p. 212 | Church Festival by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 17, 1879

Church Festival.

By Editor

THE following is part of a report of a church festival, taken from a paper in this county. When you read this just think it is 1839 instead of 1879, and then imagine, if possible, the consternation of all religious, or even irreligious people, at such a report of church doings by a "Ladies' Aid Society of the Presbyterian church." And the churches with which such things are every-day matters accuse us of a want of charity because we make to them an application of the Scripture declaration—"Babylon is fallen." We should consider it a sad lack of charity were we to see these things in the professed church of Christ, and not raise our voice in warning against such "spiritual wickedness in high places."

"The special feature of the festival was the roaring farce, termed 'Poor Pillicoddy,' the actors and actresses being the prominent and beautiful among the members of the Centerville Literary Club. The parts were well taken and finely rendered. Miss Alvina Meyers deserves special mention for the creditable manner in which she gave us 'Anastasia.' Miss Martie Crane was a decided success as the irrepressible and always to be found when not wanted 'servant gal.' She seemed to understand and deliver her part with a great showing of stage ability, maintained her coolness and self-possession amidst all the ludicrous scenes she had to perform. 'Pillicoddy' played his part fairly. 'Scuttle' was a little overdone; 'too muchy muchness.' At one time in the play we could hardly tell who was Mrs. Pillicoddy or Mrs. Capt. O'Scuttle, or who was who, but, as near as we can now recall the play, it was all 'about another man's wife.' We deeply regret the tendency of the play-actors and play-goers to indulge in an over-dose of the enacted marital follies, mistakes, errors, and wickedness. We certainly get our daily quantity of demoralization in the newspapers if we care to read all the accounts therein published. It leads us to ask : Are we progressing or retrograding? The only performance that seems to have been over-looked or left out, was the inevitable and never-failing dance! Yes, there was an 'auction,' but what is such a trifling excitement when compared to the 'merry whirl of the waltz ers?' We haven't heard how successful the festival was, but we did hear that 'the dance' at some school-house in the vicinity interfered with the number in attendance at the festival."