Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-10
THE CHURCH FAIR.


That Is Very Much in Season.
If there must be fair let no member
of the church, young or old, escape. Be-
gin very early, a year beforehand, if pos
sible, and press every creature into the
service. Labor especially with the hus-
bands and fathers. Let the attacks be re-
newed at intervals until it results in max
ing the man whose proper share of church
relief would have been twenty-five dol
lars give fifty or seventy-five dollars, by
way of encouragement to women who
are willing to spend themselves for
naught.
There is nothing new under the sun,
but by judicious combinations of the old
things wonderful effects may be pro-
duced. As missions are so essential q
part of our church work, missionary
features in the fairs are very valuable.
Returned missionaries can be drawn
upon for costumes and groupings, and if
bazaar includes booth representing
such a shop as would be found in every
nation of the world where the mission
aries of this particular church are at
work, and if the attendants are dressed
in the costumes of those countries, be
assured the shekels will pour in at every
such place. The American pincushion
costing ten cents, that would bring twen-
ty-five cents at Christian table, will
readily bring fifty cents if sold by pure
pagan from one or another of the heather
lands.
Even at the modern fair, be the object
ever so spiritual, we have observed that
it is very unwise to omit provision for
the body. Have restaurant by all
means; have half dozen, if possible,
and in the course of the evening those
most anxious to help the cause will be
likely to try them all.
Of the iniquity of grab bags no doubt
any longer exists. Allowing young girls
arrayed like fortune tellers to exercise
their unregenerate imaginations upon
the future of such damsels and youths
as may cross their palms with silver
should be frowned upon, but the making
of ones self as pretty as possible and
playing as saleslady behind a table laden
with pretty trifes; the coaxing of as
much money as possible out of every
body who comes near; the pleasant in
terchange with friends; the hearty good
natured vying with each other to see
by whose hands the largest sum of
money shall swell the church fund; the
pleasure in success; the auction at the
end: the fun of it all, and the delight of
coming together the next morning and
counting up the proceeds; the lifting of
the burden of the pastors family; the
Frightening up of the dingy church; the
filing the library with new books
these somehow seem to compensate for
much.
Whatever may be said of some of the
processes the results seem to be posi-
tive good. 1t was good thing that all
through many months the thought Of
doing something to help should have been
in such multitude of hearts. 1t was
good to set even little children at work,
and it was good to try to interest other
people in work, and when the time came
for gathering together all that every one
had done, the sense of union in service
and of having carried the church and its
needs on the heart for so long-this, too,
was good. The social phase of it, if man
aged judiciously by the wisest hearts in
the womanhood of the church, might
also be all good. Seriously, one recog-
nizes the objections to all these methods
of raising funds for good objects, yet
some method must be devised that has
in it the element of cooperation.
Until we have something better we
shall have to accept the supper and the
bazaar. The first leaves nothing worse
than an indigestion and doctors bill
for some of those who got more than
their moneys worth. The latter has
serious objections also, but as matters are
at present we do'not know any better
way and we must do something, and
these seem to be the things that offer.
1t is better, then, for us to direct our at
tention to the best methods of avoiding
Objectionable features and of making
them grand financial successes, while we
hope and work for that good time COM
ing when we need not have them at all.
Mary Lowe Dickinson in Harper's
Bazaar.