Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-14
SARAH d. LOWRIE,S
SATURDAY EVENING TALK
Religious Belief Quite We'll Expressed by Your Way Of
Liuing as by Your Pious " ords

0NE of the sick fancies Of a girl that
~ was with today was that she
could not express her religion. II
weighed upon her that when clever,
amusing things were said about the
Christian faith, as It Is somewhat ig-
norantly set forth by many Of us, She
rould only laugh Mt the funny things and
not say the right things
Il surely ought TO be able to express
my beliefs" was her tired, perpleNcd
comment.
As matter OF fact. she does express
her beliefs in many daily acts of life,
very much moe difficult way Of re-
citing a creed than to pattern IL of
in a pew. There was time when
to recite even the Apostles Greed took
such courage and devotion and such
. sense Of truth that those who stood
iinafraid and said II aloud were ex-
pressing their religion by great and
living gesture.
r WAS thinking the other day at a
4 large family christening party at
which ! was n guest and an observer
how the spotligh changes on religion
from generation TO generation, and how
now this truth is made important and
now that, and how what one would
call Christian life for one quarter OF
a century would be very inadequate and
even little futile for the next.
The baby that was to be Christened
had the Ccloring and the contours of
her mother and Of her grandmother in
miniature. but with variations that
would make her as different from them
ss they were from each other. and
those little differences Of appearance
were not more vital than we're the
differences in disposition, no doubt. And
though the words Of the christening
service were the same back. back as
far as the days of st. Augustine and
st. Patrick. those of us who stood by
snd listened TO them and the godparents
that assented to them heard them diff
fcrently from the group that had stood
by and listened when the babvs mother
had been baptized, or when the baby's
grandparents had been sprinkled with
water and blessed by the church.
Tn POINT of manners and customs
J. from the grandmother baby days
TO this there is almost a new civiliZa-
ton. was a very small child. but
can remember the furry in the house
getting ready for that baptism. There
was u cold collation--that is. party
food with n great variety of cake and
creams: there was much dressing up
of staid and dignified kind there was
n pleasant. hearty hutter Of receiving
guests; and there was tremendous
preparation of the baby in long and
embroidered dress and elaborate knitted
and silk coverings. There was a great
tableau of cXpcctant onlookers NJ ono
side Of the long room. and there was
a specially polished silver bowl selected
fAu e. nRtn Il, :,
had other uses in the dining room on
other days. and. lastly. there was the
entrance of the baby. and presently the
crying OF the baby. tired from It's clab-
crate toilet and frightened by the many
faces and the lights and the unwonted
hour for being out Of the nurSery-in-
deed out of its cradle.
Presently its crying became convul.
sive bowling, and the officiating clergy
man had to raise his voice to be heard.
The words and the acts of the service
were blended with the screams and
souirms Of thoroughly frightened and
tired infant. But the grave words ana
prlestly gestures continued and the
ceremony was over and the witnesses
came up to congratulate and admire and
the cold collation. was served and every
thing was carried out to the letter as
was planned days beforehand
T,HE baptism of the other day hap
4 pened in the midst of great Christ
mas house party. The dean of near
by cathedral was summoned few hours
before with casual cordiality to oficiate
Most of the guests. with the grand
parents among them, were playing
hockey until within few minutes of
the hour set by the clergyman for turn
ing up after a late afternoon choral
service in town. There was coasting
as well as skating that afternoon. and
the parents OF the baby went hitching
with others Of their age through all the
adjoining country places. There was
afternoon tea as usual and as the out
of-doors crowd Of kinsfolk and friends
came in to the house there was a big
fire on the great hearth, and tea nearby.
and then somewhat belated the dean
appeared. Then red checked and smiI-
ing from long rest out of doors in her
coech-the baby.
Every one was quiet on n sudden and
-. Al ,