Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-11-18
A RESPECT
ABLE HABIT
Mrs. Lillian Hartman Johnson
Offers a Few Words
of Advice.

Give the ministers a chance; they
are on the side of decency.
There are so many hypOcrites III
the church?
Granted These same hypocrites
you meet daily in business. Lend
your holy example to them one day
potent force.
Haven't time?
1t only takes one hour Sunday
morning and one hour Sunday even
ing. You have time for the club, the
reception, the ball. the card party,
the theatre during the week. Can
you truthfully say you cannot econo-
mize your time SO that you may at
tend church at least once on Sunday?
Can't dress well enough and don't
want to be stared at?
Wear the cleanest clothes you have
when you visit the house of Christ
and remember that He, your Host,
while on earth, wore a seamless gar
ment of knitted wool and had not
where to lay His head and that not
withstanding this fact, His fame
grows brighter with the centuries
and must endure for all time. Let
not tne poor sinner in gaudy raiment
frighten you away. The house OF
God is the place for spiritual and moi
material display. The Host is great
er than all the guests and the honor
of attending his weekly receptions
not to be despised or neglected
They always pass the hat?
So they do but don't shy at the hat
The man who passes it doesn't carry
concealed weapons. There is moth
ing compulsory about dropping a
nickel into It, If your conscience
says that you can put all. your nick
els to better use, God will stand
by your conscience.
If ministers preached without price
as they did in the olden time. you
would have more confidence in the
church. would you?
Now, If your pastor worked all
week and gave you your gospel all
carelessly hashed up, wouldn't you
reward him with scorn for insulting
your superior intellectually with an
unprepared sermon?
Your minister doesn't impress you.
he lacks magnetism, his words do not
burn into your soul?
Perchance you are scared. or may
be you have heard him when your
self and the pews constituted the
audience. 1t is well known that a
successful actor is created, first. by
chance, and then sustains his repu-
tation by the aid of a full house and
generous applause. If all sermons
were punctuated by the audience with
signals of appreciation the minister
would do better work. In some Of
the new thought churches applause
Is permissible, and the custom will
reach all churches in time; but If you
can't clap your hands, look as If you
wanted to. Wireless telegraphy is Of
great value to those who know how to
use it. A minister must draw his
magnetism from his audience and on
your sympathy depends his ardor.
Is anybody better for going to
church?
Yes; who dares question the good
deeds that are prompted by the
words of the minister? Some of the
women may be thinking of their new
hats, and some of the men mayl not
be able to divorce their thoughts
from their business. but why con-
denim the whole because the material
has hold on the many?
You don't like the creeds of the
churches?
Oh. Well, you don't have to sub
\ scribe to them. Go to church with
| the Golden Rule in your heart, and
this recognition of the Infinite may
hasten the day when there will be one
great church of universal brother
hood.
The ideal church is rapidly coming;
you only retard it by your indiffer.
| ence to things spiritual. II you
have clearer vision than the minister
to whom you have chosen to listen,
| converse with him occasionally. He
is an intelligent, rational creature
/ and the benefit might prove mutual.
Silence Is golden when one is seek,
ing inspiration. but when the divine
light comes. speak and let the truth
would often find the minister in ac.
cord with your views. and that he is
only deferred from speaking the
whole truth because he knows his con-
gregation are yet undeveloped, and.
like a Photographic negative. would
fade away in too strong light
Mental evolution with the average
brain is gradual; divine light does
not come to all in the same way.
Do not make a general charge that
all people who belong to church do
SO to cloak their sins. Wholesale
condemnation is usually lacking in
veracity. and you break one of the
Ten Commandments when you make
this statement. There are many
well-meaning and sincere people In
the church. who are not responsible
for the hypocrites. and IL your own
heart is free from taint you will not
have to answer for your weaker
brothers.
Fathers, Deuy vnur tohocco opa