The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-11-25
SURPLICED CHOIRS.
The Ladies of Several Seem
Anxious to Wear the
Cap and Gown.
WILL BISHOP STARKEY OBJECT?
st. Matthew'S Choir Ladies Wore
Them at an Entertainment
Archdeacon Jenyey's
Desire.
WILL BISHOP STARKEY OBJECT?

clergyman, and famed rs thu author or
the book. Music and Morals" startad In
TO cap and COVE the ladies IN the choir of
ST. James Church. London. When he
broached the idea to the ladies the sweet
creatures were delighted.
Just think. dear" said one Of them to
her bosom friend, tho W utterly too toe
we will look on thar natty "mortar-
board and white surplice?" And then
they began 10 reason thus:-W nv should
the men and boys have a monopoly Of
sue a gel upf What could be a more
charming head gear when a woman is or
horseback than a mans silk bat? DON'T
the girls appear more nautical with q
bewitching little yachting cap 6rmiy
skewered Oh their headsf Don't they
look more sportsmanlike wearing a
mans derby, and by a similar process of
reasoning, wouldn't they look more
ecclesiastical arrayed in a cap and sur>
plicei
THEY WE'RE SHOCKED.
There WAS no doubt in any ones mind
that such would be the case, but the
wardens and yestrymeu, these very i'm
oortaDr people in the Anglican Church
were shocked, deeply SC locked. They
appealed to My Lord the Bishop of Lon-
don, and he lay awake az nights M
a2inlng the dreadful consequences which
would surely ensus from such an iuno~
walton. The idea was too preposterous.
Why, next the women would want to
enter the pulpit and preac j. His lord
ship thought that, iuasmuch as the
ladies' did The largest part of The preaching
ut home, at least that was bis experience.
hey might leave the pulpit TO the men,
and the caps and surplices TO the boys.
Accordingly, lie privately inhibited the
plan. But the rector, backed by every
young woman in the parish. ignored the
Bishop, aud on the following Sunday
four AND twenty young ladies In white
surplices and mortar-boards TOOK thsir
seats on the decani and eau
tori sides of the choir. Never were
there such large congregations, u how
gratifying to poLe for the first time how
many young men had became conscience
smitten aud attended every service.
soon the vestry which had opposed the
scheme. were forced to admit that the
collection days were heavier than usual
win more sixpence aud shtilinss and
fewer buttons.
GAPS AND GOWNS WANTED.
Every one was taking OF the change
aud in the course of n few years o church
IN Boston and TWO In New YORK followed
the xame course. A clergyman In Jersey
City anxious to be a keeping With what
the Germans call "Z~itgeist," tried two
years ago to introduce il, but the Right
Reverend Bishop of Newark diocese. DR..
thomas A Starkey, put hts episcopal
fout down and for n time squelched the
idea. He pointed out That the ecclssi-
aslical canon gave no permission for such
q change and being u big gun himself
bed fast to the canon. Tbs ladies Of
Christ Church, for that was the chnrcn
where the attempt was first made i'll his
city, were just az persistent as THAR
ousins on the other side OF the Atlantic
and finally carried their point. The
Bishop Withdrew his opposition but did
not give auy sanction. Since he did moi
form The wearing of the stun al
luded to it was looked upon as no in-
traction of church Law to adopt it.
Some of the ladiss III st. Matthew'S
Church. Sussex street having seen the
effect of a mixed choir In never to>be-loo-
nj UGH ad mired. caps and gowns in
poculated the congregation of that Con-
ser vative Church with the desire to
inI roduce them. 1t took aud TWO nights
ago al a sacred concert me ladies wore
the college cap and robe just like the
uen aud boys.
isn't that too sweet for anythiug?''
whispered Que woman to another, aud
that Is is precisely how these lady
chOrlSters looked. NOW IL appears that
the ladies Of St. Paul's P. Il. Church.
Hoboken, are affected with a hahkerinE
after caps and gowns and they have
coaxed and wneedlsd Archdeacon W. r.
Jenrey iato permitting thei: introduc>
ton into the church choir.
A LITTLE o RI
In another part of the county a similar
change was made. but the rector a canuy
son of Aud ReekteH complaiued that,
ali hough the ladies looked perfectly
irreslstfbls IN the Cap aud gown, while
he was preaching he mad often fonnd his
til oughts straying, Being a susceptible
bachelor he repeatedly discovered hiln-
self INDUCING in worldly thoughts OF
how nice these young woman looked
when he should have been denounclng
these vanities. IL was a temptation.
The devil and religion were brought 100
close together. and reminded MIN OF the
stern old Coveuanter wuo was Conduct
ing an open air service GU a Scottish hill
side. He had previously sat down GU a
wasp's nest. In the midst of an eloquent
sermon on worldilness, he suddenly stops
ped. An agoulzed look crossed hi, face
a. he stammersd out:-''On, Lord, the
word of God L. in my heart, but the
deiI's in ma breeks."