New-York tribune., 1883-06-04
OEEERNENS.

tits world of queer people and queer things.
Everybody has noticed that. The gentle reader,
who is of course one of those calm, phil0sopmc
obseryers who never do anything queer, has
undoubtedly observed that within the entire
circle of his acquaintance there is not one per-
son who is not N ore or less queer. The people
who live next door are always queer. They do
oueer things, they have queer people come to
see them, their housekeeping methods are
oneer. and their ideas Of what constitutes true
courtesy IN their treatment OF neighDors are
ouee1est of all. Then the way his friends marry
and are given in marriage is invariably per-
plexing to our gentle reader. why this
woman should accept that man," ana what
that man could see to admire in this woman,"
ure conundrums which agitate him every time
there is wedding within his social radius. No
man ever yet married to the entire satisfaction
of his friends, and there is no woman living
who can for the life Of her understand how
men can be so queer in their choice OF wives.
Of abstract queerness the world has always
been full, and probably will be. just now
there is an unusual amount Of concrete queer
ness developing itself, and we will briefly con-
slider n few of It's manifestations.
To the ewes of casual observer there Is al
vavs something queer about a church quarrel.
Whether rightly or wrongly there is in the
worldly mind an impression that church mem
hers oupht TO have their tempers under better
control than other people, and ought to have
constantly on hand liberal amount OF Chris
tan charity for one another's infirmitles. NO
matter how often this impression Is shown to
he erroneous, every fresh demonstration OF
the error Is looked upon queer. Here is this
rapidly growing trouble IN Jersey City
church. 1t had no beginning to speak OF, yet
IL threatens to rend the church asunder. The
pastor. animated by fea:, possibly, that his
protestoutjsm might be called in question, felt
moved to explain to his congregation that the
singing by the choir of an English translation
Of Stabat Mater was without his knowledge,
and that he disapproved of the invocation to
the Virgin which it contained. lie said II the
nroof of the translation had been shown to
| him. as usual in such cases, he would nave al
terea the phrascology. His idea appears to
| have been shat there was no harm in invoking z
| thc Virgin in Latin, but that the mischief be-
| gan when the prayer was put in plain English.
| One Of the members of the church wrote the pas
for a letter accusing him of falsebood in saying
that III WAS lie CllSLODl VI tliO Nh'ii w '
selections to him. This friendly letter the
pastor laid before the church authorities. A
meeting was called, and the pastor and his ac-
cuser were put face to face. Then the accuser
said lie had no pnblic charge to make; his letter
to the pastor was purely personal and private,
and he considered it breach of confidence on
the pastors part to let the authorities sec 1t.
In other words, he merely wished to call his
pastor a liar in q confidential, brothery way,
and is much grieved because the pastor did not
receive the admonition In friendly spirit The
members of the church are taking sides in the
matter, neither pastor nor accuser shows signs
of concession, and the quarrel, viewed as al
exhibition of Christian character, certainly ha'
mapy queer points
Only short time ago venerable doctor OF
divinity in Pennsylvania. in order to encourage
growth of humility in a bumptious young
clergyman who was questioning some of hi
statements, called out to him in solemn con
clave of the church, "Slt down, you impuden
young upstart sit DOWN. The Universe
Peace Unicn, which has just closed Its session
in this city, very appropriately chose gentle
man named Love to be its president, aud thel