Evening star., 1925-05-26
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. G.. NJ.
THE LITTLE CHURCH AROUND
THE CORNER. BY George Mac

THE LITTLE CHURCH AROUND
THE CORNER. BY George Mac
Adam: G.. p. Putnam's Sons.
London. Venice, Rome, each has It's
famous church-St. Pauls, st. Marks,
St. Peters. Historic monuments,
these three, to the power and glory
of the Christian religion, splendid
temples set up to the worship of the
true Friend of him even who can
claim no other friend on earth. Man
haitian, too, has its famous church.
A little house sitting close to the
ground. like a brooding bird upon its
nest the walls of which are the sur
rounding sky scrapers of the business
heart of the metropolis. BY baptism
and christening this is the Church of
the TRANSPORTATION, name long since
laid aside for the filter one by which
1t Is known the world over, The
Little Church Around the Corner"
There has been much talk OF late,
on this side and on that, about that
little shrine hemmed in and obscured
by the midcity traffic. Let us" say
those on the one hand, tear 1t down
and build bigger. Let us rival the
heights around it in temple which
from ground to oVertopping summit
shall be consecrated to the useful
service of mankind. to the needy in
heart or body or soul" No" say
the others, "let il stand as 1t is. the
embodied Righteousness of two men.
No structure by other hands, be 1t
never 80 imposing, never so compact
Of high design and rich fulfillment,
could reach into the heart of the
world as does this little church whose
every plank and stone is an answered
prayer in behalf of needy man, or
animal, or cause" Moreover, say
these, "the spot is an oasis of calm in
the stormy life around 1t. A wayside
seat invites to rest, a fountain offers
welcome. Birds sing upon the door
sills of their own little houses within
it's close. Grass grows there and
flowers bloom and trees bless the
passer-by. 1t is a balm in Gilead, this
sanctuary within the city gates. Let
it be as it is"
The immediate source of Mr.. Mac
Adams narrative is an old fashioned
black valise. rusty and loose -jointed,
bursting with a miscellany of letters,
memoranda, notes. press clippings.
This motley of material set in an or
dered relation becomes the story of
the Houghtons, uncle and nephew,
the story also of the little church
around the corner of which these
two were both inspiration and sub
stance from its beginnings in the
back room of neighbor's house on
to its lasting prime of a distinct and
unique usefulness.
x
Curious but characteristic features
mark the career of this institution.
From the first it has been a home
for the friendless-the lone dog, the
homeless man. Sanctuary for hun
dreds of bounded black men In the
three day race riots of Civil War time,
station of the underground rail
road along which the negroes fed
Northward for safety.
An interesting circumstance, the
one which gave the little church its
permanent name. In those days the
stage stood as the front door of hell
itself. Actors were lost men and
women crowding upon these portals
of perdition. Then. one day. George
Holland, laugh-maker for two CONT
nents, died and the brotherhood Of the
craft sought a well known divine TO
give the kindly comedian respectable
passage to the tomb. And the man of
the pulpit said, in effect, that he could
not officiate even at the grave for one
of the damned profession, adding,
however, There is little church
around the corner where / under
stand they do this sort Of thing" At
that instant the little church" was
rebaptized in the name by which 1t
has ever since been known. The
newspapers of the country fred the
matter to a huge blaze. Actors all
over the world fiocked around the
new friend. And since that day IA
nous people and lowly people alike
have proved it a refuge. All have in
an assurance of certainty counted
upon this little friend Of all the world.
Its windows are memorials to one
and another whom we all know
Mansfield, Booth, Montague. Its
nave has time and again filled for the
burial service or the marriage cere-
| mony of one and another of the
friendly craft, for hosts of unsung
men and women as well.
A beautiful story. the one that
| George MacAdam has woven out OF
the contents of that old valise. A
pictured story-portraits, photographs.
facsimiles of this and that going
along with it. First and foremost, is
| this a record of fact. But greatly
more is it the rare story Of kindness
embodied in the essence Of just two
men who wrought miracles of we'll
being and happiness in the midst Of
the rushing tides Of a great city'S
pre-occupations and forgettings.
=