Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-08-06
4 LIBERAL SERMON BY Bah
Worship in Church and in the
Fields Compared.
HOW RUSTICS OBSERVE SUNDAY
The Fowls Violation of the
Lords Day.
Warm Weather reachers-The Consistency
of Willie Blessings of sabbath in an
Orthodox Family = Religion OF Nature
examining Innpcence.


81. In the country we all go to church.
We may have sinned grievously during
the winter. we have spent Sundays in
sleeping or reading the papers, but in
the summer the moral backbone stitfens
up and we go to church. just now |
am visiting at what is known as d
short distance from the village. A
short distance in the country means
anything from two miles to ten; we
are five miles from the postotfice, and
the church is short distance beyond
that The greatest mistake city
visitor can make is to suppose that che
can go to church when in the country
in her ordinary get up. If ahe does
this the congregation, the choir and
the preacher are all insulted. Instead
of putting on little cotton frock, a
broad -brimmed hat aud soft shoes, one
must got out ones best gown, stitfest
bonnet, highest gloves, primmest parasol,
and then worship the Lord in hot
room filled with all the flies that, ON
every other day, accumulate around
comes We are expected to be ready to
start; the children are unhappy in
stiifly starcbed frocks, and the grown
their Sunday clothes.
Uncle Timothy, who is a handsome
old man when he feels at ease, looks
self conscious and is awkward in full
black got-up, topped by high silk hat
large wagon. Before we get to the
church the smallest hoy, who lie en-
cased in modern suit of armor, that
is,h hs huu LII nd nE ri
so stiff that it rattles like sheet iron,
outrages propriety by screaming at the
top of his voice that he hates church,
and he wants to go home.
wILLIE's CATEcHIsM.
The wagon stops under shady tree,
the small boy and his mother are as
sisted out, and We all wait while he
has warming up. He comes back
hating church worse, and finding it
more comfortable to stand up during
the remainder of his drive. At last we
get there. We women are tenderly
helped out by Uncle Timothy. and
cannot help noticing that Aunt Maria,
who is supposed to know the West
minister catechism backwards and
forwards, raises her skirt as she steps
! down 30 that the presiding elder has a
glimpse of well-turned ankle. When
do women cease to be coguettish? And
when do men cease to be interested in
that which is forbidden.
Once we are packed in the pew, a
certain solemnity comes over us all and
the children are painfully quiet. Then
the choir sings an anthem. | am fas-
cinated by fly, who hovers around the
mouth of the soprano and threatens to
enter it. ] wonder il she knows, and
1 wonder il she did know whether she
would open her mouth SO wide. Just
as she reaches the last high note the
fly goes in, the note is failure, she
coughs, chokes. and all the children
eiggle. After this there is more quiet,
for the presiding elder is praying. He
is the most condescending man l ever
knew. He addresses his Maker as if
they stood on an equal plane, with
odds in his favor, and he calmly an
nounces what tho Lord ought to have
done and he sympathizes with Elm in
His forgetfulness of His duty. He
gives Him to understand that il He
would ask the advice of the.e elders of
this church, everything would have
boen rightS and he closes by sympa-
thizing with Him in His ignorance,
and hoping that He will do better ip
the future. OF course, that ism It
exactly what ho says, but that is the
impression he leaves on everybody q
mind. Uncle Timothy, being old
fashioned, stands up during the prayer,
which gives the oldest boy an oppor-
tunity to pinch his leg. Then the chill
dren all giggle again, and | look ut
thom with frown, aud they make
faces at me. And the sermon COM
mences.
Tho preacher, realizing that the
thermometer in the village drug shop
marks 96, has selected for his text,
"And there shall be everlasting hell. !"
He breaches for one hour and half,
and Nanny Listens to him with the
fascination that only comes when the
horrible is to the fore. He pictures
the abode of Satan, he pictures Satan 8
joy at seizing innocent infants and un-
fortunate sinners, he diates on the
fact that all suffering in the future
will be everlasting, and that everlast-
ing will bo forever and forever.
NO CHANCE ON THE HEREAFTER.
And. after he has told about this for
an hour and 25 minutes, he devotes
five minutes more to impressing On our
minds how thankful we should be that
it is almost certain that we are to be
damned. Nanny has stood it as long
as she can-she has vivid imagina-
tion and is supersenitive. just before
the ending, she gives a loud scream
and begins to cry, and she ia con-
Quoted out by Uncle Timothy, who
pats her ON the shoulder, offers her a
| piece of peppermint candy favored with
snuff, seats her on the church step,
and fans her.
Then they take up the collection. 1t
is for providing warm clothing and
Bibles for the heather in Hindosianee.
The youngest child has been given his
penny to put in. but he firmly declines
to do so, and the entire congregation
hears him telling his mother that he
would rather keep ii and buy hockey
pokey ice cream. That boy will some
day ue great man. At last we are
singing the DoXology, and with what
fervor d u we ell do sing! We fairly shout
our gratitude that we need not longer
stay in the hot church. But 1t isn't
time to go home yet ..
THE RUSTIC AFTERGLow.
Everybody shakes hands with every
body else, and all the country people
look and admire or disapprove of what
the city people are wearing. One ener-
getic lady who has five unmarried
daughters asks me whuse patterns |
| use whom make my clothes, and if |
don't think Cabberick's call for too
much material. She looks at me with
acorn when shn hears that I lat soma