The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-11

haps OF Landscape patterns The furniture O
parlor would generally be twelve deeorou
heavy chairs. probably hair-seated. with thei
backs against the wall: q sofa which matche,
them, also with it's back against the wall. an,
q heavy. perhaps marble-top. centre table
There might be rocking chair in the room
also. but other easy chairs, scattered as on,
might choose about room. were unknown.
| II.
Now. let US hear what Mr.. Hale has to tell II,
OF the social conditions which surrounded boy
hood In Boston In the years between 1926 AND
1887. In an old New England family like tina,
OF the Hales. churchGoing was. OF course. ar
element which had great deal to do with
Social life Children were taken to church for
regular attendance at q very early age-as
soon. In fact as they could walk and be relied
upon not to cry Such reliance was some.
times misplaced. The author informs us that
1t figures among the disgraceful records Of his
ilfe that once, when his mother thought ale
would like to hear Dr. Claiming preach. and
because Brattle Street Church was being
painted. went to Federal Street. she took him
| with her. She sat with friends far forward in
the broad aisle. and he. dissatisfied apparent
~ because he was not where he was
won't to be on Sunday. walled 80 loudly and
continuously that, In the middle OF the service.
she was Obliged to rise and take him out OF
the church. AS a rule. people were loyal to the
churches they went to, and to this loyalty tho
author attributes the fact TINT, although he
knew DR.. Charming personally, he never heard
him speak from the pulpit. All respectable
people went to meeting" both morning and
afternoon; at all events. Mr. Hale ayers that
ne never observed any distinction between the
Size OF the congregation in tho afternoon and
that OF the morning. 1t Is certain that any
person who had been seen driving out OF
town on Sunday would have lost credit in
the community. Frequently at the end of
the morning sermon tho minister would
say: 1 shall continue this subject in the
afternoon" this he did with the perfect
understanding that he would have the same
hearers. Besides the two services. there was
the sunday school. always held after the after
noon service. We are assured that a Sunday
school ut that time was very different thing
from what 1t is now. Then you were expected
to learn something. There were little books
containing facts in Scriptural history, and
children were expected to study these books
as they did any other school books. and to re-
cite from them as they would any other lesson
Not much was said or thought about making
Sunday school agreeable to the children. Tho
phrase going to m Getting " was used although
MIR. Hale notes that in Boston the meeting
houses were always called churches from the
very beginning: they were not so called in
the suburbs or In other parts OF Massa-
chusetts. or weekday or evening exer-
cises connected with churches Boston then
knew almost nothing. not even in evan
gelical circles. There was chandelier In
tho Old South Church. but the author docs
not think that it was often lighted. When
Park Street Church was built as an outpost OF
Connecticut theology and as the shrine Of a
new dispensation for latitudinarian Boston, It
had arrangements for lighting the church for
an evening service. But this was all heresy
to the old Boston Puritans. whether evangeli-
cal or Unitarian. for their original theory was
that each family is a church. The father of
each family Is a priest and is competent to
carry on worship. Accordingly. he did carry
on worship in the morning and In the even
ing. and any proposal for an even.
ing service anywhere else was regarded
by the old-fashioned Puritans as being to |
o certain extent an innovation because It |
broke up or superseded the family worship SO
essential In their plans To tho last moment |
OF its conscious existence the West Church |
was never arranged for evening service. and |
at this LII oment We shall find. 1t seems. in old |
Boston families tho habit OF going to visit one |
another on Sunday evening. but not Of going |
to church. Where people go to church steadily
they are not Of old Boston blood. In the in |
terror OF the State the observance Of the Sab.
bath" stopped at sunset There. even In the |
house OF a stiff Calvinistic minister. the chill |
dren might play blind mans buff oil Sunday |
evening. No such excuses as this would ha We |
been permitted In Boston. But gradually |
Sunday evening concerts came in. II only
they were religious concerts: and the Han
del and Haydn Society would hardly have been
In existence now but for the midway oppor-
tunity which Sunday evening gave for it's
The theatres in Boston. on the
other hand. were compelled to close their
doors on Saturday evening. as we'll as on Sun
day, until period latep than that described
by MIR. Hale. when some Of the more enter
Drising managers deGed the State and tho
,ity. and the statutes were changed so that
on Saturday evening became
possible. After the managers. however. had
gained the point as a matter Of right they
generally found 1t moro convenient to have
/ Saturday performance In the afternoon.
The present Massachusetts statute which
iehnes the Lords Day as from midnight to
nidnightis as late as 1874.
The great central day which gave distinc-
ion and hope to the duty OF going to meeting
vas the proclamation Of Thanksgiving. Had
children been asked what they expected on
hohhbkNIuk LUZ tHey WOulu nave Clapp6Q |
heir hands and said that they expected a
rood dinner. There were certain peculiarities
n the Thanksgiving dinner which were not
Exhibited at those on common days. For in
tance. there was always a great deal OF talk
bout the Marlborough pie or Marlborough
uddings. To this hour in any old and we'll
egulated New England family. there is tradi-
lonal method Of making tho Marlborough pie,
'hich Is a sort OF lemon pie: and each good
ousekeeper thinks that her grandmother left
better recipe for Marlborough pie than any
ody else could. 1t was only on Thanksgiving
lay moreover. that one had four kinds OF pies
n the table. and plum pudding besides, not
} mention chicken pie.
Every human being went to meeting on the
forming OF Thanksgiving Day. the boy Of four
cars included. At that age he did not know
rat the sermon was or might be political:
till an attentive ear might catch words from
lie pulpit which would not have been heard
n Sunday 1t was when all parties came
ONE at noon from meeting that the real
Thn tok |