Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-05

in the eolors of ivory and gold the scene of
the Crucifxion. There is q crucifx there,
If anybody objects to that. The emblem OF
the supreme factof our religion is set there
behind the altar, that all may see 1t. But
the service is almost as simple as it was in
the days of the Apostles, the priest in his
surplice and black stole standing at the
north end OF the Holy Table.
At 1890 the congregation is assembled in
the choir and the procession OF clergy and
choristers comes in. They sing no ''proces-
sional" as they enter. You do not hear that
in England, except on high day or great oc-
casions. They come in quietly and take
their places in the midst of the congrega-
tion.
The Service Beautiful One.
And the service begins-a beautiful
service, sometimes fairly celestial, all the
singing and intoning sweet aud reverent and
uplifting. They do not think over there, as
we do, that choir to be effective must be
big. The cathedral choirs are all small
compared with boy choirs in this country.
There are 1S in the choir at York, 6 men and
II boys. / saw no larger choir in England.
The little chorister boys wore dresses in pur-
pie cassocks, with the usual white gown or
And when the whole IL went in and out
among the congregation, gathering the Of
ferings of the people, and brought up the
silver basins to the altar, the sight was a
beautiful picture. All about the
great stone pillars, and the carved
work of the choir; up above, the
vautted roo; the light coming in through
the pictured windows; and these twelve, in
number like the tribes of Israel, in bright
array, standing before the stately altar of
the magnificent Minster-it was a sight
worth seeing and pleasant in the memory.
The Athanasian creed was sung the Sunday
1 attended service in the Cathedral. And
the bright-faced little boys sang its catalogue
OF curses as cheerily as the little maid IN
John Ward Beacher" sang the hymn about
"damnation and the dead" Up went their
merry voices, clear as larks: "Without
doubt he shall perish everlastingly." And
again they sang it, dwelling with sweet
emphasis upon the words: "Shall perish,
shall perish everlastingly."
"As the rose is the chief of flowers. so is
this the house Of houses" so runs the in
scription in words of Latin and letters OF
old English over the door of the York Chap
ter House. And indeed it is a fair and
beautiful building, not needing to be
commended by this sort of eulogistic adver-
tisement. An octagonal structure, with
painted roof upheld BY one great central
set about with glorious windows.
More interesting, however. is the
vestry. Here are kept some of the
curious treasures Of the church. There is
the Horn of Ulphas, once the property Of
an elephant, brought here long, long ago by
Ulphas, prince of Deira, who carried
brimming draught of wine therein. Ulphas,
suspecting that his SONS would fight over his
estate after he, was dead, anticipated the
coed advice of Mr.. Andrew Carnegie, and
gave his property away while he was alive.
He brought his. title deeds into the
Minister, .and gave them to the bishop, and
kneeling before the altar, quaffed this huge
bumper between his prayers, as a sign and
seal of his generous gift. That was more
than 900 years ago. And here is still the
ancient horn.
Mixing of Prayers and Potations.
Equally curious, and witnessing to the
same queer association OF prayers and
potations. is the indulgence cup of Arch
bishop Scrope, which is thus inscribed:
"Recharde arch-beschope Scrope, grant un
to all tho that drinks OF this cope Xiii
dayis to pardon." The spelling is bad, but
the absolution must have seemed excellent,
verify homeopathic penance, sweet to
the taste, and yet eficacious IN remedy !
MANY must have been the stout hands
which lifted this bowl of wood, and set its
silver rim against bearded lips.
And here are little chests, handy for
''Peter's PENCE" made, indeed for that pious
purpose And an old Bible, with chain
to guard it against too jealous readers, or
against thicves-thieves who would even
steal Biblel Aud stout chair, where
Princes of the Heptdfchy sat to be fitted for
their crowns, good for still hali-a-dozen
centuries more of good keeping.
And finally, a graceful silver crozier,
which was presented to the cathedral under
somewhat peculiar circumstances in the days
of James III. When it was proposed by the
King and his friends to substitute the Roman
Catholic religion for the ancient religion of
the kingdom, now happily reformed, there
was appointed an Archbishop of York. And
the good man came, at the head of an
elaborate procession, up the old street which
climbs tine hill to the cathedral, bearing in
his hands this fire crozier, made of silver,
taller than the stature of a man. And he
pounded for entrance at the great west door,
and, the cathedral being full of enthusiastic
Protestants, the door was opened immedi-
ately; stout hands pulled at the crozier,
other stout hands pushed the ecclesiastic. so
that at last the staff and the affbearer
parted company; and they took the crozier
in and shut the would-be bishop out, and
kept him out. That was the end of that.
G. H.