St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-22
OBSERVING SUNDAY.
"a Day of Repose and Medita-
ton" in q Literal Sense.

ZION IN a LItefdl StHsCs
81 hope the day is coming when the
people of Minneapolis will attend
divine service from choice; when there
will be no saloon, no Sunday ball game,
no picnic to divert attention; when the
quiet of the day will invite meditation
upon the sins of the world; when it Will
be made time for repose and rest
rather than enjoyment" So spoke a
gentleman of New England antece-
dents, one Sunday afternoon recently,
as he watched with obvious disSatiSfac-
| ton the loaded motor train that was
leaving for the lakes, having on board
many whose intention plainly was to
seek recreation which would be a
diversion from the dull routine of the
| week. If the gentleman had only known
it, the picture of his fond anticipation is
quite accurately outlined by the Sum
day life of inmates at the workhouse.
| The forty odd males and the half dozen
| or so females that comprise the aver
age attendance at that institution are
| not exposed on the seventh day to sa-
| loon, picnic, nor ball game. They are
| locked up in their cells and have moth
| ing to do but mediate and sleep, when
| at o'clock in the afternoon they are
| given the opportunity of attending serv-
| ice in the chapel. Nine out Of ten en-
| brace it for the sake of having some
thing TO do. They sit silently on the
| benches in rows, their dirt-colOred
| blouses giving them a uniform appear
ance. Perfect quiet reigns in the long
room, although the slightest noise
echoed from its bare walls is sharply
audible. The minister, who has yolun-
-. Il, % CT q q
! little table facing his congregation. he
varience with his busy eyebrows and
angular features. He explains that he
does not sing. and asks some one to
start hymn. There is pause. Then
a deep bass voice breaks out in the
gospel song.
Yield not to temptation,
For weakness is sin.
Each victory will help you
Some other TO win.
It's Warden Whalen. He holds his
head back and sings away, keeping
time with his foot, regardless of
whether he has any company in his yo-
cal exercise or not. The line of visitors
| ranged along the wall, including four
young men and three ladies. gradually
| Joins in with more or less harmony.
soprano, strong and clear if not sweet,
joins the bass. 1t comes from one of
| the four fallen women who sit apart
| from the men. She rests one arm on
| the steam register and looks steadily at
| the floor while she sings on. She is
young, and in spite of her prison garb
is fairly good looking. 1t is Nellie King,
| who has become notorious by her muir
derous escapades. When the duet is
| finished the minister kneelS down and
prays. His petition for forgiveness is
evidently adapted to his congregation,
and is comprehensive in its scope, as he
| remembers even the politician. An
other hymn is sung, and then comes a
half hours sermon, or rather talk of a
practical nature, in which the speaker
| keeps the point in view that SObriety
and honesty pay in the long run, and
that although the world often seems
cold and cherries there is better life
to come. The ceremony of taking up a
collection is omitted, for obvious rea-
sons. and the benediction closes the
service. Then the inmates form in line
| and are marched through the cold,
whitewashed corridors back TO their
cells. Sunday here is passed with strict
conformity to the laws intended to make
up ''day of repose and meditation"
and for once in their lives each wretched
inmate can be assured that the day has
been kept in the manner prescribed by
those who wish TO have others COM
| PEELED to follow their ideas as to what
should constitute morality and good cit
| izpnShiD