New-York tribune., 1903-04-12
QUEER THINGS IN CHURCH
Drunken SertOn and Hen and
Chickens.

When I left Cambridge the question was.
Where shall I go?" says the Rev Dr. w S.
Rainsford, of St. Georges Protestant Episcopal
Church. in the second instalment of "A Preach
er's Story of His Work" now running in "'Ths
Outlook" About this time man I had never
heard Of offered me curacy in Norwich-the
Rev. William Nottage Ripley. Norwich was a.
city of 5000 people, in the centre Of the shoe
trade. If i were 10 describe to you the religious
state of that town you would scarcely believe il.
There were forty-eight old churches-college
Hvings-very poor Ivings. but enough for man
to live The holders Of some Of these Iv-
ings did Iittle-some had sunk into a spiritual
slough I did not know them. as a rule; they
looked upon me as a wild frebrand. and had
nothing to say 10 me.
One church, very old church was held by a
don Of Cambridge. a remarkable scholar in his
day. That curiosity. On certain oc-
casions he used to have. comparatively speak
ing a full church. because he introduced certain
things into the service that amused people.
Among other things. when he came, in the
Psalter for the twenty-fourth day, TO the tenth
verse Of Psalm cxvi, where. you remember. il
reads. II said in my haste. All men are lars
he would invariably stop and say. David. IL
you had lived in these days you would have
said it at your leisure" And in the lesson for
the twenty-first Sunday after Trinity occurs the
passage: AT what time ye hear the sound OF
the cornet flute harp sackbut. psaltery. dull
elmer, and all kinds of musick ye fail down and
worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
the king hath set Up." This list Of Instruments
is repeated you recall. three times in the course
of the chapter. The first time he would read it
as it is written. but the other three times he
would substitute for II the phrase. The afore-
said gentlemen with the brass band" he had
other eccentricities that he would indulge in on
stated occasions These things came TO be
known. and on those Sundays the church would
be full
once year there was a collection for tho
choir and he got some one else in the pulpit to
address his people and draw crowd After L
had been about year and half in Norwich hs
asked me TO preach The feature of that church
was it's music. The wife OF the old don had a
beautiful voice: they had gathered together
good choir. The pulpit was tiny black oak
box. with small desk for the Bible or sermons
This desk sloped down. My Bible slipped. and
had to stoop to get it. In STOPPING leaned
against the pulpit door. it split open. and I
nearly fell out of the pulpit After had been
preachfne for a time I looked down into the
choir which in great box pew in front OF
the pulpit after the old fashioned way. shut or
from the congregation by a curtain, and 1 saw
one fellow put his arra right around the waist
of the girl next TO him and draw her head DOWN
to his shoulder; and he kept it there: then hs
looked up straight into my face and w1nked Il
broke all up.
walked out OF the pulpit, went 20 the rector
and said: 'Dr- -. your choir members are
behaving outrageousiy; cannot preach unilI
this is stopped
He walked UP 10 the square pew where the
choir sat tore the red baize curtain down with a
Jerk and exposed them. disconnected ana
ashamed 10 the full view OF the congregation
and then sat down again L returned 10 ths
rfv.fs and war
In the midst OF it looked up and saw walk
ing up the middle aisle in solemn procession. a
hen with twelve or fourteen chickens. When
the SEXTON tried TO drive them out he was so
drTnk mat he fell right on top Of the hen. The
old doctor called out. Let her alone, John; she
is doing no harm