COUGHING IN CHURCH.

Evening Star, Issue 3325, 16 October 1873, Page 3

COUGHING IN CHURCH.

To the Editor. Pjr,—Tn the excellent letter of Mr Grant's on the Rev. Dr Begg's sermon in the First Church, which appeared in your issue of last eveoing, a pointed reference is made to a habit which certainly must be an intolerable nuisance in any Church. indeed, Mr Editor, I was as much annoyed as Mr ' rant pould be at tho incessant coughing chorus kept up by old as well as young during the service. Children who did their share in the chorus, there is of course some excuse for, although, perhaps, they would have been better at their homes ; but I am fully convinced that most of those complained of could have restrained themselves had tfapy endeavored to do so. Having a slight cold, 1 could have couched too ; but, like Mr Grant, I restrained mysplf. and felt none the worse for so doing. . v uch conduct, which cannot but be regarded as rude in the extreme and antoying, particularly to the minister, reminds me of a little incident which occurred on a Sabbath evening, some little time ago, in a church'not a huudred miles pprth'of the .punedin. Hospital. Dur}|lg the service a young person, certainly out of her teens, commenced a lit of coughing, and pontiiiued without intermission until thp bursting gf a blood vessel seemed imminent. The worthy minister, who the infliction with, true Christian fortitude for a time, at laat addressed himself to the person in question in a mild and commiserating tone of voice, and in these words, •'lf that young person who i* coughing so much will just Btep into the vestry and take a drink of water, it will no doubt stop the cough at once." These words appeared to have a magical effect. The cold water cure was not tried, nor did the young person move from her seat, but remained perfectly quiet till the end of the service. Might not this cure be tried in other churches ? -Yours, &c., Decorum. Dunedin, October 16, 1873.