Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-01-22
Cur Parish HnVaIlds.

My parish is 10 town which is reputed
healthy. may entertain different opinion
upon this suEj:c indeed, but the inhabitants
often speak in enthusiastic terms Of our brscipg
atmosphere and the general salubrity of this
region. am about, however, to record my
experience With tho vas; number of invalids
who dwell around mo.
have, belonging to ny parish, say about
four hundred souls. Ot these, about one hun
dred arc children; and supposipg that fifty
adult p,r5ons arc detained at homo, this would
oago about two hundred and fifty persons who
| ought to be in regular attendance upon the
Sunday service; but, on tho contrary, seventy
| five is regarded as largo attendance. We se.-
dom haVo moro than fifty present. So here are
| from ono hundred and seventy five to two hun.
drcd persons sbsonting themselves from the
! sanctuary. And what is the cluse2 l meet
| ono and another of the absentees during the
| week, aud ask Why missed them. The ans.
wer is the same 10 sl cases They were not
"feeliug very well.' But when there comes 40
| unpleasant Sunday, then the number Of inVa
lids is greatly increased, and on very bad days
my congregation numbers not over dozen;
| and, Of course, l mus! be content. for c,unot
expect those in feeble health to expose them.
selves 10 incement weather.
But thcre Is something peculiar about tho
valetudlnarlans OF this parish. l 60 to their
place of business on wcek day, and | am sure
to find them there, or not far off and to my
Inquiry, How are you?" they almost invaris-
bly, answer, "Vory. we'll, I thank you, sir"
And if sometimes they toll mo they are mot
feeling very Wcll," this does not keep them
from their place of business. Even Oh rainy
days it is the same; aud, what is moro, l often
meet on such days ladies whose health never
permits them to leave homo on inciement Sum
days. picking their way through mud and wet
tremblo Tor tho consequences, and expect Ger,
tainly to bc sept tor with message saying,
that Mis- So-and-so, who has been in feeble
health for some time, imprudently ventured out
on an unpleasant day, aud is not expected to
live; but DO such message comes.
l havo theory that tho locality Of The
church hes something 10 do with this matter;
for We have 10 Il. Pluribu5 Unum Hall, in
cur town. frequent public lectures and ex.
hibltlons on week days. and as sure as l 90
there, Sd huro am | 10 find all my idva-
lids prcsnnt. AID apparently enjoying them
| selves. l! IS nos long sl1oe General Tom
Thumb aud his suite gave an enter,
tainmcnt in cur toWp. Tho General was 80
kidd ss to s3nd mo ticket. | did not intend
it IVES so stormy that began to pity the Lili,
| pusian. l said to myself, "poor little fellow
sou haVo como to place Whero invalids abound;
aud Oh such day as this, you vii! be under the
necessity Of exhibiting to empty ssats," Mus.
Ing ID this manner. aud thinking how dis.
| hoartcnlng 1t Is to mo to discourse to on empty
house, made up my mind to 20, 50 that he
should have an audicrco Of one at least. Ac-
cordlnIiy, wcn; end, will you bolisve It'll e
piuribus Unum Hall was crowded. There
wcre all my inValids-thc delicate men and tho
feeb,o Womou, snd theic children. Neither
! rain, snow ncr mud kept thcm back on that
day, and l mover learned that their health
suffered in the le1s..
But hava further proof Of tho correctness
OF my theory. | enter tho church on Sunday,
| and find that Of these who aro strong enoush
to be present, quite number find their health
too delicate to allow thom TO assume the
posturcs required By tho Iubric5. Very few OF
them have sutfccrt strength to stand through
tho singing ct tho psalm or hymn. or the read
log ol tho lsalter CT gospel; epd that this lassi
| tudo oomes upon them only 90 Sundays, and
at church, l know from close observation.
thus. it is not long siEco l was present at al
evening party, where there Wcro but very few
seats for tho largo uumbor present, aud there
saw dcz2ns, yes, scores; Of my palishioners-
| whom had always observed to bo too feeble to |
obstrVc tho standing postures required by tho |
Prayer book-staading or promenadiDg Ito say |
nothing OF dancng) for oue, two. and three
hours together, without apparent fatigu,.
Now, baVo 90 doubt that sone persons, on
rcadiog this article. will bo go uocbaritable as to
insipuste that there is 20 real case of sickness
at all; that my parish is composed of idle. lazy,
Indifferent, lukswarm Christians Now wish
| to hold no argument with any suoh uuchsrts.
bic pcts0rs. L stand up for my parish. am
| 40 to bo convinced that those to whom preach
SO earnestly about their Christian duties have
such low Senbo of duty as ,me would imagine.
| only wish | was physician. as we'll as oler-
gyman, and feel sure could substantisto my
thoory.-Rutsh Visitor.
| Opening and Closing OF the Malls.
| CLOSING.
| "esh @