Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-04-11
"oowNY BEDS OF EASE"
Phases of the Religious Problem in New
York rs They Appear to an Observer.

Phases of the Religious Problem in New
York rs They Appear to an Observer.
"Uncle Bill" in Chicago Herald.l
Well, there are plenty of phases Of
the religious problem to discuss in New
York One of them is the Sunday
school question. The desire of wealth
to separate itself from poverty, is what
makes the trouble here. No fash
ionable family will send its children to a
free secular school. Our educational
facilities are unbeaten by any on earth,
the system being well nigh perfect, and
the buildings often the equals of famous
colleges. But the parents of coddled
youngsters will not let them sit along
side those who are roughing it, but, in
stead patronize the numerous private
institutions of learning. The same feel
ing causes a depletion of tho Sunday
schools 1t won do to exclude any Of
the children who come to the vestry-
room door, whatever may be the usage
as to free seats up in the church itself,
and the consequence is that little
Flora McFlimsy is as likely as not to
swish her silk skirt fight against the
calico of Fanny Featherless.
AS rule, the Weather the congrega-
ton the smaller the Sunday school at
tached to it. A sight of the school-room
in Fifth Avenue church, the richest in
America, was reminder of the facts
which | have written Luxurious,
Semi-reclining arm-chairs had been put
in. They are upholstered to a degree
which makes them more like touches
than mere chairs, they turn on pivots
to afford changes of position, and the
pupil who, while lolling in one of them,
gets directed toward heaven is certainly
realizing the 'downy beds of ease,"
which have been represented as very
scarce in Christian experience.
Let me show to you a Lenten exercise.
The people at it are those who stopped
their dancing short at the beginning Of
the penitential season, and are punctil-
ious in eschewing the usual diversions.
They belong in the Astor circles of So
ciety, and their conduct is guided al
ways by the very newest rules of
fashion. They are assembled in the ar
mory of militia regiment to play the
game called badminton, which at an
other time than Lent would doubtless
be indistinguishable from tennis, for it
is in all essentials like that hirtatious
amusement There are shuttlecocks in
stead of balls, and the nets are higher,
but the play is substantially the same.
The arrangement of courts is such
that sixty-four players can disport at
once. The spectators usually number
five or six times as many. That turns
the game into an exhibition and the par
Elephants into performers, for every
movement is watched and criticised like
the doings of a ballet, and the gesticu-
lation and posing are in too many in
stances as palpably studied The cos
tunes do not deprive the wearer of
drapery, of course, and yet they are
carefully adapted to the duty of dis
playing the figures. Waists of Jersey
webbing cling like the skin from the
neck to low down on the hips, and es-
pecially over the arms the plant fabric
is so thin and snug that the slightest
action of a muscle or raising of the
flesh is distractingly visible. In order
to fully appreciate the high quality of
this show it should be borne in mind
that the girls belong to the choicest set,
and that no amount of money, unless
backed by social approval, will secure
membership in the Badminton club.