The Washington times., 1906-07-01
DEAF MUTEs AT WORSHIP.
Nearer. my God. TO Thee,
Nearer TO Thee

Nearer to Thee
sang the nimb!e fings : of Ave young
women in choir yestments. leading the
hearts and hands Of a churchful OF
people in their praises 70 God M sound
/ Of organ or tunefuI melody OF voice
wGs heard A hush filed the church.
as each member Of the congregation at
tentively followed the hymn 20 the
close
Attention is the keynote Of a service
conducted by deaf mutes. Eyes arc
fixed on the choir or on the preacher
throughout the entire hour To pause
in ones gaze is 10 be lost. indeed. Even
in prayer. although the knee is bent the
head may not be bowed. for all unity
OF service depends on watching the ges-
lures OF the leader.
The order of exercises IN St AIMS
Church for Deaf Mutes. IN l4Sth street.
west Of Amsterdam avenue. is followed
generally IN all Episcopal churches.
Hymns are sung. prayers are repeated.
Commandments and Apostles Greed re-
cited. lessons read, and the sermon
preached. all by flying fingers. hands
ccasless in activity and endless in sig
nificance.
The church is like other churches IN
appearance. but for the noticeable alb
sence Of musical Instruments. and the
inscriptions on either side of the altar.
The ears OF the deaf shall be I'M
stopped, The tongues OF the dumb
shall sing
The congregation is ike other cougre-
cations in appearance. except for the
atmosphere of unusual cheerfulneSs and
degree OF infOrmaltty- one OF the
advantages these people enjoy is the
ability 10 carry on conversation at long
range.
Greetings are exchanged. inquiries as
TO health. and remarks as 10 the weather
are made. compliments are bestowed
and acknowledged. and lively dialogues
go on all over the church at once be
no a 10
prOpTiety and devotion, The visitor is
instantly impressed with the spirit of
cheerfulness characteriZing the assem-
biz.
In reply to the question. Are deaf
mUtes habitually sad2' one Of their own
number answered: Very much the
are like this (pulling his face down
long,, and sometimes like this" CbrOad-
entng 1t out into wide grim. The i'm
preston made on the observer is that
Jolly.
He is very much the same as other
people in relisious matters. and a -ord-
ing to these who should be autT ority.
not more or less devout by nature than
his hearing brother.
The Church Of St Ann is the only
church for deaf mutes in New York
city. and its Sunday afternoon congre-
gatiCn OF several hundred IS composed
of people who come from all parts of
the city and its suburbs
At the New York Institution for the
instruction OF the Deaf and Dunno. II
Broadway and 163d street. services TN
deROminatiOnal in character are held for
the pupils in the chapel every Sunday
morning Even more peculiar than the
church congregation is the one which
gathers here PrOtestants. Roman Cath
OliCs. and Jews all come together
The boys in their gray military uni
forms form in line In the hal below
and march to the SOun OF drum fife
and bugle 10 the chapel. filing in and
being seated by military orders. The
girls with less ceremony. are led bV
classes to seats on the other side or
the room.
Services here follow along the us:iar
order. At signal. the school rises AMI
repeats audiblv the Lords PRAYER
Three or four hundred voices. in the
peculiar monotone of the deaf who have
been trained to speak. utter the words
of the petition of which they themselves
can hear no syllable
Five young girls lead The school In
singing by sign language. The instruc-
tor then conducts cateC liSm of some
kind probably the Ten Commandments
as hands are raised in response all over
the hall and one answer after another
is given by the little hands
The sermon IS preached by one of the
professors who uses the sign language
or possibly by DIR. Charles A StoddarC
president of the board of directors. who
is welcomed occasionally for n sermon
by an instructor. The school sings the
''DOxolOgy. receives the benediction
and files out. class by class
The same spirit Of cheer prevades the
services here as noticed in the church
New York Sun.