The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-11

~" ihciutnt " the "suUt lid ,rin,r.p
Wien II was regarded as Mn 10 Wor.
ship Ia Comfort.
Pittsburgh Times: The famous box
stove which was tho cause Of tho cc,c.
DRAFTED quarrel In tho church OF Rev.
Lyman Bccchcr, father Of Henry Ward
i'cccher, at Litchilcld, Conn, Ina J,,st
pecn found and IN considered n ynIu-
nble relic. The purchasing and plac-
ihg OF this stove IN the church, IN
warm thc congregation during tho SER
wees, was considered a dangerous and
hcrctical innovation AZ tho time, and
raised Il disturbance that for n time
threatened to disrupt the organiza-
o Up. TO that time tho congrcga-
tlon ut L~itchticld ns well as tho ma
JorilS OF all the congregations through
out the country worShippcd In the
sold nnu soorncd the Idea OF employ
Inv artIicini heat to add 20 The com.
Tort of the body white engaged in
prnislng tho Lord and listening to tho
teaching OF His word, After a great
deal OF discussion the more progressive
members OF the congregation triumph.
cd, M the stove was put IN place. Its
opponents considered K a goddess pro-
ceeulnS' and were abundintly able to
prove, according to their construction
OF the Scriptures, that the Old aud
NeW Icstamcnts were both against II,
ana challenged the stove party TO pro-
dnee anything from Moses. the pro-
phcNs or tho evangellsts, that COM
matueu or even permitted stoves or
are In the house OF God.
II Is Uncomfortable to us how such n
pothcr should have been raised ove-
n matter OF that sort, and Il will prob
ably be a surprise to 4 good many pco-
pic that there was ever n time when
there was no artificial heat In churches,
IN winter time, and when people took
their religious teaching In n cold stor-
age room. But there are those .still
living who can remember when such
was the case. and WHO rccollect with
what zeal the innovation OF artificial
neat was fought. and OF the wicked
ness which was attributed TO those who
thought that the devil should not have
all the fire, and that II might be pos
sihle to be plous and revercnt and
G~od-fcaring without freezing. The IN
cident serves 70 call attention to the
great changes that have taken place.
not only in the popular idea about re-
ngion, but as to ideas OF comfort. The
ain or our forefathcrS was to make
the church as unattractive and uncom-
Portable n place as possible. This was
In accordance with their theory that
religion was Il continual penance: con-
sequently the walls were barren and
unndornel. the benches hard, and the
colder the room the more chance there
was FOR oh fervor OF their religion 10
get In Its warming work. The outside
wus made equally plain and t%orbidding
Tor any adornmont or anything that
was pleasing 10 the eve or artistic, In
thclr minds. his works werel hated
with an everlasting hatred. The church
was 10 be a sad and serious place. and
the more the sadness and seriousness
could be intensified the better.
But the cold, plain f~orbldding church
was not to them so much OF a discom-
fort us II seems 10 us, accustomed as
we are TO so many things which TO
them were sinful Injuries. II there
were no stoves In the churches there
were Few In the houses OF the congre-
cation. II the church was plain and
unldorned so were the h%abltations OF
the w~orshlppers. We have read a good
deal In poetry and In fiction about the
family freside and the domestic hearth
stone. At that day they had these In
stltutions in all OF their primitive and
poetic simplicity. Now nil the poetry
OF the flreside and hearthstone Is gone
from our homes. and we have the reg
lister. the radiator and the gas fire. or
II We do have n h~earthstone It Is only
a sort OF imitation one and Is not re-
lied upon much FOR heat. The hearth
stone was doubtless very picturesque.
but all OF those who have written tbs
praises took good care to get away
from It early In life. The house of the
time OF the sleeveless church was about
as comfortable az 4 barn. The big
wood fire made n picturesque, Kicker
ing light. but In the matter OF heat,
while It roasted those who sat around
1t on n side. the d%raughts, which It
created as the flames swept up the
broad chimney. froze them on the 9TH
or. They were so trained. therefore
10 resist cold hat two or three hours
In n cold church vas not so much OF n
trial as It would be 20 US.
Those were the good old days that
we hear so much about. and which
some people would have US believe
they would be glad 10 have return.
contending thai. though We may be
mora comfortable nov and possessed
of thousands o. conreuiences that were
then unknown. people were vastly bet
Ter 1leI lndH HOW. IN iACt the impress
sion Is attempted to be created that
there was no wickedness at all In
those good old days. There is no deny
ing that some OF the people We're "
Gully good In some things: they were
In fast so upright that they learned
backward. But In spite OF al this. ut
the very time when their character for
goodness and everc picty was at It's
height these people of Connecticut
had n reputation, which still cllugS to
them. for the sharpest OF sharp prac-
slces, so much so that Il was scarcely
deemed safe for inhabitants OF the
rest Of the country TO deal with them.
They were not only enormous consum-
ers OF rum. but they carried on n great
tradc selling the fiery stun 90 the
heather for whose souls they daily
prayed with the greatest unctlon. on
the whole. though they may have pos
sesSed come virtues in which We are
deficient we have no cause TO regret
that the good old days nave passed
never To return.