The Washington times., 1936-12-08
. NOW
Royal Romance
And the Church
SUCH WEATHER
BY HELEN ESSARY

SAAS ANJ 81 NAAASA SNAAOy AAA ASAAoANSAAS
may be the separation of chuSct
and state. This at least is the
wish of a Washington clergyman
important in the Protestant Epis
copal Church, relative, you know
Of the Church Of England.
Said this clergyman, whose
name I cannot tell:
81 devOutly hope that the
stand of the Archbishop Of
Canterbury will eventually cause
q cleavage between church and
state. Our church is still try
ing to live down Bishop Gran
mer, who, arguing for divorce
for King Henry VIII, won royal
favor 400 years ago."
mind yOu," said my clergy.
man friend, II think that the
Episcopal divorce laws need re-
vising. But since they are as
they are, we must hold to them.
If the Church of England is
strong and does not yield to the
demand of King Edward it may
win royal diSfavOr and so be
able to stand alOne-aS a re-
lgion."
This ambition coming from
within the church itself was start
ling. I promptly asked its reason,
"The Church of England is
too rich financially. With so
much money in its pocket it is
becoming spiritually stagnant,"
was my answer. "At the pres
ent time English people are
about to revolt against paying
tithes, that 10 per cent of tkeir
income which the English
Church expects from its men,
berS. Sometimes the tithes
are paid in money. Sometimes
in the farming country the
church collects its share in live
stock and grain. You've prob
ably seen the recent pictures of
English farmers hiding their
best sheep and wheat in the
woods when the collectors were
expected"
He continued:
"Tn many communities sup
porting the clergy is a hard
ship to the people. A small
parish of 80 or 40 families must
maintain the households of not
only q rector but of two Wears.
such unfairneSS is not only bad
for the clergy, but it is destroy
ing the church.
"ThiS situation isn't the fault
Of the individuals. 1t is the fault
of the evil tithing system, the
backbone of the present ALI.
ance of church and state"
At this moment while romance
and rebellion blaze, the weather
indoors and out of England is
raw and wet and dreary.
Well do remember DecemberS
in London and the pre- Christ
mas chill that penetrated the
best upholstered marrow bones.
When every morning looked and
felt like the morning after the
night before. When the sun peered
dimly through yellow mist for
the few hours Of daylight.
December streets in London al
ways are wet and gummy. Men
and women carry umbrellas every
time they step outside the door.
'::Nannies" and governeSses, but
ton boys and girls into rain coats,
tuck babies in rubber coated
prams, wrap themselves into de-
1ected mackintoshes and start tol
daily walks in Hyde Park.
On the tops of unprotected
buses. ride the English citizenry
men, women and children
while the rain soakS deeper into
their damp mufflers. topcoats
and weatherbeaten hats.
The woolen underwear depart
rnents of the shops are crowded,
The Englishwoman spends more
on umbrellas and flannels than
she does on lipstick and finger
waves.
The rain seldom falls briskly
It merely seeps continually down
and in and roundabout. And some
times there is a nawsty fog and
the air is as thick with moisture
and coal SCOT as pea soup.
Indoor climate in England is
harder to bear than outdoor eli
mate. The new and precious "cen
tral heating" leaves the small ra
diators cold to the touch. Crate
fires are useful only for toastine
and burning, and often the parlo,
maid or the butler who brings ir
fresh Goals has chillblains-fingerE
and toes cracked and bleeding
from exposure to cold.
Another CHEEKY little institution
of English home life is the ga'
heater. Some of the. best houses
still use the heaters. They art
commonplace in the English anc
Scotch residence hotel.
The English gas heater, though
pronounced with broad "a, re
mains a gas heater. 1t works me
cIanically and. I must say, eco
nomically - economically as re
CARDS heat and extravagantly al
to cost.
The gas heater has a slot. hun
cry for Shillings. You put in {
shilling, strike a match, turn OF
the gas, and pretend you are coz
until the shilling is burnt out
Then you find you haven't anothel
shilling.
Generally. the heater leaks