The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-07-11

ton and a lack Of outlet that caus-
ed him to be always under tension.
I think another reason why the
solitary farmer was a passionate man
was the fact that he practlced a
good many trades. After he has gone
a-hunting. he has to prepare hide
aud turn around and buy or sell, or
make hat or repair a roof. In
other words, he practices dozen
trades, and between one trade and
another there is a kind Of laziness
aud a languor that comes over him.
/ | used TO make my friends In New
York angry by saying that the reason
that my ancestors used whiskey was
because they had that languor be-
tween occupations.
| In any case, the religion of soil
/ tary farmer was made up OF personal
salvation, passion and emotion. lie
believed In revivalism and nothing
else.
Now there was in about 1880 a
great revival of religion over this
whole country just such as we are
having nova change OF mems minds
and the old-fashloned churches did
not do. There was new kind of
church that was coming then. The
solitary days were over. and when
the great preachers to individual
souls passed out new conception
OF religion came in. Now that change
vas a great change.
Now country people did not think
Of first that the young peoples so
cieties and mems brotherhoods and
gymnastics and district nurses were
Christian. Whereas the man who
goes to church where he rents his
pew and gives his money TO foreign
missions and hears a sermon preached
without notes is probably not in the
church with the solitary farmer.
heard story about Bishop Hartley.
lie preached In Kentucky and went
hunting, and as he was shooting at
good duck he came In contact with
a good old six foot mountaineer. And
the countryman noticed that the
townsman could shoot lots OF birds.
And they exchanged experiences and
rassed the day together. Each man
respected the other mans prowess
with the gun. And when they parted
they shook hands and the. country
man asked. Where do you live
I'm preacher. from Louisville.
We'll, you amt no preacher Ike
down this way" Then the preacher
wrote down something on card and
said. This will put you In my seat
in the church" The next Sunday the
tall man was in the bishops pew.
and after church the bishop got rid
OF his vestments as quickly as he
could and got down and took the
stranger by the hand and they looked
into each others faces. And the Epis-
copalian bishop said, II was glad To
have you come in and worship God
with US today. Hope you enjoyed
the worship" And the countryman
looked at him a moment and said.
Well no. Mr.. Hartley. have done
the best l could to keep up with
you, but to the best OF my think
ing you was cut out for a shooter"
You see the point. don't you. that
ha didn't consider that religion could
be expressed in those forms and litur-
giles. In sitting and standing and IN
robes and vestments. They were not
to him religion. Now that is a good
deal the way It is with the country
church.
The second kind Of farmer was
very different from the solitary farm
or because as the country settled Up
he had his family about him. Hs
had a hired man. and his wife's peo-
pie and a hired girl sometimes and a
maiden aunt lived with him. This
man had also neighbors. and his
neighbors' land bordered upon his
own. There was neighborly inter-
course. You had what want 10
call Household farmer. The house
hold farmer had a church like unto
himself. II was very different from
the first. He owned a pew in the
church. where he always sat with
his family. The minister sometimes
read his sermon. lie was a learned
preacher. The church had prayer
meeting. 1t had. finally. about the
end OF the period OF the household
farmer. about 1890. a young peoples
society OF Christian Endeayor. The
church was made up of a group OF
households. working and living to
gether. Now these people didn't care
anything about their neighbors who
went to another church. And did
not care about how many churches
there were because the family was
the great thing in the churches Of
tha communitv