The sun., 1908-04-26
PRESIDENT As 4 CHURCHGOUR
MS DEVOTIONS AROUSE TIE
INTEREST or SIGHTSEERS.
m. Roosevelt q DRAWING Card for Tive
ChurChes-The crowd, Its Arrival
and His Behavior During the Services
Rush BACK 10 tho white House


Rush BACK TO tho white House.
WASHINGTON, April rs, The President s
not only good ohurohgoer himself but
deserves the thanks OF al least two Wash
ipgton preachers for his aid in boosting
thc size Of their congregations.
With his prediction for having svery-
thing in sight reformed II 10 no more than
natural perhaps that his church also should
lear tie magic label Itia Grace Reformed,
rather small. graystone building on
Fifteenth street, not quite mile from the
White Hoase.
Grlra Reformed Is not fashionable
church, The congregation Is upnssuming
IN appearance and would be docidsdly
taodsot IN size IL It we're not for the Prssl-
dent he hlls certainly two-thirds Of the
revs So far rs audiences go the preacher
mas aa 30 look for lean yolrs after March
Llo0
While the President flls dozens Of the
gevs by the mere fact Of his expected
presence he occupies his own seat In soil
ay grandeur Once in a while no goes
with hIs vito and family 10 st. Johns, but
'heY don't seem Inclined to reoiprocate the
gttenuon st. Johns rejoices in the local
'.te Of the church Of state, and always
reserves n Pew fer the PRECEDENT Of the
United statcs. though Il had not boon in
demand for p good many years when Mrs
Roosevelt becrme tho Lady Of the White
House
Whether le goes 70 his own church or
NOT, no one but Theodore Roosey elt unless
.t IS eoma friend or guest accompanying
him. which rarely harPcrs, Ia ever seated
10 the Presidents pew at Grace Reformed
Two secret Service men always accompany
him, tI. dorot sit with him,
F,o-~ sunday morning ga early as 10
ocloca the sightscers begin TO gather
To- front oi tho gray building In Fifteenth
E~oc' Most OF them are tourists whose
only chlncc 70 gee the President 10 to catch
lin church ard who are willing to wait
IN hoo. outside if nocd bc ard to spend
another hour and more inside for the poe
,t'e rri,iege Of clim0ee Cf the man
.cr rln ToddY."
n, aa~ton is rcsted on the STEPS and
'rws no crowd into a double line which
o.,oa roactc, to the fatterirS length Of
q t'Md~l yards or more boforo the doors
7re one7ei II is lucky for the multitude
'ha' the Cresidcnt's church is not an other
r.s popular one, " it were crowded by its
owe members, outsiders would have To sub
ltro thai Period Of painful suspense and
vang until after the singing Of the first
.rmn' that regulation familiar TO the
hJrn tramp.
- Grace reformed the doors are opened
''S before 1890 aad people are admitted
With t0o a5monition; Just go up to tho
.-.-r". they're the best seats OF course
's' uolns tho hcet seats for getting a view
~ 'ts presi!oat
l. .s,~Iy accepted that the multitude is
no' alan6i7g in liac because Of consuming
a."e 10 hca- the Gospel as II is expounded
DO ,raon Raformet Church. Even the
~vcacr can cherish no illusions on that
rn.,i when people who have fought the
noyd ana vhCoilel the ushcrs into giving
's'.n iror, scat calmly and conspicuously
.o' up and walk out when. the service
12v,ng proceeded for fifteen minutes. II
1,t1nos eYidcnt that the President won't
70 tqe,e,
They mako a mistake to wait so long. The
'~,5.5eAt does not straggle in fifteen minutes
..a On the other hand he doesn't waste
ar;er Of an hour by getting there fifteen
1,1uta5 too soon.
IN fact the gallery, tired Of craning its
no,l at every person who goes up the aisle
''ov ha' already begun openly and mourn
.s.Iv to declare thst he isn't coming at all,
"he7 acre il a sudden shock Of expectancy.
Iyaa before the rapid strides Of the four
en- Who have just entered have brought
'l'n into view of the gallery, those up
.airs have whispered Here he is,
Tho four non are the usher, the President,
'I 'ho two Secret Service men, II Ia
.m-f.o1 whether the usEer could keep
Ip jrst cdit very long, but he does nobly
10 Tho shor; distance between the door
'aitae second left hand pew from the front,
.I't being the Roosevelt seat,
O-o Of the Secret Service men quietly
va into t5n end Of a pew across tho aisle
'ai 5NoGt Eve rows back of the President.
TIE o'her takes an end scat across the
.Sl, several rows further back.
Tie frs thing the President does is to
~ his head briefly in an attitude Of prayer.
inon he leans forward and speaks to a
middle agad woman end young boy who
generally occupy the seat in front Of him.
da talks with them two or three minutes
'hc he pulls on his gloves and slows them
"av IN his sin; hat.
Itea he pets his big gilt edged prayer
".k from the rack and finds the place. He
d 'cady :or business; and so accurately
'p-s ho timN his arrival that the service is
.''t.S ime beginning.
Probably during tho ninety minutes
'Hlcn follow he gives the nearest imitation
absolute repose Of which he is capable
20 Ills waking hours He does pretty well.
-s!tori1g his temperament and the fact
o. several hundred human beings are con-
"n'rt.ng their attention on the hack Of
head
II no makes n move II is followed with
" kecnest interest by scores Of eyes. II
scratches the back OF his head, II he
.noo.ns his hair IL he adjusts his eyeglasses
nero Is q rustic Of attention. II 10 enough
u make q stone image wriggle
somewhat TO the disappointed surprise
10 o,seryers the President does not
'r.r'.n Ec's not absolutely quiet. but
. gu" for him!
Nac1 hc siugs-oh. he sings!-he doesn't
n a' nc book ten notes In succession.
20 far as MA glance and the page are con-
'"'roi its a chronic case Of on again Oh
gain.
Apparently he never bows his head for