The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-25

pity! Can't they read: Let all those
that seek Thee be joyful and glad in
Thee, and let such as love Thee and
Thy salvation, say always: The Lord
be praisedn" Again: 1.-THE Lord loveth
a cheerful giver!" But it is not in Civ
ing alone that He loves cheerfulness
Real love and trust in God-which is
Religlon-mind you-opens the eye
to beauty, the heart to sympathy, the
ear to harmony; and all the merriment
and joy of life is but the sweeter for
the reverent gratitude one returns to
the Divine Giver.
One evening in a green room chat
ter, the word religious" had in some
way been applied to me, and a certain
actress of small parts" whose life had
been of the bitterness of gall-sudden-
ly broke out with: "What-what's
that? religious you? Well, / guess
not! Why, you've more spirit in a min
ute than the rest of us have in a week
and are as full of capers as a puppy!
l guess know religion when see it!
1t makes children loathe the Bible by
forcing them to learn a hundred of It's
verses for punishment! 1t pulls down
the shades on Sundays-eats cold meat
and pickles. Locks up bookcase and
piano and discharges the girl for walk
ing with her beau Oh, mol my dear,
you're not religiouSi"
Poor, abused wordi No wonder It
terrifieS peoplei
How many thousand women won
der are kept from church by their in
ability to dress up to the standard of
extravaganza raised by those who are
more wealthy than thoughtful? Even
II the poor woman pluckS up her cour-
age and enters the church, the magnifi-
cence of her fortunate sisters distracts
her attention from the service and fills
her with longing, too often with envy,
and surely with humiliation.
Some years ago, party of ultra high
church women decided to wear only
black during Lent. One of these ladies
condescended to know me, and in
speaking of the matter. she said: "Oh,
l think this black garb is more than
fad-it really operates for good. 1t is
SO appropriate you know, and-and a
constant reminder of that first great
fast-the origin of Lent; and as I walk
about in trailing black, I know look
deVout-and that makes me feel de-
vout. and so I pray often and you're
always the better for praying-even if
your dress was at the bottom of II.
And-oh, we'll! feel that 1 am in the
picture, when / wear black during
Lent"
But the important thing is that be-
fore the Lenten season was half over.
female New York was walking the
streets in gentle, black-robed dignity,
and evidently enjoying the keeping of
Lent because-to use a theatrical ex-
preston, lit knew it looked the part"
So much influence do these petted,
beloved daughters of the rich exercise
over the many, that have often wish
ed that, for the sake of the poorer wo-
"a
fashion of extreme simplicity of COS
tune for church going. Every fem
mime creature has an inalienable right
to make herself as lovely as possible
and these graceful, clever women of
fashion would know as we'll how to
make simplicity charming, as does the
grande dame of France, who is never
more graude dame than when in plain
little bonnet simple gown and a bit of
fichu, she attends her church.
These bright butterflies have all the
long week to fiutter in their magnih-
cence. Their lunches, dinners, teas,
dances, games, yachts, links, race
courses, give occasion for glorious dis
play. Will they not then be sweetly
demure on Sunday for the sake of 1.-The
picture spare their sisters the
agony of craving for richly beautiful
apparel-since God has made them so
and they can't help waiting to be lovely,
tool
Perhaps some day a woman of fash
ion, simply clad, will turn up her pref
ty nose contemptuously at splendor of
dress at church service and whisper:
What bad form!'
Then, indeed, as the tide sets her
way, she will realize her power. The
church will have many more attend
ants. The very poor woman will not
be so cruelty Inundated and the wage
earning girl, who puts so much of her
money into finery, will have a more
artistic and more suitable model to
follow.
To those two little maids who 50
anxiously inquire If I believe prayer is
of any real service, and why, since my
own could not always have been an
swered, can only say, they are in
minority and I have no authority to
answer their question here. Perhaps,
however, they may recall the fact that
their loving mother. tenderly refused
some of their most passionate demands
in babyhood and that we are yet but
children, who often pray to our Father
for those things we may not have.
Clara Morris.