Leave Your Hats Off While We Pray
By Annie Malin
It’s the rule now for the ladies
Almost everyplace they go,
To lay aside their head-gear,
And the rule is good I know;
But if asked for my opinion
I should very quickly say,
“For goodness sake, my sisters,
Leave your hats off while we pray!”
For when the sermon’s ended
There’s a bustle and a stir
As if each one feared her neighbor
Would get out ahead of her;
There’s a pinning and a bobbing
In a most distracting way –
So I feel like say, “Sisters,
Leave your hats off while we pray.”
We try to see who’s called on
To make the closing prayer,
But the sisters still are pinning
And smoothing down their hair.
I should truly think the brother
Would forget himself and say,
“We would like to see the sisters
Leave their hats off while we pray.”
(1915)
A candidate for inclusion in the next hymnbook? 🙂
To accompany her hymn that is already in the hymnbook? (“God, Our Father, Hear Us Pray”)? 🙂
This poem made me laugh, as well as vividly picture what must have been a distracting habit that wouldn’t necessarily be recorded in other forms of history.
Interesting — I didn’t know ladies took off their hats in the old days.
This would have been in the days of those huge “picture” hats — would have been impossible to see anything on the stand if you were stuck behind one of those!
But but but but 1st Corinthians 11:5!!!!
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven
LOL. It’s a hot summer. Maybe we’d be more comfortable shaven.
I am looking forward to the updated version, “Turn Your Stupid Device Off For Sacrament Meeting.”