The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-15

workingman's place FOR the evening
and yet l had to remind myself that
was not a;wcrkingman aud that had
better clothes at home before could
be willing to carry it out. almost
felt tempted to tell who really was
to get recognition, but RETAINED.
| "When the men with the silk hats
and those in fashionable attire had
been given seats down in front, around
me and almost over me, an oficioua
usher, evidently feeling that was
oumberiug the ground, pointed out to
me fALa last seat in the house. He
had to bring me- back considerable
distance to give me the seat, Cor had
advanced some way down the aisle to
see it might get recognition. I was
not told in so many words that I was
not wanted. There was no one at the
door with club to kucck> me down
and drag me out because Of my imper-
tinence at coming to the Church of
Jesus Christ, the carpenter Of Nazar-
eth, in the clothes Of carpenter.
felt that il Jesus had come to that
Church that night it would have been
with the words: Woe unto you,
scribes aud pharisees, hyocrites who
tithe of mint aud anise and cummin
and neglect the mere weigh.y matters
of judgment, mercy aud peace
"Ehe whole service was fitted for
the cultured. The preaching, the
singing, the entire service wes very
dignified and proper az our services 60
these days, but the poor we're not
there, and it is not surprising, for they
we're not wanted. III yor we're to ask
che pastor OF the Church If he wanted
che poor he weuld say yes II you
we're to ask che ofice-hearers in that
Church they would say .Yes, we vel
! come the poor and are glad If they
come and feel at home in our Church. ;
The diGcuity isin the lack Of well
come that :s'sel. By eas ~ho visits our
Churches in 1hese days.
After che service was out 1 stayed
around TO see If would be sought out
and asked to come again and made to
feel at home finally. After standing
around for time and watching the
rich greet the rich, and no poor there
to greet me, / wandered home sicker
than when ! started out. I was sick
in body and sick in soul, for love the
Church and it hurt me to see the apos-
tasy in the lifc.of the Church which
is SO much worse apostasy than that
Of doctrine.
81 would not care to investigate the
creed OF the Church I visited that
night. ! wanted life and not musty
theoiogy. II hadg gone &c the Church
t3a==s :.;gkt dressed in my usual way,
I would without doubt have b1en given
tno best place in the house, and possi-
big woula have been invited to the
pulpit to &ssist in the opening servi-
ces- 1 found that in the estimation
Of the Church the clothes made the
man and not worth.
1T determined that night that I
would make our ChuroL more open
and see that the men who worked on
the streets shoyeling, and the man who
delivers our ice, and the girls who
work in our Kitchens, and the women
who do on. washing, should find our
Church and should find therein meg.
cordiai and genuine friendship.
~ began series OF sermons on the
liue Of my visits aud kindred SUBJECTS
and our audiences have been increased
BY the hundreda in .ke past two or
three weeka. I feel that she Church
should be Rrst, not Cor those who need
most. The light owes something to
darkness. The wise belong to the 'ig-
norant. The good have . duty to the
bad. Tine lives alled With !nre belong
to those liven sllea with hate, even as
Christ belongs to the world more for
what he could do Cor it than what be
could get out Of it. .sa.s -.
s'Men Of money are feeling more and
more that capital has its duties as we'll
as It's rights, Culture is feeling her
debt TO illiteracy. and university ex-
tension work is an evidence Of such
sense of duty. The characterful are
feeling their belonging 20 the charac-
terless and the social settlement work
is the outgrowth of that feeling. The;
Church must feel her belonging to all
the multitude, not because they are
good, but because they may be. The
man with the largest needSshould find
in orr Chnreh hes the largest welcome.
I could add volumes along this line,
bnt I have written enough, do not