Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29

modern Christian faith and experience" In the
book will be found, state the editors. hymns of
Christian unity. of modern social motive and
OF the inner life. Hymns of many creedS in
terpreting, however, but one faith"
swift glance at its pages shows that in
cluded In the large list of religious songs are
such we'll known, well loved and well aged ones
as The Spacious Firmament on High" by
Haydn. 1875; Dykes "Hark, Hank, My Soul"
1865 Sherwins Day Is Dying in the West"
1877. and Hank, the Herald Angels Sing"
No building could be palmer or more restful
to the eye than the simple little meeting house.
the Friends Orthodox Church. at Thirteenth
and Irving streets, which President Hoover Sc
lected as his Official church while he is resi-
dent OF the White House. It is but one story
high of light buff brick with concrete steps
and windows of faint opaque yellow No belfry
or Spire decorates it, no bell calls the faithful
to prayers. Its congregation is an unusually
friendly group of Friends On THANKSGIVING
and other occasions the members pool" their
dinners, cook them in the we'll equipped church
kitchen and dine en- famille in the Sunday
school room. The Ladies Aid Society makes a
specially of quilting bees" Sitting before the
big frames the members quilt -down pieced
quilts, charging the coverlet's owner according
to the number of spoos Of cotton used In the
process Stitches are set with all the care and
with the result that this fast vanish g art OF
quilting is exquisitely exempliied
A BOUT five years ago the meeting house
was badly damaged by fire. due to defec.
tive wiring and while firemen erected ladders
from the outside of the building, strains of or
gan music issued from the inside. The bat
TALON chief investigated and found that one
hot
OF Johnny Volstead Law was soothing his ruff
fled feelings. even Nero
A Washington official visiting the Irving
street ediiice remarked impressively to one of
It's members, so this is Mr.. Hoover's church,"
NO" quietly remarked the Friend, this is
not Mr.. Hoover's church, it's Gods church"
very great improvement has been made in
the buildings general appearance by land
scaping the broad lawns Spruce cedar and fir
trees now form green and undulating fringe
close to the walls of the building, and hedge
OF japanese barberry bushes has been planted
the entire length of the plaza bordering on
irving street and Thirteenth street Formerly
the grass plots resembled municipal play
grounds-which they were, the neighborhooi
children using them.
The Department of Commerce in the Fall OF
1928 issued census of religious bodies in the
United States. which had been compiled as of
1926. 1t listed four branches of Friends:
Society OF Friends ORTHODOXY the branch in
which Mr.. Hoover has "birthright" or mem
bership. In 1916 it had 8O5 churches and a
membership of 92,379. In 1926 its church edi-
fees were listed as tbs and membership 81 1876.
The Religious Society of Friends tHicksites)
in 1916 supported 1855 churches, with a total
membership of 17.1O7. The 1926 census showed
l2S churches; membership l6,l05.
Orthodox Conservative Friends CWilburitesJ
totaled Al churches in 1926 as against so in
1916; membership. 1916, 1878, compared vita
1856 in 1926.
The last branch perhaps. by this time has
disappeared from census totals. for in 1926 II
reported churches and so members while in
1926 but l church with IS members remained