Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-02-20
OLD.riME CUSTOMS.
That Of Keeping Warm IN Uuheated
Churchca Wns llue OF Them


Churches Was Que Of Them.
Nowadays. with steam radiators. reg
listers. double doors and screens to
guard the aislcs from draughts. u min.
lister Is still not surprised to find his
congregation smaller than usual upon
a Sunday of intense cold or winter
storm. Doubtless in the old times. too.
the weather made difference. though
In all likelihood. In that era of severe
dutifulness. a less. rather than great
cr one than to-day. Yet what hard.
ships our ancestors had to endure In
winter. In their bare. bleak, bitter cold
old meeting houses!
"ie sncrumental bread was frozen
hard. and ratified sadly in We plates"
wrote Judge Sewall In his diary after a
Sunday In the church ut Newbury.
with the thermometer near zero. And
1t was not uncommon. not only In the
days of the grand old justice. but many
years later. for women to faint from
simple cold. or to become so chilled rs
to he unable to rise or move when II
came hymn time. ana to have to he car.
ricd out of church and thawed ut the
nearest neighbours. Little wonder.
poor things!
We have only to imagine how n girl
of today would feel II. after getting
her feet thoroughly wet and half frox.
en-. she wrapped herself In n heavy
clOak-Omitting. however. her warm
ilnnncls and her closc-fltting outside
jackct-and retiring to an unhea ted
barn. sat up straight on u hard board
for three hours. with draughts FROM
every crack and knothole pln ying free.
~ about her. We should expect con.
sumption or pneumonia as the natural
result: and they were the natural re.
suit, ana carried many of our slivcring
anccstresses to an untimcly grave.
Yet. with all that they had to endure.
women sometimes voluntarily Increased
their misery at the demand of fashion:
at least. the winter brides did 50. II
was long the custom for brides on first
attending church after marriage to
wear no outside garincnt-whethcr
merely to let the folks see their new
gowns. or rs u relic of traditional cerc.
mony akin to unwilling. Is not known;
but In the depths of January or dc
| cembcr. they would come To meeting.
| with u hcrOism worthy Of a better
cause. In all the uncOnccaled finery of
| a glossy silk or satin. with not NO much
rs u scarf across the shoulders for
warmth.
A characteristic story Of the revenge
Of a Puritan suitor upon "a fair mail
who had married his rival. relates tina;
he being the sexton of the church.
and she u December bride-he purpose.
~ managed 30 that bitter wind should
blow upon her from a deftly unstOpped
chink, when she arrived the Sunda y
after the wedding In the customary In.
adequate array.
lie would ''bring down the saucy hus.
sy's PRIDE" he declared; though wheth.
or he Intended to do 30 ludlcrOusly
through influenza and u red nose. or
trngicnlly by means Of lung fever and
nm early death. the story does not ~.
late. hut In either case she survived
the ordeal.
There were often among the tougher
and more rigid members Of the church
n few who believed all this hardship ia
he u good thing. and who opposed even
the popular little foot stoves rs u lux
ury; while when stoves were introduced
which attempted to heat the Who'll,
church. they fought them with disgust
and bitterness.
One old woman. Aunt Judy Jones
made u point of sitting near the new
stove for several successive Sundays
throwing of or filnglng open one layer
OF wraps after another. and finally ~
ing hack In state of conspicuous OK
haustlon. gasplng family and tanning
herself with an immense turkcy-fcatl ie'
fan. Hut the stove continued to glow
ana the congregation to no comforta
bic. ana before the season ended II wa,
quietly observed that Aunt Judy did
not seem to feel the heat more thar
other people. and had even been known
to 90 up and warm her feet at the IN
welcome red.hot thing itself before set
thing down In her pew for the scrmOn.-
Youths Companion.