1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
3i3 
country church. The opinions expressed 
by the three divines below, each one a 
leader, not only in his own religious 
body, but also, in the larger world out¬ 
side, give occasion for deep thought, and 
will, we think, be of interest to a wide 
circle That the conditions here touched 
upon are widespread is evidenced by the 
following passage in the Fast Day proc¬ 
lamation issued by Gov. Rollins, of New 
Hampshire. Betays: 
The decline o' the Christian religion, particu¬ 
larly in our rural communities, is a marked 
feature of the times, and steps should be taken 
to remedy it. No matter what our belief may be 
in religious matters, every good citizen knows 
that, when the restraining iifluences of religion 
are withdrawn from a community, its decay, 
moral, mental and financial, is swift and sure. 
To me this is one of the strongest evidences of 
the fundamental truth of Christianity. There are 
towns where no church bell sends forth its 
solemn call from January to January; there are 
villages where children grow to manhood un¬ 
christened. There are communities where the 
dead are laid away without the benison of the 
name of the Christ, and where marriages are 
solemnized only by justices of the peace. 
Church Unity the Remedy, Says 
Dr. Abbott. 
I have no such extensive knowledge of 
the facts concerning abandoned meeting¬ 
houses as would justify me in making 
any generalization. So far as my obser¬ 
vation throws any light on the problem, 
I think such abandonment due to a 
variety of causes. Sometimes meeting¬ 
houses have been built where there was 
no real need for them—denominational 
zeal has outrun wisdom. Sometimes a 
denominational meeting-house has been 
built, and the few members of the de¬ 
nomination in the vicinity, have moved 
away. Sometimes the population itself 
has diminished, and even more frequent¬ 
ly the energetic and enterprising and 
thrifty have “gone west”, leaving a 
people lacking the energy to support 
either educational or religious institu¬ 
tions. In some instances, possibly, there 
has been a decadence of piety and con¬ 
secration, even though the population 
has remained in other respects un¬ 
changed. But this last, I am inclined to 
think, is rarely the case—the question of 
remedy interests me more than the 
cause. The first step in the remedy is, 
I am sure, such cooperation in their mis¬ 
sionary efforts of all Christian churches, 
as would secure a concentration, and 
prevent a needless duplication of efforts 
in such communities, lyman Abbott. 
The Hungry City, Says Dr. Parkhurst. 
Although but slightly acquainted with 
the condition of the rural community in 
Nev York State, I know considerable 
about it in New England, and your state¬ 
ment would apply very closely to the 
situation in certain parts of New Hamp¬ 
shire, Vermont and Massachusetts, and 
perhaps, Maine. The low condition of 
church life in those communities is to 
be explained primarily, I think, by the 
tendency to move from the country to 
the city. The old generation dies off ; 
the most pushing of the sons and daugh¬ 
ters come to the city. Added to that is 
the fact that the settlers on the old farms 
are very largely Irish, so that, as a re¬ 
sult of these various causes, while the 
Catholic Church is growing stronger and 
stronger in New Euglaad (I speak of the 
small country towns), the Protestant 
Caurch life is growing weaker; the 
funds become insufficient to maintain 
church life at its old point, and the pro¬ 
cess of decay goes for ward steadily but 
mercilessly. I think that is a fair state¬ 
ment of the situation, and a sufficient ex¬ 
planation of it C H. l’ARKHURST, 
Denominational Differences Intensify 
Divisions, says Bishop Potter. 
Your question is a very large one, but 
you could do no better service than to 
induce its large discussion. Many causes 
cooperate, I think, to produce the re¬ 
sult to which your letter refers, and I 
think we are bound in candor to recog¬ 
nize, as chief among these, a decided 
diminution in the intensity with which 
men hold the denominational convic¬ 
tions which, in our history, created a 
multiplication of country churches ; e. g , 
I have known 10 in a small village com¬ 
munity of 1,500 people. Denominational 
differences intensify divisions, and be¬ 
ing matters of conviction, reach men’s 
pockets, as well as their heads and 
hearts. But there has been a large de¬ 
cline in this intensity of feeling, and 
with it, undoubtedly, the growth of a 
considerable indifference to those large 
questions which exist behind denomina¬ 
tional differences, and which are funda¬ 
mental to the idea of religion. AgaiD, 
the pressure of life, its cost, its compe¬ 
titions, its burdens of taxation, etc , 
have grown, and people with diminished 
denominational enthusiasms are further 
affected by straitened means. 
Yet again, it must be frankly recog¬ 
nized that the earlier and simpler habits 
of our fathers have largely departed, 
and that the idea of the proportion of 
expenditure in our family life is greatly 
changed. 
A still further reason for the situation 
to which your letter refers, is a demand 
in the pulpit for higher intellectual 
gifts, and qualities which interest and 
entertain rather than edify These gifts 
are not common, yet if people cannot 
have them, they are often willing to go 
without any religious minis rations 
whatever. 
In the case of the Episcopal churches 
to which you refer, the situation is 
different, for two reasons : First, they 
are liturgical. Their worship does not 
depend upon the gifts or cleverness of 
a man, but upon the richness of their in¬ 
comparable liturgy. This the Church 
always furnishes, whatever the limita¬ 
tions of the pastor. This fact furnishes 
a still further reason for the permanency 
of our life in the fact that the attach¬ 
ment of the individual member or wor¬ 
shipper is to an institution rather than 
to a person. The strength of the Church, 
in other words, consists in its historic 
and organic life, and not in the clever¬ 
ness of individual ministers. 
These are mere heads indicating in¬ 
definite discussion, for which, I am sorry 
to say, I have at present no leisure. The 
whole subject opens up, as you will 
recognize in its wider aspects, toward 
the domain of Christian unity. What our 
land waits for is such consolidation of 
our Christian forces as will (a) redeem 
them from the attitude of habitual 
mendicancy. ( b) The presentations of 
the Church idea under conditions of per¬ 
manence and dignity, (c) The adjust¬ 
ment of ministers and other church 
workers to the various departments of 
the Church’s work and ministry accord¬ 
ing to their gifts. In other words, a 
large unity and an intelligent organiza¬ 
tion. 
Here again the subject is almost in¬ 
definite in proportion. There is no other 
of more profound interest or importance 
to our country. henry c potter. 
A Veteran and His Family. 
The Chicago Record feels sure that 
everybody who reads this paragraph 
will agree that Mrs. Charles Brandon, of 
Moundsville, W. Va , is entitled to a 
pension, even though only half her story 
is true. She claims to have been the 
third wife of Charles Brandon, who re¬ 
cently died at the age of 96, having been 
the father of 35 living children and four 
who did not survive infancy. At the time 
of his death, his eldest child was 75 and 
the youngest three years of age. Her 
maiden name was Sarah Barker, and she 
was the youngest of a family of 16 She 
is now 61 years old. The first Mrs. Bran¬ 
don was the mother of two children now 
living and of four that died in infancy. 
The second was the mother of 18, and the 
MOTHERS.—Be sure to use “Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup ” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best.— Adv. 
third, the petitioner, of 15 children. At 
the time of her marriage, 20 olive 
branches left by her two predecessors 
still lived under the parental roof, the 
oldest being a strapping boy of 39 years, 
and she claims that she has always given 
them a tender mother’s care. 
Brandon was a veteran of three wars. 
He fought the British in 1812, the In¬ 
dians and the Mexicans, and 17 of his 
sons served in the Union army during 
the rebellion. It appears that there 
were not enough names to go ’round, for 
two of the boys were called Charles, and 
two were called John, the duplicates be¬ 
ing the sons of different wives. Both of 
the Charleses and both of the Johns 
served in the army with Simon, Evans, 
Peter, Josephus, Hiram, James, Van 
Buren, Jacob, Abraham, Alexander, 
David, Andrew and Rufus. Both of the 
Johns and one of the Charleses were 
taken prisoners at the battle of Chicka- 
mauga, and died in Andersonville. Peter 
was killed at Shiloh. The rest of them 
returned safe and sound at the close of 
the war, and are now scattered through 
the mountains of West Virginia, Vir¬ 
ginia and eastern Kentucky, engaged in 
fa-ming and other pursuits. 
Having reached the age of 61, and feel¬ 
ing the infirmities of her years, Mrs 
Brandon thinks the Government should 
do something to help her, and therefore, 
applies for a pension. It seems to us, 
however, that a woman who gave a 
mother’s care to 15 children of her own 
and 20 stepchildren, ought to be cared 
for by her home circle, without neces¬ 
sity for Government aid. 
B. & B. 
ladies’ white shirt waists $1.00 
—made of nice even quality white lawn, 
attached linen cuffs—detachable linen 
collar. 
Three styles—all finished with pearl 
buttons. 
One with a row of %-inch inserting 
down each side of the front pleat. 
Another with two clusters of one large 
and four tiny tucks each, across front. 
Still another with two bias rows of 
inch inserting with three tiny tucks be¬ 
tween, on front. 
All sizes—81 each. 
When ordering, send bust measure. 
More white shirt waists wanted this 
season than ever before. 
We’ve the assortments and values that 
when people consider their self-interest, 
will win us the preference—and every 
one who sends here will find such ad¬ 
vantage they’ll want to send again for 
more. 
Making a special of this dollar waist— 
nothing like it for the money anywhere 
—waists will prove they’re extraordinary. 
New white shirt waists 75c to 84 50. 
New colored shirt waists 50c. to 84.50. 
You’ll easily know this store’s shirt 
waists—they’re right—style to them. 
BOGGS & BUHL, 
Department C f 
ALLEGHENY, PA. 
Dyes for Rag Carpets. 
A woman in New York recently set her 
alarm clock for a certain hour in the 
afternoon, to remind her of some house¬ 
hold duty. While she was absorbed in 
her work, a thief abstracted the clock. 
Unluckily for him, the clock went off 
when the thief did, and being one of the 
patented kind that continues to ring for 
15 minutes, unless shut off, the alarm 
added much to the interest of the affair. 
A Spanish proverb says that love and a 
cough cannot be hid, and a Connecticut 
alarm clock deserves a place in the same 
category. There was a lively chase along 
First Avenue, a constantly-mcrea ing 
crowd joining in the pursuit, while the 
thief tried in vain to smother the jubi¬ 
lant clock under his coat. He was at 
last captured, and locked up on a charge 
of larceny. 
There is one prisoner in a South Da¬ 
kota jail who is distinctly particular 
about what he eats. He doesn’t like 
prison fare, so recently he directed the 
following letter to the sheriff : 
Dear Sir: Inasmuch as I may board with you 
a couple of weeks, I will respectfully suggest a 
few points about my bill of fare. First, there are 
many things I cannot eat without serious injury 
to my health. The following things I should not 
eat at all: 1. pork; 2, cheese; 3, doughnuts; 4 
fresh bread; 5, biscuits; 6, pancakes; 7, fried 
potatoes; 8, pie; 9, cake; 10, rice pastries of 
any kind. Some of the chief things I may eat: 1, 
rye bread, graham bread, or graham gems and 
corn bread (bread two or three days old); 2, 
meats, fish, sausage, beef, etc.; 3, any kind of 
porridge that is well cooked; 4, soups of various 
kinds, always good; 5, baked potatoes are the 
only ones I may eat; 6, simple-made puddings 
are all right; 7, soft-boiled eggs for breakfast 
when they are not too dear; 8, a good dish of 
sauce either for breakfast or supper; 9, good 
coffee, but no tea; 10, a little variety in the bill 
of fare, so that a fellow cannot tell six months 
ahead just what he is going to have for supper or 
breakfast. 
We are not told what response was 
made by the sheriff, but that official 
might, with propriety, suggest that any 
man so finicky as to his meals would do 
well to stay out of jail. 
Wherever the pain may be, 
there is the-place for an 
AUcock’s PIASTERS 
DIAMOND DYES MAKE COLORS THE 
SUN CANNOT FADE. 
They Do the Most Dyeing for 
the Least Money. 
When you dye rags or yarns for carpets and rugs, 
you want colors that will hold till the goods are 
worn out. Diamond Dyes are the only package dyes 
that will make such colors. 
For cotton or mixed goods, he sure to get the 
special fast ryes for cotton or mixed goods, and for 
wool, the fast wool dyes, and you will have the 
brightest, fastest colors there are. 
If you use dyes that claim to color both cotton and 
wool with the same dye, you run the risk of spoiling 
.vour goods, or of getting colors that will fade right 
out. They may dye cotton, but they will only 
stain wool. Diamond Dyes will always give satis¬ 
faction. 
Sample card of colors and direction book for 
home dyeing mailed free on request.— W ki.lh, Rich¬ 
ardson & Co., Burlington, Vt. 
DINNERSET 
or GOLD WATCH 
with 30 lbs. 8. 8. Chop Tea. Lao* 
Curtains, Watches, Clocks, T*a 
Sets, Toilet Sets, given away with 
15, $7, $10 and $15 orders. Send this 
“ad.” and 16c. and we will send you 
a sample of S.S. Chop or any other 
Tea you may select. The R. N.-Y. 
The Great American Tea Co., 
31 & 33 Vesey St. (Box 289), New York 
PETROLATUM 
On receipt of fifty (50) cents, we will 
send you, post-paid. ONE POUNDcan 
of PURE PETROLATUM, (com- 
moniy called Vaseline). No family 
should be without this very useful 
medicinal and healing article. Send 
money by Post-ottice or Express 
Money Order or Registered Letter. 
DERRICK OIL COMPANY, 
Titusville, Pa. 
... EW BECKER 
Washing Machine 
A fair trial will convince the most 
skeptical of its superiority over aii 
other Machines. County rights for 
sale. Agents T Vanted. Circulars free 
N. G. BAUGHMAN, York, Pa, 
j$2,45 buys a Baby Carriage 
kVVTSJft® " 1? i’ :,R0 Catalogue Free. We Pay Freight and ship on 10 
Khiyfetiacl'fayf Vial No money required in advance. Address 
VICTOR MANUFACTURING CO.. 
^“^“^Dept, ,| oe 295 and 297 Fifth Are., Chicago, III. 
Everyone a Bargain. 
NEW AND SECOND HAND. 
td Hand— good u any for MrrlM, $t to 919. 
New ’99 Model. 912.50 to 910. Hob. 
\ higher. We guarantee to save yon moaey.Largest 
| variety to select from. Lowest prices ever quoted. 
I Every customer satUfled. Shipped subject to eiamin- 
I ation aDd approval. No money In advance. A few 
good AGENTS WANTED. For price list and Wtrtle- 
—-- alert address the old reliable cycle house, 
BROWN-LEWIS CO., (1)M 298 Wabash At., Chleago. 
stutM wmptui,U|tv.u<ij FA t UiU. IXhCUI.N tf (VlllCUe UIUUTH ^U.tTU 
to $tf5.00, cash or ti me. Sent on appro val. Guaranteed one year. 
Beau tif ul 
catalog free. 
Bicycle sun¬ 
dries cheap. Get ourprlces before buying. Write quick. 
AMERICAN MACHINE CO., Dept.313 l'lint, Mich. 
to Wo.UU, cash or time, bent on approval. Guarant 
SOLD ON TIME. 
