The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-04-10
WHY THEY AVOIDED CHURCH.
One Had Grievance Against n Mem
Der and the Other Had Too
Much of 1t.

He was young minister whose
charge is in the country, and he was
talking about the decline in church at
tendance, relates the New York Times.
1T is we preachers in the rural dis
tricts," said he, "who have a chance
to get at the real reasons why people
stay away. Of course, we have no data
that would help solve the problem as
it presents itself in the cities, but, be-
ing privileged in the country to talk
to one and all, we get reasons at first
hand. Some of them ape interesting
and when analysed they are more like
ly than not to resolve themselves into
personal dislike to churchgoing or to
some one in the church.
There was an old farmer in one dis
trict where | preached who had the
reputation of never going to church.
lie was peculiar old fellow who sell
dom had much to say, but one day
went to see him, and in the course of
the conversation asked why he never
came to hear my sermons.
He was silent for a minute, and
then said: L did go to church once
and | wasn't treated right, and l amt
been there since. 1t was when they
was havin' revival up in the white
schoolhOuse, and things were getting
pretty warm. l went there one night
and sat next the window. After awhile
they got to the shoutin' part, and one
old woman got to runnin' up and down
the aisle, shoutin' and askin' every
body to come up and pray.
L sat there and looked on till I
saw she was maxim for me, and then
] looked for a way out. The window
was open, and the first thing 1 knowed
| was goin' out of it. As | struck the
ground | heard old Elder Abbadusky.
that sat right across the aisle from
me, shout: There goes the devil out
of the window" Now | don't consider
thai respectful way for one man to
speak of another, and 1 never went
back again, and l don't intend to till
old Abbadusky goes to glory
Zone day [ went to see another man
who was very good man, but never
went to church. He was Scotchman
and when | asked him why he did not
attend he said: Young man, if you
keep on going to church the way you
do now all your life, and if you live to
be 100 you will not have been to church
as much as | have
81 asked what he meant.
"'My father was Scotch covenant
err he said, and when | was a little
shaver we used to go to church in the
morning and stay all day. | would
sit on those hard benches and listen
to sermons that / didn't understand.
My legs would dangle over the floor
till they ached.
IF | went to sleep there was al
ways a deacon or some one else to
poke me in the ribs and whisperingly
inquire if | wanted to go straight to
hell. That was on Sunday.
Then there were prayer meetings
during the week and one or two extras
of different sorts between. There was
always more church and more sermons
when | would have given my boots to
be out hunting.
THAT thing went on from the time
| was big enough to remember until
| was 21. I made up my mind long be-
fore l reached the latter age that
when it came there would be no more
church for me, and there wasn't.
haven't been since. Now, really, DOM
lnie, do you wonder at it?'
And" concluded the dominic, 81
can't say that l did"