As Viewed From Chicago

The Chicago News Record contains the following Ann Arbor dispatch: Ann Arbor, Mich., Dec.3. - The Rev. C. M. Cobern, pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal church of this city, when at the VVorld's Fair went to see the place where the babies were checked, and while watching the cooing, blinking multitude was seized with an idea. Hovv many mothers in his congregation, upon the occasion of a pastoral cali, had bewailed their detention from divine service by the imperative demands of a baby? In imagination he transferred the scène before him to thecomfortable parlors of his church. On Sundays to come long lines of baby carriages should be drawn up before the stately edince; a select committee of ladies should receive the tiny occupants and the thirsting mothers should drink once more from the fount of spiritual inspiration. When this idea was suggested to some of the young ladies of his congregation a number of them declared a most charming readiness to have their morning church attendance cornmuted to playing with the babies below stairs. So three Sundays ago the plan was formally inaugurated, at least so far as the young ladies was concerned, and a committee of three, provided with such appliances as seemed to them appropriate, presented themselves for duty. No babies the first day, however, even the janitor, who had been besieged during the week and only escaped from duress by promising solemnly to bring his little girl, imperiled his life by leaving her at home. The succeeding Sunday was very cold and storray, but the next one was not unpleasant and this time two infants were submitted to the tender mercies of the volunteer nurses. One the four-months-old daughter of the janitor, distinguished herself by sleeping most peacefullythe whole time in hercab. The otner little tot was old enough to run about and to say a few words. She entertained the young ladies very gracefully by repeating her repertoire of phrases several times, and then became very much engrossed in a song book, turning the pages carefully and inspecting the music with the solemnity of a connoiseur. The respective mothers had evidently taken seats near the door, for they were promptly on hand at the end of the services. All their anxiety vanished at once on reaching the .improvised nursery. It is too soon to prophesy the future of this innovation. It is rumored that some of the mothers are very much opposed to the plan and have privately declared with very unnecessary violence that Dr. Cobern is a mean old thing, so there; that they wouldn't trust their owniest dar,lings with those old maids not for a minute, so they wouldn't. The breadth of opposition is very faint, however, and it looks as though the scheme would work well.