The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-03-26
sARsATH DEVOTION.

i SABBATH DEVOTION.
According to the New York Post the
prediction lately made by a Chicago
minister to the effect that the only
way in which It would soon be pos
sible to maintain an interest in church
work would be by means Of "continu-
ous vaudeville" startled q great many
conservative church goers and possibly
shocked some Of them. However, the
stream Of tendency seems TO have set
rather strongly in the direction OF a.
fulfllment of this prophecy. Billiards,
ping pong, hops, amateur theatricals,
secular concerts, legerdemain. cha
rades. sociables, fairs and suppers.
primarily for the purpose of revenue,
music of doubtful sacredness-if there
Is dividing line between the sacred
and secular in music: all Of those have
come to be recognized as adjuncts of
more or less value in church work.
The underlying idea seems to be 10
make the church an attractive social
club, and thus bring within its sphere
Of influence, many who value church
connection at the outset chiefly for
the social opportunities it offers. It
would be difficult to find serious OBJ
lection to this view OF so much work
Of the church as may properly be con-
sidered secular. There may be line
which 1t would be dangerous to cross,
but where it lies would be as difficult
to determine as in the Alaskan bound
airy.
Perhaps the same is true Of stunts"
or turns introduced to give the in
terest of variety Of Sabbath deyotions.
For example. engaging an attractive
young woman in a pure white dress
10 years old, to whistle solos. as is
said to have bf en- done by the pastor,
or music committee, or both, acting in
the harmonious conjunction which
should characterize all church doings,
of one of the New York churches,
startles the old-fashioned church-goers
by it's novelty. In the last analysis,
however, there would seem to be no
from the sound lungs oozing through |
puckered lips and wind from bellows
of wood and leather kissing through |
the reeds of a pipe organ in the bank
controlled by the piccolo stop. We are
used to the cornet as our forefathers
were to the bass viol. We have list
ened with equinamity to the operatic
prima- donna rendering selections
which have inspired very lofty emo
tions, when for the erratic wailings of
the Italian libretto, were substituted
modern hymns with some pretentions
to poetic excellence. We have learned
to march up the aisle and undulate
sideways into our pews to the solemn
minor cadences Of one of Thielman's
or Jadassohn's preludes, and waltz out
again when the services were ended to
the Soldiers March" in Faust played
with rag item variations, or choice Sc
lections from Eel Captain" or one of
Offenbach's classics. No doubt whist
ling girls dressed in white, rendering
"Traumerel' or "The Mocking Bird"
are the usual thing, we shall take then,
as a matter of course and wonder wnyl
anyone should be so narrow in his or
her conventional prejudices as TO ques-
ton their emminent fitness as adjunct
10 devotion.
True, girls will have to learn to
whistle a good deal better than any
we have heard try in Astoria are able
to do, to be entirely agreeable as en-
tertainers, but that is beside the point
We have heard alleged singers Of
whom the kindest thing which could
be said was, that they had missed their
vocation, but in the expressive vernac-
ular Of the day, singing goes in church
even when feeble and uncertain as TO
intervals. For the same reason whist
ling may go when we are used to IT,
IT is, after all, only another step toward
what has been pronounced Inevitable
worship by means Of continuous vauj-
evile.
II is a notorious fact that fully as
many people attend the two vaudeville