The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1884-03-20
BEHAVIORIN CHURCH.

me begin with some things that are
not of the highest Importance, and
which yet have an influence for
good or evil. .
There" he continued musingly,
sis the matter of behavior in church.
If should speak to the people on
this subject with the plainness with
which they sometimes take me in
hand, they would. fear, be not a
little offended. Applying a criti-
cal glass even of low magnifying
power, there are, however. many de-
fects to be seen. Here are some of
the things l would say. provided it
were expedient for me to speak my
mind. ... e..
81 should say first Of all: My
dear sisters, do not use the house
of God as the place for the display
Of dress or adornment. Now please
understand me. l know that some
some of you are in moderate cir
cumstances. You have nothing
better than that which you must
wear to church. Your grown, your
wrap, is the only one suitable to
wear in public. / am not speaking
to you, unless, rs l suspect is
times the case, you have put more
than you could really afford into
these garments to make a brave
show, and have cramped your be-
nevolence accordingly. But this is
a matter for you to settle with your
Maker, not with me. r
.'But there are some Of you in
easy circumstances. You dress
elaborately, richly. But in the dis
carge of your social duties you have
opportunity for all the display Of
dress that you need. / am putting
the matter, you see, ON the lowest
level. Gods house isno place for
such display. : !
Il beg you wear thither your
plainest garb, and dispense with all
costly adornments. u can assure
you thatthe atmosphere of'richness
which your elaborate attire creates
repels some, at least, from the
They think-perhaps
wrongly, perhaps rightly-that
their prenesce in their enforced
plainness of dressis not desired.
81 am not arguing here the ques-
ton of social equality. 1 simply
bear my testimony to what I know,
namely, that the over-costly dress.
ing of some Christian women keeps
their less favored sisters from the
house of God. It ought not to do
SO; but it does!
at is not, however, to the ladies
alone that speak. BY no means.
Mr.. B, if should visit you in
your house, wonld you, if my visit
happened to be a little protracted,
yawn in my face. or fdget about as
if you were extremely uncomforta-
BILE, or draw out your watch every
few minutes to give me a hint that
time is passing? You know you
would not. Whatever you might
say of me when I was gone, you
would hold your own reputation for
politeness in to much regard too in
dulge in such conduct. Yet you
do all Of these ungracious things in
church, and seem to have no sense
of shame in regard to them, And
they are not a few that do likewise.
Do you know how it helps the
preacher to see even one pair of
eyes fixed attentively upon him?
On the other hand, do you know
how it throws, as it were, a wet
blanket over him when you fidget
and yawn and snap your watch case
in his ear? All, Bro. B., you
have more than once come near
me from the track of my
discourse. You have taken the en-.
thusiasm and glow all tout of me.
You did not mean to do anything
unbecoming agentleman, much less
a Christian. But you did. You
allowed yourself to forget those
common courtesies which one gen.
tleman owes to another, because
you happened to be in; the church
instead Of in your parlor or mine.
Is this right, Bro. B?
Then, l am tempted to wonder"
said the minister to himself, half
sarcastically, half sorrowfully, why
time is reckoned to be SO brief that
there must be an almost frenzied
struggle into overeoats and wraps
while the last hymn is being sung
or the last prayer being offered, or
even the solemn words Of the ben.
ediction descending. 1t can not
take more than one minute by the
mott elastic computation, to put on
the most refractory outer garment.
And another minute for overshoes,
if necessary. Can you not afford
these two minutes at the utmost,
after the service, rather than to
steal them from the sacred time of
hymn or prayer. or benediction?
There ought to be a reyerent pause
for an appreciable time after the
service concludes before the hum
of departure begins" -s.r...I
"And then,' and the minister
spoke to himself with much feeling,
"beware Of those moments of depar-
ture from the church and Of the
homeward walk. Then cometh the
devil, and taketh away the word
out of their hearts. lest they should