New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-09
IN THE CHURCH PORCH.
SOME THINGS SAID AND DONE.

ball In Lent. To do would not only prove yo" :"
be q religious scofcr, but worse stil, snow you "
lie deficient in good form. You can however, 30 :"
dinner parties ad libum, where you may par'aAc "
such simple penltentlal dishes pate dc ice graz
and diamond-back terrapin washed down by sucn
orthodox wines as lachrnae Christi You can acceP
an invitation TO Lenten theatre party without doms
any violence to your spiritual nature put 70 s"
to the theatre alone. just for the sake OF enjoying
the play u.s. in the opinion Of many social leaders qui.o
irrelgious. But perhaps the most CHARACTERISTIC
feature of the social Lenten season is the Lcntcn
lecture and the Lentcn reading. There are lecture.
aud readings on Delsarte and Castles In spaih all"
Browning, and Cooking, and the Holy Land, ana
dress reform, and Early English history, ana on
art. science and literature. all OF which are war
ranted TO be distinctly religious in their tone. HAPPY
the people whose religion is thus made so rosy ana
pleasant for them. In the meanwhile 1t may DC me"
toned incidentally that various churches are hodln9
specal Lenten services, bit with the exception u
those on the avenue, the attendance at these SGT
vices is not better tran usual. Society is too ousy
observing Lent in its way to have any time so'
poly services In dimly lighted church
In the old days in England there was also soc'a.
observance OF Lent outside Of the religious services VI
the Church one of these was football ma@h IN
which all the inhabitants Of a town were ptteo
against each other. Compared with these OLD Len'e"
games OF football the modern game OF football 10
mild and gentle Heads cut open, legs ana
arms were broken, and once In awmie prayer way
killed. Another popular Lenten sport was co'"
throwing psstme which called forth all tie To-
ligous zeal enthusiasm OF the gentle 'hurcme"
VINO took part In 1t. A large able-bodied cock was
tied to a stake twenty PAGES was measured on ~
which distance the best young men Of the parish
stood and threw stones OF certain size ana weight
at the helpless bird. The fortunate contestant VINO
killed him got his body; fresh bird was anjus.eo
to the stake. and the throwing went on Another
popular pasme cock chasing Tie wings OK
the cock were tied and then he was let loose Tic
runners had their tied and were obliged 10
catch the bird with their teeth The man who thus
caught him was the king bee Of the parish TILL neAt
Lent In describing modern social observance Ok
| Lent may have seemed somewhat unapprecauVe'
But l gladly acknowledge its vast superiority 10 this
good old English method There Is brutality enough
to-day witness pugilistc exhibitions ana our
rabbitcoursng contests. But we have at least the
dccency not to cover them with the sacred mantle Of
religion When | think Of Lenten cock throwing
haven't word to say against Lenten lecture ON
Delsartc or Lenten theatre party.
Dr. Morgan Dix has the reputation OF being pretty
strict Churchnan but he IS far from being the hide
bound ecclesastc that people suppose him 10 be-
Many will doubtless recall noteworthy sermon WHICH
he preached In Trinity Church few years ago. liz
which he plead for the widest possible liberation OK
opinion in the church-toeraon up TO the very verge
of heresy. The sermon created considerable sensa-
ton at time of its delivery for the enuncatlon OK
such a policy by such man was a surprise 10 the
general public. But ii Is policy which DR.. DIX mas
always splayed in his treatment OF religious dues-
TONS In perfect line with that policy was his grace
ful and gracious invitation TO Phillips Brooks to preach
a series of Lenten sermons in Old Trinity. on nearly
all questions OF Church doctrine, and ON many qucs-
tons OF fundamental belief, the two men are as "ido
apart as the poles. And yet the great Churchman
was large minded enough TO invite the great preacher
J Inf And we
there were no restrictions laid the preacher as TO
what he should say how he should say It,
It is we'll known that the Methodist Church sup
ports large number OF periodicals which declared
to be the oiaclaI organs the Church. Besides these
Official organs tncrc are a number OF lndepchuehs
Methodist papers, and might naturally be supposed.
perfect harmony does not always exist between tne9
t@O classcs OF publications ~ the recent cen'cniia.
a|.o 80 him" sld v'non Indicated desire 10
freeze out the Independent press Dr. CIalsloh CON
iess.u d1t nc anu ~, indiSdas enterprises Of
oerain Methodist preachers who are publishing mae
pendent Methodist pspes one OF tiese Idepehuen 1
papers, me BufalO Christian AdNOcate' replies 10
ms by say Ing the Independent papers teach tho
doctrines of the church ana reach people 'idt mo
0Inc,al ORGANS never reach. ana mat. 100. without
cent OF expense TO the church. On the other hand IT
asserts that tie BOON Concern has within the ltst new
Years been publishing papers at most serious financial
los, TO tnc church. And il gives facts and
figures, which. ii correct prove It's assertion Hero
then is the situation in nutshell. The look Con-
Germ is naturally trying TO persuade all Mcthodiss 70
SUBSCRIBED Tor and read The organs Of the church
1nis involves an Implied, II not aN9"ea, hosunH ~
the independent papers The Independent papers
resent this, denounce tile policy OF the Book Concern
narrow and uDNise, ana maintain lhcif nsne "
exist aud even to compete Win tie Official or2sls OF
thcr own territory iiere the mater now rests, oui
shall probably soon near Something rVh INC oihotA
organs Oh the suDJcct
The clergy are beginning TO use the type writer bl.
some letters they must sun write by hand Letters
olally the latter My charming friend "Farmton IN
The Advance tells OF a man whose wle h3d died;
HATS a
coincidence. lie not familiar with the LABOR
saving device and When he glanced at H. nc utrew
IL away, ind snantly excliimng, IT, circular tas
he sends to every body Nevertheless, II is to be
hoped that the use OF the typewriter by te clergy VIII
sermons Will mud that 1t will improve their delivery.
We often hear some woman spoken of as perfect
type a Clergyman wife. Now, doubtless we an
have some such y pc IN our own mnds. 1nt -
III sympathy with their husband IDEAS, ana
though tney had been set aparl from the world and
some, lc ne whisper 1t, are eddy and worldly SOME
20 FAR be, ond their duty mnserng TO the parish,
ana some scOrniuy toss their pretty heads as they
tell you that they have not been Ordained, ana eiat
il Will be enough for The church 70 taih aoous
their doing parish work when IL pays them salary.
Some good parsons wives far excel their husbands IN
nually mpairing the Usefulness Of their husbands by
their utter lack Of those valuable aaaiitnes m anu
50 | could ~ on, but nave said eloas", n.y., ny
however, drop friendly hint To me young tcoios.e1
students mo are ABOUT TO pe o'uS ia ,I 0 ro 49,
oyefmuch thought on what sors OF parish you may
! get You can do good work anywhere but pro-
coed carefully ana pray efuily III ~, mi,
on that choice depends not merely your futuc hapPr
ness but Your usefulness in your sacred calling
/ know an eminent clergyma twenty-five Or thirty
years in ministry. whose wife never attends ms
rbrr,h c>cent as "A STRANGER she Is a member OK
,rof her denomination ia OF whose churches she
I,s a new OF course 10 ought 10 question her
rsht TO do this but II IS certainly unfortunate tla sho
IS unable to worship with her distinguished husband:
10 speak of nothing else the sympathetic presence OK
q loving wife Is OF untold value To the clergy man In
his hours of discoumgencnt | know OF another dis
tncuished clergyman who has had 10 retire from tho
active duties the ministry, Ostensbly ON account OK
moor health really because OF the Insane ana cause
less jealousy of his wife, which made IL Impossible Tor
him TO do his ordinary parish work, lie was ono
/ gently who would be working IN the vineyard to-
day were IL not for this monomans OF MS Otherwise
estlmable wife