The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-03-25
a Service At St. paurs London.

fore ent ering upon his diplomatic duties,
he visited some parts of the States, and,
returning to Washington, said to Mr..
Webster, then Secretary of State q am
not sure this is rot an anachism-no
NATTER, that he had been pretty much
everywhere. Mr. Webster asked his Lord
ship if he had been to Boston, and when
Lord Lyons said he had not Mr. Webster
replied: Then, may | inform your Lord.
ship that you haven't been anywhere F."
Have you attended religious service at St.
PauPs Cathedral Sunday afternoon, when
Can on Liddon was to preach? No? Then
may inform that you have never been
tochurch! Yesterday, the I'd day of De-
ember, dis mild spring Ike Advent
Sunday, was the anniversary of the CON
secration of this supreme monument of
the genius Of Sir ChrStobher Wren; for
this magnificent temple, built upon foun-
dations so old that neither history nor
tradition has any reliable story to tell of
the first temple raised to God upon this
identical spot, was opened Sunday, Dec
I'd, 1897 1t seemed to me uncommonly
strange that no allusion was made yes
terday, during all the service, to the strik-
ing coincidence that this anniversary was
occurring upon this same Advent Sunday,
and upon the same day of the month, as
those Of the day of conservation.
Religion is not dead in England 1t
is not dying in England. Nor has the.
Established Church of England in The
least lost its hold upon the reverence and
affection of the people of England
Yesterday afternoon at 3 O'Clock St Pauls
Cathedral was literally thronged in every
inch of seeing or hearing room There
were at rough guess. from 10000 to
$4,000 souls under the earnest and schol-
arly voice of Canon Liddon. And who
were these people, from what classes
and conditions of society did they come?
My answer is simple, comprehensive, and
accurate. They were all sorts of people.
and from all classes and conditions of
society. Among the 1000 people whom
| saw standing remarked men, women,
and youths who evidently belonged to
the laboring and artisan classes, and in a
chair two rows in front of where l sat l
recognized Mr.. James Anthony Froude,
and sitting next him was young lady
whom | took to be his daughter, as the
illustrOus historian and littcrateur fire.
quently referred to her Book of Common
Prayer, as If to keep the order of the
service, which he outwardly followed and
OBJ. erved with signs of deepest deyout-
ness.
1t was refreshing to see poor people in
a Christian church One always sees such
people in the churches of Great Britain
and everywhere on the Content When
Marshal MacMahon was President of the
French Republic l remember to have seen
him in st. ROchs church in Paris ut high
| mass, kneeling upon his tlag-bottomcd
chair, and next him nurse in her pretty
white cap-she as self respecting as the
great soldier and civilian. But, remember,
was Just back in London from America.
No doubt p, or people do go to church in
America. Of course they do. But it has
been my misfortune perhaps my shame
not to see them. | attended religious
Worship six Sundays the last fall, in five
different churches, of three different
denominations, and in different parts Of
she United States, and on no one occasion
did l see man, woman or youth whom
took to be lab0rer or an artisan. with
the exception of one Sunday in New
| England village. America is the exception
to the rule in all Christendom. The poorer
| classes do not, as such, attend churches
| in America | know the reason of this
exception. If were to state them, my
statement would be at least doubted,
| more likely contested, by ninetenths Of
the church going people in the States.
But have lived now so many years in
England, and been also in Germany and
| France 30 much, that it is perfectly plain
to me why these classes of people dc
attend religious worship in these cOun-
tries, and, rs rule, do not at home Not
only at St. Panl's, butin every fashionable
West End Church in London, will be
| found at every service a given number 81
worshippers from the so called lower
ranks Of lite. And what joy it is to see
them mingling their praise and prayer
with those OF their wealthier but perhaps
not more worthy fellow creatures. |!
there be any consolation in religion, ther
surely those who are the worn toiers,
whose backs are breaking with the heavy
|
ton should be mnistered But stay
viii risk the suggestion that poor people
do feel quite ''at home in the American
churches. What poor man can pay for a
pew in enc Of the fashionable churches
on the Back Bay in Boston, or on Mich
igan avenue Chicago? And then, wha
! poor woman could so dress Sunday tina
at church her social disparagement wOulC
not be put on exhibition by the VERY
reason of it? The young lady with Mr.
Proud yesterday at st. Paul's was dressed
in a long ulster of textile, and plain ha
without bit OF color about it or her, anC
as simply and inexpenslvely as if she ha(
been Il seamstrcss. So ladies dress TO
church in England. saw in New 1Orl
this autumn ladies at church in velvets
Oriental shawls, rich fur garments, be
piumed bonnets, and With-diamOnds
, However, some of my fellOw-cOuntry
, people men as well rs women, wear dia-
+ mOnds on all oCcasions-in their office
and warehouses; remarked the last fey
months, as | do not remember to hav
done before And when l did remark
| used TO wish they would wear tail coat
and low waistcOats at the same time, tina
!, the tout ensemble might suggest that the,
had dressed early in the day to save til
trouble of dressing again for some evenin
dinner or other company. For it is per
fectIy true that brilliant and sparklin
e diamond, will put to shame n seedy Goa
ri and shiny trousers Still this is not IN
.e business, except in so far as ! am concern
ii e in art in all di ctions; hut it is m
r. business that religion is so dear and dres
/ ing sOunsuitablc and i'll timed in AmeriC
:, thai poor people more and more, as 81
" told, absent themselves from Sundd,
worship in the churches Chicago Trj
ltDg