Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-03-09
A Sermon

the cnurcn portal.
The choir was just singing the
Kyrie Elesion. An usher led us
about half way up the church
aisle.
1t was the first time I had been
in church since I had come to Los
Angeles, and as / sank on my
knees l found my thoughts going
back to the dear old church at
home, where my family, for gen.
erations, had been christened and
married and buried. In memory,
l saw my grandfather stalking up
to his great square pew and Aunt
Virginia following meekly behind.
My lips parted in an involun-
tary smile-the contrast of my
life in the old town, which was
named for my ancestors, and my
life in Moveland always strikes
my sense of humor.
My thoughts went straying. l
wondered If grandfather would
come to my wedding If I was de-
termined to marry Theo back
home in the little church. Per-
haps grandfather would object to
play-actors being married in "his"
church.
Theo! What did such a won
derful man find in me? Again I
thought Of all his face had said
as he told me he loved me. The
words OF the picture play, which
he spoke in my ear, were not:
."Child, love you." but "Child,
is it possible that you love me?"
He had to say the words ana
play the part the author and d1-
rector had given him, but his eyes
of love spoke to my heart. l knew
that when l next saw him ne
would explain why he had treat
ed me coldly at the end OF the
day on "the lot"
I raised my face to the pulpit
which John Storm was just enter
ing.
There was a little movement be-
side me. looked around at Kit
ty. She was oblivious OF the
world. For her there was no one
in the church but the man up
there in the pulpit and she her-
self down here in the pew, look
ing at him with the worshipp1ng
face of the devotee at a shrine.
John Storm preached a sermon
on moving picture censorship and
moving picture people. A queer
text for a sermon? All, no-not
as John Storm used it. Carefully
he described the studio and the
picture which he had seen prepar-
ed in the past few days. He told
of the crowds Of people, young ana
old, who were earning a livelihood
at the place and he described the
lot" as a miniature world where
all sorts and kinds of men and Wo-
men gathered and were thrown in
to the melting pot of emotion.
wished that all the moving
picture people could have heard
him. As 1t was l knew he
brought great comfort to one girl
who listened-and great healing
to the heart of another who had
known all the bitterness that life
could hold.
my friends" he remarked
among other things, 1--WE hear
much about immortality of the peo-
pie who work in pictures. We do
not seem to take into considera-
tion the fact that among the thous
ands who are concerned In the
fourth greatest industry In Amer
lea, there are bound to be the
good, the bad, the Indifferent.
But we must not judge them all
by the comparative few who are
always in the lime light with
their escapades.
THE girls of the movies have
many temptations that do not
come to your daughters, protect
ed by your care and the four walls
of your home. They are, however
temptations that come to every
girl who works out in the world.
"Only the grace of God, my
friends, makes you and me dif-
ferent from those who succumb.
In the secret heart of everyone OF
us there are weaknesses and pas
sions that only by Gods help we
can overcome. And 1t has always
seemed to me that Our Lord
meant to embrace the uncharit-
ableness of the whole world when
He said: He that is without sin.
among you, cast the first stone.
felt the soft impact of Kit
tvs body against me. Her hand
slipped into mine, and a tear
dropped on it as I clasped her
timidly, trembling fingers.
Mechanically I heard the re-
mainder of the sermon, but
caught its import by the spasmod-
ic opening and closing of Kittys
hand against mine.
After the service, dear, moth
erly woman came up to Kitty and
me and said she was Mrs. Ten
nant. wife of one of the vestry-
men and that she and her husband
we're going over with us to din
ner with John Storm.
"Rev. Storm has explained to
us that you are without relatives
or intimate friends in Los An
geles and we very gladly offered |