those who felt the
weight of the Divine command to train ND a
child In the way he should go, and who felt they
were not neglectipg this precept by their attend
ance there"
We would greatly prefer to have it said of us.
that we were the opposers, rather than the sup
porters, of any theatre vet known in this citv
The action of the late Episcopal General Con
ventlon In this city was highly commended by
us, In Its warning against many of the prevail
ing vices and follies of the times. And we ven
ture to say that no logic and no conscience can
reconcile compliance with those iniunctions and
the support of any theatre in New York-N y.
Observer.
The clerical apologists for the thea
ire say that Christians should patronise it. that
thereby 1t may be purified. But if current re-
ports are correct, large number of church mem
bers do patronse the theatres Has it been i'm
proved by their presence? Are not licentious
plays still produced and do not licen tious actors
and actresses represent the loose characters in
these plays? The Spiritual" does not grow
by reason of contact with that which is earthly
and sensual. 1t can overcome the world and
influence 1t only by keeping itself "unspotted"
from its faint Presbyterian
The missionary convention which
we noticed as announced to be held in Montgom
cry, Ala by colored Baptlsts of the South was
attended by delegates from Arkansas. Ala
bama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana. North Caro-
lima, Mississippi Virginia, Texas. Tennessee.
and OHIO. An organisation. to be called the
Baptist Foreign Missionary Convention of the
United States, was formed, the object of which
Is to give the gospel to the people of Africa and
elsewhere through missionary and educational
work. scheme for home missionary work
was also devised.
If you want to study the immense
variety of the human face in expression you
should bend your gaze upon the mobile coun-
tenance of a deaf and dumb man when he
reaches under the plank walk for lost nickel
and picks up raw bemble-bee by the STEM
burlington Hank Eye.
Flasher, having had his portrait
painted, asks the opinion of his friends Dabbs.
a retired house painter. Ddbbs--" Well it's
like you but if you've paid twenty five pounds
for it you've been done. Why there amt half
pound of paint on the whole thing.-Ptnch.
Professor CULVER, of Andover Sem
mary. set himself squarely against the tenden-
cles of the times when he said in a late speech
that the need of the day is more doctrine,
more Puritanism, and longer sermons"
We quoted from secular paper a
few weeks ago singing paragraph in which
the editor expressed his conviction that it was
quite as much the unwholesomeness" of Sara
Bernhardt as her art which drew the multitude
after her. Another bit of sharp wit, hitting the
loose religion of the day, is from the Boston
Post which reports that it has been decided
by Brooklyn church that playing cards isn't
wicked and two thirds Of the congregation
have quit using them. Presbyterian