St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-18
CoURT1NG IN CHURCH.
Il Preachers Ingenious Treatment of
Sunday Night ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TO the Young.
Washington Star.

reporter, who was on the opposite side OF the
desk, in the PASTORS study, writing out some
religious information for the columns of the
Star. AS the reporter finished his work and
was gathering together the papers, he glanced
across at the preacher and noticed the pre-
occupied expression of his countenance. An
ticipating that he might have something
more to say OF interest, the reporter settled
back in his seat, and without interrupting
the silence awaited developments. The re-
porter gazed at the preacher, and the preacher
gazed at the reporter, but the silence re-
manned unbroked.
Presently the reverend gentleman re-
marked, as if thinking aloud: 81 shall have
to begin shortly another series of back seat
sermons"
''Ah, indeed?' observed the listener, en-
tirely in the dark as to the meaning of the
reverend gentleman, and then the reporter
fastened to add on a venture: ''Doctrinal
sermons, 1 supposed"
''Doctrinal sermons!'' echoed the
preacher, in almost shout, as he brought
his chair down with a crash that threat
ened the springs. ''What are you talking
about!'
swell, thought-that is, to say, 1 sup
pose stammered the reporter, consider
ably abashed.
do you pretend that you don't know what
l mean!" asked the preacher, with an ap-
pearance of establishment
The reporter confessed without blush to
this alarming ignorance.
''Well," concluded the preacher charit-
ably, 81 suppose that you have been
married some time and have forgotten
about your counting days Now, let me
ask you one question: How did you and
your sweetheart generally spend Sunday
even ingsH'
LET me see,' reflected the reporter, some
what astonished at this turn in the CONVEX
sation. 81 think that we usually went to
church if it wasn't too cold or too hot She
was rather delicate, and had to be careful
about going out at night, you know he
added, half ALPHABETICALLY.
"Ohl certainly, of course,'' said the
! preacher, and he leaned back and looked at
the reporter with one eye shut, very sugges-
/ tive of worldly wink. Snow when you
went to church you invariably sat as far
back as you could get. Of course you did.
Now, why did you do that.''
The listner pondered that question, and as
the events of the happy period passed in re-
view before his mental vision, he smiled and
/
the reporter, aiming to make a sensible ex-
PLANTATION, ''she wanted to see the bonnets of
tie other girls, is natural with women
when they go to church or any other
! public place, and WANTED to see her, and so,
| OF course, we couldn't go way up 'front.'" and
| the reporter paused.
| The preacher nodded his head approvingly
during this explanation, as it was just what
! be expected, and then said: ''Your reasons
l suppose are just as good as could be given.
At any rate all young couples on Sunday
| night make for the back seats and they
won't take any other. An usher may start
on ahead, and they will let him 90 and then
drop into back seat, and when he turn S
around at the head of the aisle with a pleas
ant smile to show them into good front pew
he generally finds to his disgust that no one
is behind him. That sort of thing has de-
prived the church Of the services OF many an
efficient usher. They can't stand the humili-
alton OF ushering up the aisle nothing, and
then walking back to face smiling congre-
cation. 1t breaks them all up, so to speak. I"
Now, what is the result of this sort Of
! thing!" continued the preacher, argum enta-
lively. ''When rise in my pulpit on Sun
day evening and look over the congrega-
ton, what do l see! In. the pews near the
front are the elders and deacons, good men,
with their shining bald heads and attentive
faces. Their wives are with them, and here
and there is a maiden lady. Then in the
center is broad desert of empty pews, and
way back in the rear, massed around the
doors, as you might say, are young people,
| always in pairs. l am glad to see them.
always preach better to the young, and l
plunge into my sermon with energy and
animation. After a particularly telling point
aimed right at these young people, look up
to enforce with gesture and personal glance
what have TO say, and, instead of finding
the eyes of my back-seat congregation turned
upon me in attentive interest they are not
paying the slightest attention to me. They
are net even looking at me. But there they
| sit, looking into each others eyes Ike young
calves, or perhaps he added, with bitter
sarcasm, ''as the poet expresses it, Soft eyes,
looked love to eyes that spake again = D"
That's Byron demonstrated the reporter.
81 don't care if it is,' said the preacher
recklessly; ''it is the major part of any con-
gregation Sunday night, too"
Il got tired of that sort of thing last win
ter" he resumed, after brief pause, land
! l made up my mind that would have their
attention for little while at least''
'How did you manage it!' asked the lis
tener, with eager curiosity.
SIN this way, :" replied the preacher ~
| began q series Of what / call back seat ser
| mons. They don't differ materially from
/ the other sermons, except that at certain in
| tervals, which | mark, l shout out with great
| force, Young man = and then pause for
rhetorical effect. The effect is rhetorical
merely on the front seat congregation, but
electrical on the back seat congregation.
/ The young men who have been devoting
/ their entire attention to exploring the
| liquid depths of their sweetheart's ewes
/ give 4 start, and their fair COM
/ palions to do the same, and every face on
the back seat is turned toward me. In their
| guilty self consciousness of using the church
| to do their counting in, they think they are
are being personally rebuked from the pull
/ pit. While l have their attention | improve
the opportunity BY pouring out some gospel
/ hot shot. However. as soon IS the first
shock is over, and they have glanced around
/ and found everything quiet, they fall TO
/ counting again with renewed vigor Then
! ONE at them again, and suddenly shout out,
! Young woman . with the same effect as be-
/ fore, and the same pouHng out of gospel
/ truth. So, YOU see, in this way I gain the
attention of my audience for a brief few
( minutes at any rate
/ The reporter gazei with admiration upon
man who had contrived such an ingenious
device, but then a thought occurred. and he
said: Il should think that the young people.
after 4 few such shocks as YOU describe.
would prefer to 60 to some other church,
''No, they don't" be replied, with salts
/ fed smile. They seem to ike it. It gives
= spice Of danger and adventure to their
! courting, as If someone was trying to sepa-
rate them. Since began these sermons
/ this element in the evening congregations
| hns nc.,,nIlr i-,cr.nsnE Ynr - a.. -.