Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-29

ness. He had his choice between seeing
the church slowly die Of inanition or OF
getting in touch with the times and giving
the services that element of amusement
which the modern idea seems to demand.
He has succeeded to a degree that justffies
the experiment. No one drinks out of the
wine glasses to which reference was made
in an earlier paragraph.
In fact, there is never anything in them
not even water. They form musical in
strument, the equipment of Mr.. Charles
Void, genius, who can draw most beau
tifu melodies from these carefully toned
and graduated glasses.
Mr.. Void has become immensely popu-
lar with the congregation of the Central
Baptist Church, and an announcement that
as preliminary to the sermon he Will
execute a number of sacred melodies Is al
ways sufficient to secure crowded audi
forum.
Conservative Members Moved.
Such numbers as the prayer from
"Cavalleria Rusticana," the "Pilgrim's
Chorus" from Tannhauser; Lead, Kindly
Light" Nearer, My God, to Thee" and
THE Lost Chord" are deemed by the pas
tor to be eminently suited to the purpose of
a religious service, and even the most con-
servative of his parishioners, who first felt
some misgivings. have freely admitted
thereafter that the sweet notes from the
glasses brought no Earring offense into the
service.
Another novelty for a Sunday evening
was the appearance of Miss Ethel Palmer
She IS a most accomplished whistler, one
of the Mrs. Shaw type, who can trill and
do the most phenomenal things with her
puckered lips. She was just as careful IN
picking her numbers as Mr.. Void had been.
and had the dual satisfaction of giving de-
light to the congregation and escaping all
criticism.
Elizabeth Barrie de Gill, singer and
elocutionst, was another of the Sunday
night entertainers
There is nothing of the sensationalist
about the pastor of the church. who has
introduced these radical changes in the
method of worship He Is deep student,
a serious, earnest man, who gained DIS
tinction at college, and has since taken
high rank not only for his learning, but
for the help he has given in the practical
philanthropy of the metropolis.
When Not Necessary.
In his other churches he had no re-
course to such aids to religion for the
reason that they were not necessary. AS
pastor of the Spruce Street Baptist Church
in Philadelphia he was notably conserva-
tive for the reason that he had an estab-
lished old-fas honed congregation that at
tended church without urging.
The case was not the same at the Cen
trail Baptist Church in New York
Those who had worshiped there in in
fancy had become widely scattered in New
Jersey, Brooklyn, Jersey City and the
Bronx by those gradual changes in To-
cality that have in two decades utterly
altered the character of this neighborhood.
Many of these former members remained
loyal to the old church even after moving
away, and We're willing to make the every
Sunday journey provided means could
be found of keeping the church alive
This was the proposition presented to
DR. Goodchild. If the church passed out
of existence many of those whose religious
life was more or less bound up with 1t
might not readily form the habit of going