The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-12
WOmen's Hats in Church.

Arrangements have been made by the
ladies in one of the leading churches of the
city for the removal of their hats and bon
nets at the beginning of the services to-
morrow morning 1t has been decided in
solemn conclave that the wearing of hats
in the house of God is not conducive to that
piety and sweet peace of mind which it is
the desire of every member of the congre-
cation to possess. No woman's religion, of
course is affected by her own headgear
(unless it happens to be of the fashion of
last year, but the Haunting feathers and
flowers in the hats in front of her natur-
ally disturb her spiritual serenity by cut
ting off her view of the preacher Pages
have been printed in the newspapers on
the selfishness and cruelty, not to say sin
fulness, of women who persist in hiding the
stage of the theater from those behind
them but comparatively little has been
heard of the evil done by treating the pull
pit in the same way. It may be urged by
some that, inasmuch as the preacher does
not do a skirt dance, the fact that he is
invisible to a portion of his audience does
not greatly matter. This is very short
sighted view =Of course his voice may be
heard and his exhortations to better life
have some effect even upon the blind, but
what is eloquence behind a screen? What
deVout sister can feel that she has enjoyed
all her spiritual privileges when a barrier
is between her and her pastors inspired
and rolling eye and his imprisoned ges-
lures? The male churchgoers's view is, of
course, cut off in the same way, but per-
haps because he is given to meditation in
the sanctuary with his eyes shut he has
made little complaint. Tt is the sisters who
church, and it is the sisters who have vol
UNFAIRLY resolved upon reform. They can
not walk through the streets nor ride in
the trolley cars without head covering,
therefore they have agreed to remove their
hats after reaching their pews. That every
thing may be done decentIy and in order,
they will perform this act simultaneously
and at given signal. AS the choir comes
in and begins it's voluntary each woman
in the congregation will lift off her hat to
slow music, and by SO doing clear an i'm
pediment to righteousness out of the path
of her sister in the rear pew. How she
will dispose Of the hat, once it is off, is not
explained No true woman would think of
placing her best hat on the floor where
some careless foot might reach it; tragic
results might follow placing it on the
cuSIlloH peSlue HeI' anu dPPdh ehCIy IIe only
safe method of procedure is to hold it in
her hand. Safe that is to say for the hat,
but how about the woman? With her best
hat in her lap before her and her neigh
boris best almost as near, is not the most
pious woman's attention likely to be di-
verted from minister to millinery? Irrev-
erent youngsters have been heard to whis-
per of a parent who with bowed head said
grace, that he was talking to the taters;'
is the most devout sister sure that with her
hat in her lap she can refrain, not from
talking to it, but from thinking of it? 1t
is much to be feared that the spiritual
problem is not entirely solved by the mere
removal of the hat. This is at least a step
in the right direction, however and the
other difficulties involved will be disposed
of in due time.