The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-11-30
CHILDREN ONLY
IN THIS CHAPEL
BOStOn's Church For the
Youngsters Is Unique.
WAS FOUNDED rs YEARS AGO

Named For Rev. Charles r. Barnard, a
Unitarian Minister, Whose Power Of
Interesting Juveniles and Establish
ing Dancing Glasses Won Him Steady
and Loyal Following.
The Barnard Memorial chapel on
Warrenton street, In Boston's south
end. is unique. 1t is and always has
been distinctively a children's church.
There the service is carefully planned
to meet the tastes and limitations of
children. And the little ones take
their parents to the meetings instead
of the other way round.
This church was founded three quar-
ters Of a century ago by Charles f.
Barnard. a Unitarian minister. who
had Oliver Wendell Holmes for
classmate in Harvard. At that time
Mr.. Barnard had a class in the Hollis
street church, over which Rev. John
Pierpont- grandfather of j. Pierpont
Morgan. presided The agreement was
that Mr.. Barnard should hold a spe-
cial service for children in the vestry
and that they must afterward attend
the regular service in the church. To
this end they were assigned quarters
in the gallery, but ii was complained
that the tattoo of their heels on the
pew board seriously disturbed the vor-
shippers.
Mr.. Barnard, however, felt that this
tattooing Of the heels was nothing
more or less than the revolt of child
nature against the preaching for adults
to which the little enes were being
made to listen, and he resolved to
work out a nonsectarian form of serv-
ice which would interest children. This
idea took shape in service held in a
hall over an old engine house, to which
children went in large numbers from
the first Ere long the ministers of
neighboring churches began to grow
so Jealous of this that they made Bar
nard promise that no child whose par
ents belonged to another church should
attend his services without written
consent Mr. Barnard agreed to this,
but his congregation kept on growing
just the same.
Boys Hearts Won.
Instead of handing tract or preach
ing sermon to a group Of lads pitch
ing coppers at q street corner he would
stand by for awhile, manifest q thor
oughly human interest in the game and
then by degrees would ask them wheth-
er they had ever seen the old elm in
Cambridge under which Washington
first drew his sword. or If he and they
had got to the point of talking about
books he would dilate with rapture on
the pleasure TO be derived from 1.-The
Arabian Nights"
Thus step by step he would draw his
hearers on to ask about his chapel,
where there were nice books TO read
and from which many a merry party
went out TO gather chestnuts in the
fall or to sail down the harbor in the
summer. The talk would end with an
invitation to the lads TO come around
next Sunday and see for themselves
how they liked the place.
Mr.. Barnard believed that the child
who is taught dancing has been given
grace of department and an instinct
for fine manners which he could have
gained in no other way. In this con-
viction he was so far in advance of his
time that the clergy regarded him with
horror and pious folk derisively dubbed
him ''the dancing parson."
The things which children were not
then taught in the public schools
dressmaking. music and the like-were.
besides dancing. features from the be-
ginning Of the chapels curriculum.
And, like the clever settlement leaders
of the present time. Mr.. Barnard inter
ested uptown" folks TO come and lead
his classes.
A dignifed building In which these
classes should be held was the next
step. 1t was duly taken, and the cor
nerstone of the chapel-which still
stands on Warrenton street, Boston
primarily for children" being a part
of its inscription. For the first service
in the new building 730 children were
on hand.
Simple Service In Secret.
The Rev. B. f. McDaniels, the pres
ent superintendent, carries on the work
in the spirit of Mr.. Barnard. The
8 o'clock every Sunday afternoon
throughout the year is one which con-
tains much of suggestion for those who
would like TO attract more children to
their meetings.
1t starts just after the close of the
chapel Sunday school, which is not
dismissed. Instead the children In
the Sunday school form themselves
into a procession and march upstairs
TO the church part Of the building,
singing Justify Onward, Christian
Soldiers" or some such inspiring hymn.
Then comes the recitation In uni
son OF the declaration Of faith used in
Unitarian churches. This is followed
by an anthem and responsive Scrip
tural reading Everything is very brief.
The Scripture reading lasts only a