davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1905-07-30
Mailing the Church Door.

The following entitled How to Nail Up
the Church Door," comes from the Parish
Guide:
Nail 1-Do not go to church when the
weather is too warm-a close atmosphere
is not beneficial to bodily health; your
spiritual health will suffer through SYM
pathy.
Nail 2-Do not go to church when the
weather is too cold: there is money
except for the doctOr-in church draughts
Remember, people are more liable to get
cold in church than elsewhere.
Nail 3LBe sure to be late. If you do
not impress people with your Importance
you may with your appearance. On that
account please take front seat, scowl at
an intruder, then pray.
Nail flake an interest in everything
but the service; the ministe- and choir will
attend to that; that is what they are there
for Take sufficient interest to notice all
mistakes and tell them to everybody.
Nail 5-Be sure and never put currency
or silver in the collections Sometimes put
a copper on the plate. This will give you
the right of finding fault to an unlimited
extent.
Nail 6-Don't fail to forget the time of
meetings for church work. This is very
encouraging to the minister. Find fault
with everything that has been done and
refuse to do anything because you were not
consulted.
Nail BE sure and tell the clergyman
his faults when he calis-how he will not
compare favorably with his predecessor
humble him II you can; he may be getting
proud.
Evening star., 1905-07-30

The heated term. with the thermometer
lowering about the nineties, usually de-
mands corresponding sackening of our
activities mental as well as physical. 1t
has it's visible effect also upon our religious
machinery. SO TO speak, on pulpit and pew.
But well may we afford to set aside a
peaceful Sunday hour for a brief excursion
into the realm OF higher things, whether
we be,oug to the large army of stay-at-
homes. or whether our lines are cast In
pleasant places amidst shady glens, near
babbling brooks rolling sea. Simple
homely religious truths are wholesome food
that nourishes and invigorates. stimulates
and refines, always and everywhere Now
especially. when outdoor summer life brings
us not only close TO the heart of nature
but in closer contact and more intimate re
lations with our fellow men, we cannot af-
ford to forget that these relations, to be
proper and pleasant. must be governed Ivy
Evening star., 1905-07-30

spirit Of trothcliy love. finding its most
tersc .inl 1clu;ifuI expression in the scrip
tural in. junction: Thou shai; love thy
reighhcr - thysef. I an tie Lo.d a.
Theoretically this law Ees been commonly
accepted by all creeds as the bass and cor
ner stone of practical religion. Promul-
gated by Noses and reiterated by Jesus, it
has found its way into every catechism is
read and expounded in cathedral, church
and synagogue. Yet throughout the cir
cling centuries no other law has been more
frequently violated than this sublime law
of love. Indeed, in its strictly literal sense
1t may be said to voice ideal that never
can be attained. 1t asks more than the
average man can do or give
The predominating passion of mortal man
is love of self-a love that always was and
ever will be stronger than his love for
others. Society is not made up of saints
and self-sacrifcing heroes Common expe-
1ence teaches that as a rule men cannot.
will not. love their fellow men as much as
they love themselves
For a clear understanding of our text we
must distinguish between seIf-love and self
ishness. Self-love is a natural human trait
II wisely controlled and properly directed
1t is not only justihable, but is a necessary
incentive for our self-preservation and self
Improvement. Selfshness, on the other
hand is self-love absolute and tyrannicaI
devoid of any and every consideration for
the rights and privileges of others pas
sion that beclouds our reason and stunts
our moral being, our sense of justice and
o love.
Love thy neighbor as thyseIf' therefore
means; Learn to love thyself wisely and
well; employ every faculty at thy command
10 advance thy moral and material we'll be-
ing. This is thy privilege and thy dutv
But be not selfish in thy love Extend II
Evening star., 1905-07-30
HARD ON THE "FIENDs.n
How Wisconsin Cigarette Smokers
Try to Evade the Law.

From the Milwaukee Sentinel.
Attempts TO get the express companies to
act as purchasing agents for Milwaukee
cigarette smokers form one of the latest
developments in the results of the state
anti-cigarette law, which went into effect
July l. Refusal on the part of the compa-
nies is an indication of their desire to have
as little possible to do with the bringing
Of cigarettes into the state, and the general
agents insist that IL there has been any in
crease in their trade, owing to the law
they are ignorant Of it.
While the dealers are not making much
noise about 1t, 1t is said that smokers can
buy their cigarettes in Milwaukee without
any personal inconvenience. and at a lower
price than heretofore. Orders are placed
with the retailer, forwarded to the whole
sale houses and the goods sent direct to
the consumer. While no packages are
passed over the counter, the sale Is vir-
tually made in this city.
Still another way to smoke in spite of the
law has been discovered by devotees of the
prescribed weed. Wholesale houses out
side of the state have let 1t become known
that for an insignificant number of stamps
enough cigarette papers will be forwarded
to consumers of their tobacco to last sew
eral months. The smoker writes to the
who oesale houses receives the bundle OF
papers and then goes to the tobacconist
secure from all possible interference from
the law, and buys the packages of the
mixture necessary to complete the max
in9s."
Evening star., 1905-07-30
CLERGYMEN IN GOLF

From the New York Sum-
Clergymen are to the front as skiIlru1
players this season on many links. They
all oppose Sunday golf. at least until after
service, and the employment of Junior
caddie boys on the Sabbath when parents
object but a weekday recreation the old
game has the united support OF the cloth
as "a sensible recreation. But 1t IS only
when they come into competition with the
record players that the golfers generally
note and applaud the winning scores of the
clergymen.
At the championship of the Transmits
sissippi Golf Association held on the course
of the Glen Echo Golf Club, st. Louis. Sec
ond in Importance only to the gaining OF
the title by Warren Dickinson of Des
Molnes was the great game of the Rev. +.
r. Talbot Of Wichita, Kan. He was in the
second sixteen and went through a strong
field in splepdid golf, finally wining the con-
ISOLATION cup by up and to play from
j. 7. Stewart of Omaha.
In the infant days of the game in this
country Rev. w. s. Rainsford was the
best player among the clergymen, and ne
took part in the amateur championship OF
1895 at Newport. The same pre-eminence ls
now accorded by general consent to Rev.
Simon Carr, who plays for the Huntingdon
Valley Country Club, Philadelphia. Last
year DR.. Carr played for Philadelphia in
the intercity match. putting out Percy X.
Pyne, second. of the New York team. and
In the Philadelphia Golf Association tour
nament at ST. Davids he beat George A.
Crump, on the nineteenth hole, for the
Philadelphia cup. This year DIR. Carr made
the record scores of IS and 152 in the quail
flying round of the Philadelphia champion
ship over the Merton links. the title going
finally to r. E. Griscom. and In the open
tournament of the Huntington Valley Coun-
try Club DR.. Carr tied with H. b. McFar-
land for low score in the qualifying round,
losing the Lynnewood cup in the final to
Mcfarland by up and to play.
At Plainfleld the Rev. DIR. H. X. CarroH
is prominent in the weekly handicaps. A
member of the Eastern Parkway Golf Club.
an exclusive organization of Brooklyn. al
though the name would suggest public
course is the Rev. J. E. Adams. who made
a good showing at the recent open tourna-
ment OF the Apawamis Club. He was in
the first six to qualify in a field of eighty
four and lasted to the semi-final of the
Beaten Eight cup. when H. B. Clark put
him out and subsequently won the trophy.
The oldtime sailor thought a black-eoated
passenger meant an unlucky voyage, but
the golfers have no such prejudice and give
applause to the parsons who enter for
tournaments.
Evening star., 1905-07-30
Qbe Church Dew.
Memories That Cling Hround It--Gradual
Evolution.
Evolution.

Memories of departed friends and depart.
ed days have always clung about the old
church pew. Even in churches where seats
are free" families and individuals have al
ways selected their own particular places
and by occupation of them from year to
year have almost given them individu-
alities. Nothing is sadder to the rea-
tive or friend who Is left behind than the
empty seat In the family pew, and when
one comes back after long years of absence
and goes alone to the old place where as a
boy he used to sit restlessly between father
and mother each Sunday morning there is
feeling Of sorrow that nothing can assuage.
There are number Of pews in this coun-
try that are especially dear, not only to
the members of the churches in which they
are found, but to the nation at large, be-
cause of the memories which they force
upon the mind Pews of the national family
they might be called, kept and hallowed In
honor of the great men who once worshped
therein. Foremost in the land are two
pews found within short radius of the
national Capitol. One Is the old George
Washington pew in Christ Church. Alexan-
dria, and the other the Lincoln pew in the
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church,
this city.
Still they remain. unchanged by the years
that have passed over them and visited each
year by hundreds of people whose admira-
ton and love for the great men who have
occupied them Is boundless.
The Washington pew, with high railing.
Evening star., 1905-07-30
RELIGIOUS NOTES


China. Japan and Assam, the frontier
fields Of the United States, were represent
ed by the speakers this week at Sylvan
Beach. N. Y, at the meeting Of the young
peoples missionary movement conference
in session there. DR.. A. L. Phillips Of Rich
mond. Va, led the discussion on the Sun
day school and missions at the institute
hour. Delegates representing Philadelphia.
Pittsburg, Minneapolis, Cleveland and other
cities are meeting daily. planning for i'm
portant missionary gatherings for young
people in those cities next winter.
The district conference Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South came to a close at
Keyser, w. Va, Thursday night last.
Petersburg. w. Va, chosen for the
place of next meeting of the conference.
Rev. A. NJ Cackley. w. E. Woolie. C. w.
Mark and w. N. Wagner were elected as IL
censing committee.
Jefferson B. Cuol, Emory w. Somerville
and John L. Thomas having passed an ap-
proved examination before the committee,
were licensed as local preachers Renewal
Of license to preach was granted to Mar
Gus A. Patrick. James w. Holiday. N. A.
Alkire. w. s. Beaver, Eli Powers, John D.
Saville, E. F. House and s. w. Anderson.
NC, Friday Judge Bryan heard argument
in a rather novel case. The defendant was
Thomas Hege, a Seventh-day Adventist
who had appealed from the mayors court
in a fine imposed upon Hege for persistent
ly keeping his store open and selling goods
on Sunday. The defendant employed coun-
sci, and after the latter's argument Hege
spoke for twenty minutes. giving brief
history of his own life and reading many
selections from the Bible. He contended
that the state and city laws in regard to
Sabbath observances are unconstitutional.
Judge Bryan sustained the judgment Of
the mayor, and the counsel for the Seventh
day Adventist gave notice of appeal to the
state supreme court. Hege announces that
he will take his case to the United Staten
Supreme Court If he loses in the lower
court. He proposes to serve out his sem
tence of sixty days in Jail imposed by the
mayor.
Evening star., 1905-07-30

state the men. the eaters OF meat and maxi
ers Of laws, legally allowed the butchers to
carry on their work in such a diseased and
disgusting manner that the health and
morals OF the whole people were affected.
One woman alone reformed and cleaned up
the whole abuse and made the slaughter
houses Of the state models OF hygfenic or
der and decency. Here is another Instance:
In a Michigan city, Kalamazoo. the women
grew tired Of hlthy streets and disregard
of law and they got permission to clean one
street for a while, on the same conditions
as the contractor had not cleaned 1t. They
did the work, forced slumbering ordi-
nances to wake up, demonstrated to the
city that cleanliness is as easy and ms
cheap filthiness. and now the men and
politicians of Kalamazoo say they have
learned the lesson and that they will carry
out the reform in all streets of the city. The
movement was instituted by Mrs. Caroline
Bartlett Crane. who also did such marvel
Gus work in the Michigan slaughter houses
There should be woman's civic club or
city Improvement league in every American
city and town.
Evening star., 1905-07-30
An Indian Legend.
I'm the Kansas City Journal


An Indian story that has been handed
down and Is still believed by many Indian
tribes ia one about the transformation Of
leaves into birds. Long years ago. when
the world was young, the Great Spirit went
about the earth making 1t beautiful. Wher-
ever his feet touched the ground lovely
trees and flowers sprang up. All summer
the trees wore their short green dresses.
The leaves were very happy and the sang
their sweet songs to the breeze as 1t passed
them. One day the wind told them the
time would soon come when they would
have to fall from the trees and die. THIS
made the leaves feel very bad. but they
tried to be bright and do the best they
could SO as not to make the mother trees
unhappy. But at last the time came and
they let go of the twigs and branches and
duttered to the ground. They lay perfectly
quiet, not able to move except as the wind
would lift them.
The Great Spirit saw them and thought
they were so lovely that he did not want
to see them die. but live and be beautiful
forever, 50 he gave to each bright leae
pair of wings and power to fly Then he
called them his birds" From the red and
brown leaves of the oak came the robins.
and yellow birds from the yellow willow
Evening star., 1905-07-30
Meaning Of Nature Study.
m National Ma us xina

The first necessity in nature study Is to
become acquainted with some locality-say
with farm. 1t does not matter how small,
how commonplace. how near the city-the
nearer the better. provided there are trees,
water. fences and some seclusion. II your
own cabin can be in the middle Of such a
spot--that Is ideal. For there Is no make
believe when you buy field or q piece of
woods and settle down there to stay. Ma
ture respects you. You have taken her
into your confidence. She will take you
into hers. and In the course of q few sea-
sons Qf you will limit the size of your gar
den) you will begin to discover what null
titude of interesting things come with the
place chat were not mentioned in the deed.
Owning a farm, of course, Is not neces-
sary. Sometimes / am quite convinced that
for pure and lasting JOY In nature one
should not possess acre. Once you have
looked upon land Of your own. once you
have trodden upon earth that belongs to
you, and all your Sundays will be spent
looking and walking there. The man in
the Scriptures who bought field and lost
his interest In other pleasant things had a
real case.
Evening star., 1905-07-30
The Ideal Teacher.


Before all other qualifications however,
the teachers character is the fundamental
requisite. That must be above reproach In
all things. Miltons words about the poetic
power are specially true in regard TO the
power to teach. He who would not bo
frustrate," said the great poet. "of his hope
to write well hereafter in laudable things,
must himself be a true poem" He who
would not be frustrate of his hope to teach
well at any time ought himself 10 be q lofty
exemplar of the virtues he would Impress
upon his pupils. The teacher who stands
before a class for hours every day ought to
exert greater influence even than the clergy.
man who speaks from the pulpit one day in
the week. and he ought at least to have an
equally lofty character, known and recoRs
nized by all men. The teacher who Il mas
ter of his subject. and who has this nobility
OF character, needs no help of artihces to
assist him in governing his pupils--hs haS
simply to be. and they obey.
Evening star., 1905-07-30

President Lincoln in the New York AvenuS
Presbyterian Church Is fair example.
When the interior OF this church was re-
modelled some years ago. light oak pews
were substituted for the dark walnut seats
of Lincoln,s time. but the Presidents pew
was retained. 1t now occupies its original
position, to the right OF the center aisle,
well up front, and the somber hues OF the
darker wood form striking contrast to
the light oak of the new pews.
In many of the old churches OF Virginia
may be found striking evidences OF the
back-cutting movement, whore the only
alteration made in the ancient seats was
the trimming off OF much OF the high back.
Washlngtons pew in Christ Church. Alexs
andra, Va, has undergone this alterations
This historical pew differs from the other
pews Of that interesting old church only
In size, the interior OF the church. after
several remodelings, having finally been re.
stored to practically It's original state.
After the close of the civil war inventive
genius began to assert itself, and when
the army Of inventors went prying into eva
cry nook searching for something to iu1r
prove some few turned to the church. But
here they found perfection in all save the
pews. The narrow bench seat with its
straight, stin back WAS not conducive TO
comfort, especially when the service was
long, so they gave US the more comfort.
able curved back and a little later, applied
the curve to the seat proper. The pew
door also received some attention. and sevs
Evening star., 1905-07-30

built on the old-fashioned box plan. has
often been described and is widely known
throughout the land. But the modest pew
in which Abraham Lincoln, the greatest Of
the martyr Presidents, worshiped is not so
often before the public One reason for this
is that the New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church is not open during the week to visi-
tors and those who wish to see the pew
must attend some regular service 1t is
easy to distinguish it; for although 1t is
near the middle of the church and is shaped
almost like the modern benches, 1t Is of
different colored wood The new pews are
of light wood, while it is made of dark wal
nut.
President Roosevelt and the late Secretary
John Hay paid their respects to the great
war President two years ago from this
very pew 1t was on the occasion OF the
Tooth anniversary celebration OF the church
and the President and his Secretary OF
State who years before had occupied that
pew as Lincoln's private secretary, sat side
by side In the Lincoln pew and addressed
large and distinguished audience from thelr
places, telling Of the greatness or Apraham
Lincoln and their admiration for him
The history and development OF the
church pew, bearing on the question of
DISPOSITION, is extremely interesting, espe-
cially to the layman, whose knowledge OF
1t is gained only by personal contact Its
exact origin is rather obscure, but In Its
DEVELOPMENT it has kept pace with the
wonderful progress Of the church itself.
In fact every phase Of church architecture
has been developed to nigh degree or
perfection, giving us beautiful interiors for
the magnificent exteriors of our religious
edifices.
Writers in the early part of the four
teenth century speak of the congregation
sitting on the ground, and In the early
days Of the Anglo-Saxon and some OF the
Norman churches a stone bench anorded
the only sitting accommodation for the
worshipers. A little later the people intro
duced low three-legged stools, which were
placed promiscuously in the church.
Church seats, pews as we know them,
came in fashion shortly after the Norman
conquest That church seats were in use
in England some time before the Reforma-
ton is proven by numerous examples ex-
tant, the carving or some OF which Is as
early as the decorate period, le., A. d:
14O0. and records as old as l45O speak OF
church seats 'pues.
The pews of that century were plain, nix
ed benches, all facing east, with partitions
of wainscoting about three feet high. After
the Reformation the pew began to under
go various changes of size and shape. The
first material departure, however, was not
made until the seventeenth century. when
the high pews, so high as to hide the oc-
cupant, came in vogue. probably under the
influence of the Purftans, who, ob1ectfng
to some parts of the service which they
were compelled to attend. sought means TO
conceal their non-conformity. 1t was In
this century that the hard seats and backs
were relieved by cushions and upholstery.
The next and final step in the evolution
Of the pew was the gradual cutting down
of the high backs, until we reached the
pew of the early part of the nineteenth
century. Of which the pew occupied by
Evening star., 1905-07-30

| eral substitutes In the shape of chains
and cords were introduced.
| One of the many difficult problems which
confronted the early American churches
was the disposition of pews. and this sa me
vexatious question, In somewhat modified
form, is now agitating the modern church.
Should the seats be thrown open free to
the public or should they be appropriated
to patrons each pew to he held by one
family to the exclusion of all except invited
guests? This was the ever-recurring queS-
ton in the early church, and. with "ap-
propriated" changed TO rented" the ques.
tion continues to bob up in our presents
day churches.
The question OF pew disposition was by
no means new with the old colonial
churches. In fact, the question came with
the first pews. some time before the
church officials. Recently the question has
aroused considerable discussion in the local
churches and many arguments, pro and
con, are being advanced.
The appropriate of pews began with
the early church in England, where they
We're assigned only to patrons Of tho
church. This practice resulted in many
disputes the trouble reaching such pros
portions that, in 1897, canon was made
at Exeter. which rebukes quarreling for
seat in church and DEGREES that none shall
claim a seat as his own except noblemeu
and the patrons. Later the system of ap-
preparation extended to other inhabi-
tants OF the parish but in such manner
as to work injury TO the poor and multi
pIy oiSIuteS. CHutr tne law OF peW0
in England all church seats at the dis-
posal of the bishop. who may assign them
either directly by faculty to the holders
OF any property in the parish. or through
the church wardens. whose duty II is to
seat the parishioners according to de-
gree In the former case the right
descends with the property. in the latter
the right can at any time be recalled.
In the area of parish churches in Scot.
land, parishioners have a preferable claim
to the pews. according to the valued
amount Of their rent. In the churches Of
other denomina tons the disposal of pewS
is a matter of private arrangement but
they are commonly let to defray expenses
In this country pews are the property OF
the church corporation, who can sell OF
lease them. and In some churches pews ara
a matter Of annual competition, bringing
large sums.
The question raised by the founding OF
the Free and Open Church Associa ton Id
1850, 1t would seem. was not the question
OF letting pews. but the appropriation OF
seats, while the question now being argued
Is simply the letting Of pews. It Is stated
pews are rented to dsfray expenses. and
great many of the larger churches in the
cities find 1t necessary to raise funds id
this manner while. on the other hand II IL
claimed that the small amount that can be
raised by renting pews can never compen-
safe for the injury caused by the air of ex,
clusiveness thrown about the church. By
that II the rich are not allowed to have
their own pews, from which they may exI
clude all others, they would build proprieS
tary chapels for themselves.