The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-01

From a drawing by Howard Chandler
Christy illustrating THE Cavalier"
| PURITAN SUNDAY IN OLD VIRGINIA.
Scribner's Magazine for Christmas is
better than ever, If it be possible for i'm
provement over former Christmas num-
bers. 1t is especially notable for charm
ing fiction and novel and effective fea-
lures. Instead of the ld-fashioned Christ
mas story there is the story of bright
and cheerful social phases, delicate SEN
timent, wit and humor.
In this number appear such authors
as Thomas Nelson Page, F. Hopkinson
Smith William Henry Bishop and Arthur
Cosslett Smith,
Artistically this Christmas number
contains many effective features, Max
field Parrish, who has place of his own
among artists as a designer in color, fur
.nishes the beautiful Christmas cover and
in addition the frontispiece (printed in
/ colcr) and other Illustrations in black and
white to accompany one of the stories.
| Castaigne, whose work is always full
| of vigor and imagination, illustrates
| romantic episode in the career of Cleo
patra-accompany poem by Benja
min Paul Blood, author of 1.-THE Lion
OF the Mile" These are printed in color
and are probably the most effective IL
Illustrations in that method which have
appeared in this magazine.
Another elaborate color-scheme is a re-
production of the beautiful pictures Of
childhood by Jessie Wilcox Smith ac-
complaining fanciful story by William
Henry Bishop, tae hero of which is an
up-to-datc boy who believes in the efficacy
of d Fairy Wand and is not disappointed.
The portraiture of real children Is rep
resented by the leading American artists,
who have furnished their work TO Illus
trate an article on that subject by Harri-
son S. Morris.
The following extract from the article
| of Mr. Thomas Nelson Page un Puritan
Sundays ia Old Virginia" is life-like
picture of former conditions that will be
recognized by the olden. readers:
There is an idea prevalent that the
strict observance of the Sabbath was al
most wholly confined to the North. Moth
ing could be more erroneous. THE Blue
Laws" of Connecticut, surviving as a
proyerb for hardness, have impressed the
popular mind and fixed an idea which
was, however, not absolutely accurate.
AS severe as those enactments were, they
were scarcely more rigorous, wherever
til observance Of Sunday was concerned,
than those under which the Colony of
| Virginia was established and developed.
Attendance on Divine service was as
strictly enforced, and abstinence from ali
secular employment as rigidly enioined. 1t
| was church going time. Religion en-
crossed the energies of the people Par
ticiration in worship was the law, and
| whoever failed in it was aw-breaker
and was dealt with accordingly. Later
, on, that is, prior to the Revolution. came
a certain laXness-the reflex of the taut-
strung bow-when the fox-hunting, cock
| fighting parsons were indicted into the
/ livings; but as the causes were temper
airy, the main cause being the political
appointment by an absentee metropolitan,
so the effect was not permanent. #
was cut of these conditions that the Han
over Presbytery sprang, under the inua-
! ence OF Patrick Henrys model, the elo-
quent "Parson Davies" later the presi-
dent of Princeton College. Indeed, while
some of the English parsons who have
made the time notorious, were dicing and
drinking, and fighting, the laity were
standing starchly for the old customs
and were making the saddling upon them
OF such miscreants one of the charges in
their indictment against the government
''at home" They withstood innovation
They kept the faith. They built churches
which still stand today as memorials OF
their piety and Guardianship.