The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-22
A SHOPPING EPISODE.
High Church Brunette Gives a Methodist
Blonde Valuable Religious Information.

blonde valuable Religious Information
Brooklyn Eagle.
Shopping for the holidays?" asked a
blonde from the Hill, as she recognized a
friend in brunette from the Heights, as
they met in mutual struggle over the bar
gain-counter in a Fulton-street store.
YES" replied the brunette, with look of
serene enjoyment, reaching over the shout
ders OF another woman to test the quality OF
some real lace offered that day only at %
cents yard.
Pm completely worn out" complained
the blonde, grabbing at pair of kid gloves,
selling on a special sale for so cents. Ma
wanted me to stay home to-day and help her
finish my new dress, but L was just too tired
Tor work l have been going it like this
every day for two weeks, and it is just push
and scramble, until l am sick OF the name of
Christmas"
How can you talk like that?" demanded
the dark beauty, suddenly remembering her
mission, which appeared to be to enlighten
the world. christmas is the most beautiful
and sacred of all the festivals of the church.
You know we are awfully High, and that
makes it grand'
Hight" exclaimed the blue-eyed girl. 81
don't quite understand"
"Oh, High Church, mean. 1 forgot you
were Methodist Ma says it's too bad, for
you are really capable of better things, and
she thinks it is the duty of parents to give
their daughters the best social advantages.
Our church, or as our rector says The
Church. is a divine organism, and the others
mere earthly organizations. 1t would do
you good to hear him tell lust what the
Apostles meant and show so positively that
they were all High Churchmen. Ma and pa
are High Church, too; that is, ma goes every
sunday and pa pays the pew rent, and opens
wine when the rector calls"
docs your rector say we're not Chris
tians," interrupted the little blonde firing
up.
''Oh, my, mol Now listen moment We
are very liberal, and call everybody Chris
tlans. Our rector was around the other even
ing playing a game of cards with pa that they
call -pankey, something about fushes,
and tours, and things of that kind, you
know, and how wish you could have heard
them talk We are all of the new school,
you know"
THE what?' interru pied the blonde, open
ing her eyes
We'll they call it that, or Progressionists.
Pa explained it all to me and | understand it
perfectly. You see, our church believes in
advancement, and so does pa and ma and
the rector, and when they get going it is in
strucuve And the rector is so earnest and
devoted to the church. Ma says that he is a
true shepherd, 1t was positively touching
to see him let pa rake in jack pot as they
call It, when he held flush and pa only had
pair, Just because poor ma said to the rec
tors wife that she was afraid that if he es-
tablished the confessional it would hurt the
influences of the church,
How l envy you!' murmured the blonde.
1t is such privilege to live among such in
teresting peoplel One learns so much"
Yes, ma often remarks thatf few girls have
such advantages. Now, there's mas friend
the Pogressionist woman. The club meets at
our house, and we have the loveliest sup
pers and then get all my ideas from their
dresses. Their conversation is perfectly
charming, and their manners are so English
Ma says that after go abroad [ will become
just as elegant, for am so quick to learn;
and, besides all this they have the loveliest
schemes for the improvement of womeni'
How much you must enjoy all this"
sighed the blonde.
Eyes, indeed. Then there's pa, with his
literary friends. Pa, you know, writss let
tiers to the Eagle nearly every week"
Goodness! Does he?' demanded the
blonde, in admiration. ~ must read them.
What does he sign them?
Sometimes he signs them Anxious In
quirer,' sometime Constant Reader some
times X. Y. H. and sometimes "A. B. c.
and they are mostly about sewers and gas
companies, and other nuisances Ma says pa
has real gift, and pa himself thinks he was
wrong to be only a merchant. Well, as l
said, pas literary friends come and then we
have an evening and hear all about the
races and dog shows and polite literature
we have, as ma puts it, real spiritual time
Pa orders a splendid supper, and of course
the rector comes, and how they do go on
about altar clothes and surplices and doc
trine and discipline! Ma and 1 often say it
makes one feel their own imperfections the
more to see such true devotion in the
church in mere men. And they get so
wrapped up that they forget to eat, but of
course they get thirsty, talking so much, and
they drink a good deal of wine and make the
room blue with smoke"
How beautiful commented the blonde
I'm dying to enter your church, but pa is
so set, and he says it's all tomfoolery, and
that you have no religion"
Goodness, me! That sounds just like
grandma She asked the rector one night,
when he and pa were talking about the
Easter decorations, how old he was when he
experienced religion. Ma was so mortified
And the poor rector looked at her so queerly
He was really embarrassed for herI Ma
hasn't got over it yet Of course, grandma
meant we'll, but she's not up with the age"
81 think if he came over to our church he
would experience a change of heart" sug-
gested the blonde.
What" exclaimed the brunette. go to
your church! Experience change of heart
What do you meanT"
Hasn't he experienced religion yet?'
asked the blonde, innocently Don't you
think it is time he was converted? I'm sure
L Cdn see uOW lie pIedCu0S, unless lie KNOWS
something about the Christian religion. Send
him to US and we will see what we can
do for him."
The brunette seemed to think she had
dropped into the company of shop-lifter,
and had better get out before anything hap
pened, for she abandoned her friend on the
suggestion of the bare possibility that a rec
tor needed any religion, and there is one
young lady on the Heights who doesn't call
on one young lady on the Hill, aad if she
did, the call would not be returned.
Too Much Art.
New York Letter.
1 think we are suffering from too much art
just at present. The number of so-called