Religion would most probably be greatly promoted if the sermon and the services also were abridged. This might readily be affected as regards the latter. Pitch your music out of the window, or rather out of the door, as the former might not be considered parliamentary. Or, take care at least that the polkas with which your organist embellishes the _Magnificat_ shall not occupy more than a quarter of an hour. With respect to the sermons, they might easily be shortened without injuring them in the least. Lop off all commonplace considerations from the exordium, all useless discussions from the body of the discourse, and all vague phrases from the peroration. Prune away all redundant words, all parasitical epithets, using only those that triple the force of the substantive. Be chary of words and phrases; economize them as a miser does his crown-pieces. {190} The people affect those thoughts which are formulated in a single word. They like such expressions as the following:--_vive! ... à bas! ... mort! ... vengeance! ... liberté! ... justice!_ These simple words often move men more than a long discourse. In this respect, however, there has been a marked improvement in many of our churches. There are parishes in Paris where a rule prevails that no one shall preach more than forty minutes. In some popular meetings, preachers are not allowed to speak beyond fifteen minutes, and it is there that the most good is done. Nowadays, brevity is one of the first conditions of success, and of promoting the welfare of souls. The preacher who was most frequented at Paris during the Lenten season this year, hardly ever exceeded half-an-hour. There are, undoubtedly, many other rules to be observed, but brevity will not injuriously affect any of them. The people are easily impressed: they like to be moved; but nothing passes away so quickly as an emotion. In order to bring them back to the church, we must have sermons of ten, seven, and even of five minutes duration. The Mass and the sermon together should not exceed half-an-hour. {191}