Evening journal., 1913-08-20


l saw a placard on the door giving
notice that the Sunday school would
meet at $50 a. m. and the usual Sun
day service would be held at II a. N.
On that particular Sunday / attended
another church.
For Uncovered Heads.
Rehoboth, in name and history, is so
Intimately connected with religious as
piration and progress that it is diff
cult to drop the subject. All Saints
Episcopal Church building on Balti-
more avenue, is tasteful in design and
Furnishings. just such a chapel as you
might expect to find at the seaside.
The legend above the arch in the
rear of the altar is in keeping with
the place:
Even the winds and the sea obey
Him.
was surprised to find quite
good congregation in attendance.
probably rs or so devout people
doubtless born Episcopalians, who
knew the service, and were entirely
az home, although most of them must
nave been temporary sojourners.
There was printed notice on the
door If the main entrance which /
took the trouble to copy
1t is earnestly requested that
women will not enter this church
with uncovered heads"
This notice is signed by Rev. e. II.
J. Andrews. priest-in-charge. a
young Marylander, who is supposed
to be a high churchman: and ON
first impression / imagined that it
was simply protest against levity,
or irreverent conduct on the part of
young people. But I was subsequent
ly told 1t embodies a rule of the
Episcopal church and that this
notice proceeded directly from the
Bishop of Delaware. If this be the
fact it is probably a survival of the
orientalism that clung to St Paul.
even after the Heavenly vision" had
cleared away the superstitions and
misconceptions which were a part
Of his Jewish birthright. With re-
gard to the subsection of women he
retained the Oriental theory to the
end.
When on my way to morning SER
vice az All Saints I met groups of
young women and girls on the Board
less, without exception, entirely un-
conscious of any impropriety in the
prevailing fashions which they we're
bound to follow, and wholly indif-
ferent as to what ST. Paul said upon
the subject of women's demeanor in
church. Some of them had their pet
dogs in leash, and it was quite evil
dent that they were not on their way
to a house of worship Many of them
attended a service in the evening,
however. conducted without the least
regard 10 the Oriental cult. and over
which the Bishop of Delaware had
no jurisdiction.
The new pavilion in front Of the
Belhaven Hotel, reaching out to the
high-tide line, had Just been com
pleted and furnished with seats. A
cabinet organ was brought from a
neighboring cottage, and as night
came on the place was crowded with
people. who knew that there was to
be a religious service, and others who
came in from the Boardwalk. at
tracted by the singing of the hatless
choir
Weird and Impressive.
There was something weird, as
we'll as impressive. in the scene. A
dark cloud hung over the ocean,
which the pious imagination might
have likened TO the veil of the Tenn
pie, behind which the Divine Pre-
sence dwelt; the receding tide Tapped
the shore, as if reluctant to abandon
the conquest of the land-and over
all there seemed to hang the mystery
of the unknown
The uncovered heads" largely pre-
both in the pavilion and |
in the overflow on the Boardwalk. |
which was continually augmented by |
promenaders, who stopped to take in |
the scene, and passed on when their /
had been satisfied. The /
singing was inspiring. l was not |
close enough to hear the sermon. The I
whole service was in marked contrast I
with that which I had witnessed in /
the morning. and was more in accord |
with the spirit of the age and the i
tendency to break away from tradi- /
tional forms and ceremonies, and yet /
a great deal can be said in favor of I
an ecclesiastical system which. I
all the ages. has preserved +
the solemnity and dignity of divine
worship.