Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-21
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GOING TO CHURCH IN NEW YORK


went to my younger friends church
yesterday-one of the very SWEETEST
and finest in New York City. 1t is
located on Fifth avenue and is an Epls-
copaI church. 1t has choir boys, and
the ministers wear robes. The pastor,
or dean as he is called here, is chaplain
to a New York regiment, now stationed
at Spartanburg, S. c. He came back
for what he supposed would be his fare
we'll sermon. although he said he had,
within eleven months, preached two
other sermons which he then believed
would be his farewell sermons It is
now thought that American troops will
go over in great numbers, as the allies
are under heavy strain and the kaiser
is throwing new divisions of his troops
against them.
The sermon was essentially a war
sermon. The choir boys carried a
United States flag as they made their
march soon after the service began,
singing a hymn that l never heard be-
fore, but is manifestly very popular at
this time. It is called Hymn for the
Men at the Front" 1t is fine and well
worth repeating in our southern
churches. The music was simply
superb, the best I ever heard in an
Episcopal church-and the Episcopals
are great on fine music. Those boys
clear soprano voices were charming
There were six grown men, who sang
with the choir boys, and their bass
voices and tenor strains were excellent
As we all know, the Episcopals join
in the service with their prayer books,
and they sing their "Holys" and
"Amens," aided by the organ and choir
boys. 1t was a solemn service, and 1
brought away with me a copy of the
"A 1T ha =
cause it was so timely and such a noble
petition to the Lord God of Hosts. As
1 see it, we must lean upon the Lord
In this time of great confusion and
bloody sacrifice for American ideals of
democracy to save the wrold
Near the close of the exercises the
large congregation rose and joined heart
lily in singing Mrs. Julia Ward Howes
Battle hymn of the Republic" I met
Mos. Howe in Atlanta during the Cotton
States and International exposition, in
1895. She was then frail in body, but
! bright in intellect AS we were singing
this noble poem yesterday, 1 wondered
in my mind if the dead know what
is going on down here with the liv-
| ing. If Mrs. Howe could understand
how famous her battle hymn has grown
to be in every Sundays exercises, near
ly all over this great country, it must
truly a wonderful piece of writing-and
will live for centuries in connection
with the present war era.
1t was not popular with the southern
! people for many, many years, because
! Mrs. Howe was in sympathy with the
union people of the fateful sixties, but
the change of a few words would take
away from southerners all bitterness
as to the Civil war poetry.
am not enough of an artist to tell
you OF the magnificent window cpl
| taphs, and I did not attempt to get a
near view, but the Church of the Heav-
| emily Rest has, for long time, been the
place of worship for many of New
! Yorks very distinguished citizens. 1t
! is a very wealthy church, of course.
Before 1 go home / Will try to see the
| Cathedral of st. John the Divine-per-
! haps the most splendid of New York S
| Episcopal churches. I aim to find out,
also, some of the churches Of other de-
nominations.