The Universalist. [volume], November 13, 1897, Image 1

About The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
VOL. XI Vf-HT°EI CHICAGO AND CINCINNATI, SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 13, 1897. )™V<5r.°gK,'Tl NO. 4fi
A RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY WEEKLY
’Jkiversalist Publishing House,
publishers.
E. F. ENDICOTT, General Agent
Issued Every Saturday by the
rvBSTRBN Branch of the Publishing Housi
> Dearborn St. Rooms 40 and 41
CHICAGO, ILC.
( $2.60 A YEAR IN ADVANCE
1 »flWlO * • • | 1.26 SIX MONTHS.
POSTAGE PAID.
SAMPLE COPIES AI.WAYS FREE.
REMITTANCES:—Make all checks, drafts.
Money and express orders payable to A. M.
Johnson, Cashier, or Universalis! Publisiiinjj
ouse. Western Branch
Bnter**'’ nt the Postoffico a. 8oe(ln^»«« m><i
CONTENTS.
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, NOV, 13, 1897.
Fan One.
From Boyhood to Manhood.
Chnrch Duty in Times of Financial Emerg
ency.
The Care of the ChnrcheB.
W. C. A.—Notes for October.
Face Two.
Social Settlements.
“Heavenly Fire."
The Missouri Convention.
Page Three.
The Sunday School Lesson.
Face Four.
Editorial:
Transfer of the Gospel Banner.
The Natnre of the Kingdom.
Dr. Fairbairn on Pnlplt Preparation.
Chicago Ministers’ Meeting.
Unlver-mlUt Mission in Japan.
General Convention: Memorial- Fellowship.
Views of the Editors.
Page Five,
Church News and Correspondence.
Page Six,
The Family Page, Farm, Garden and Dairy.
Page Seven.
Our Boys and Girls.
Page Eight.
News of the Week.
Church Notices and In Memoriam.
OUR CONTRIBUTORS.
FROM BOYHOOD TO MANHOOD
BY MARY LOWE DICKINSON.
The Necktie Stage-Going on His Cuff's.
“It ir a matter of great retrret to
me,” said an intelligent, college bred
father, a downtown man of affairs,
“that my boy, Harry, has decided
that he doesn’t want to go to college.
I have taken the greatest interest in
having him well prepared, and it is
a real disappointment to find that he
is determined to go into business.”
“But why did you leave him to
make the choice?” said his hearer.
“Now in our family, the boys never
had any choice about it. It was un
derstood from the beginning and
taken for granted by everybody that
they were to goto college. The men
of our family had always done it,
and the boys, whether they liked it
or not, took to it kindly when it came
along as a pait of the natural course
of existence.”
“But do you think it was of any
use to them if they didn’t like it?”
asked the disappointed father.
“Sometimes they thought they
didn’t like it and afterward found
they did- Some of them insisted that
it was doing them no good, but we
generally succeeded in worrying
them through the four years. Only
one man out of all—and we have had
a good many college boys in our
family—but has admitted that hie
college course was of immense ad
vantage to him in after years; not a
single member has been willing that
his own son should go through life
without it.”
“Well,” said the first speaker,
with rather a crestfallen air, ‘‘it would
require as much urging and driving
to get my boy to go to college as it
would have taken to keep me away.
I was willing to work nights, take
double duty in the daytime, and live
on bread and cheese if need be, but
the college training I was determined
to have. I cannot see why my boy
should be so set against it. He does
not care enough about it to work for
it, and he isn’t the sort to get any
good out of anything that he doesn’t
work for. The fact is he is the kind
of a fellow, if he went to college at
all, to go through on his cuffs.”
As the speaker and bearer parted
the latter smiled at the final sentence,
that told the whole story in a word.
It was a novel way of expressing it,
but the thing itself was far from new.
Any one of us who stops to think for
a moment will see passing before his
mind’s eye a procession of young
men and boys who are trying to “go
through things on their cuffs.” In
other words, they are not really going
through at all. They are only posing
and seeming to go, but they never
get anywibere. They seem to be do
ing, but nothing of genuine value is
ever hrought to pass.
We are all only too familiar with
this class of young men. They are
in that stage of evolution where to do
anything that would take the crease
out of the trousers or soil the hands
becomes distasteful. They turn a
deaf ear to the advice of the negro
song that runs,
“Take off your coat, boys, and roll up
your sleeves,
Jordan’s a hard road to trabble.”
Be it the Jordan road, or any other,
if it’s a “hard one to trabble,'’ they
don’t propose to go. Nothing is tol
erated that would interfere with the
careful polishing of the linger nails.
They are in a stage of arrested de
velopment. The outside fellow has
grown until he fits into first-class
clothes of the regulation cut and the
required number of buttons. The
inside fellow, even if in early years
he has been manly and strong and a
little rough, seems to have shrunken
to fit the new clothes.
The boy who used to love a wres
tie or a tumble with other athletic
fellows finds vigorous exercise not to
his taste. The lad who liked a battle
with the waves and a vigorous rub in
the cool of a summer morning takes
kindly now to a Turkish bath, with
some other fellow to do the rubbing.
He has entered upon a period of
enervation, mistaken too often for a
period of true refinement. The height
of his collar, the style of his tie, the
breadth aud stiffness of his cuffs, the
size of his seal ring, the freshness of
hi9 gloves, the careful parting of his
hair all come to be, at this stage,
matters of supreme and vital import
ance.
We know of one instance, in which
a young man who had been a few
years earlier a rollicking, jolly, big
hearted boy, actually helped him
self to the silk stockings of his sister,
that his manly limbs might be en
cased in nothing but the best. And
when he was taken to task for this
trespass upon the feminine hosiery,
he justified himself by saying that
his allowance wa9 too small to get
what he ought to have, and that
nothing but silk was fit for a gentle
man.
Another boy, whoce father was a
well-dressed man, constantly sup
plied himself with his father’s neck
ties, handkerchiefs and scarf pins,
until one day his indulgent parent
said: ‘Tom has only one grudge
against me, and that is that I am
three inches taller than he is, and he
canuot wear my trousers. He helps
himself to all the rest of my belong
ings, and when I am dressing to go
out to dinner, I am lucky if Tom has
not already arrayed himself in my
best.”
We remember another instance,
equally authentic, of the rapid growth
of the ideas of a young man with
reference to the conduct of a house
hold. His father had secured for
him a position where he would have
to begin at the bottom and work for
a year at not more than three dollars
a week; yet on the ground that he
was now a man of business he gave
his parents some good advice as to
changing their mode of living, and
substituting a butler, who could
also do service as a valet, forthequiet
maid who had, up to the present
time, been quite sufficient for the
table service of the home. His larger
views as a merchant in embryo, and
as a business man who went ‘ down
town” every day, demanded an ex
pansion of the family life, and hehad
the air of being quite able to pay the
butler and the valet himself. It was
an instance of going into business on
his cuffs.
We are glad to notica that this
peculiar development sterna to be
only a stage and phase of progress.
Boys go through it as they go through
scarlatina and measles and whoopiog
cough. With tteir cuffs they put
on their dignity. Out of this sham
dignity their next progress may be
into a truer manliness. The disease
is accompanied with intense admira
tion of one's self, and a symptom of
this is very apt to be a great disgust
of whatever is not in aoccrd with his
new ideas. Tne younger brothers
and sisters are simply, at this period,
so many little bears and monkeys to
be suppressed and kept out of the
way. The cry or laugh of a little
child is apt to make our young lord
ask “why children should not be
kept in the nursery instead of being
allowed to be troublesome to older
folks!” Even the mother looks old
fashioned, and he wishes she would
not appear without her best gown
and cap. As for father, with his plain,
everyday business ways, he is indul
gently to be tolerated, because, for
sooth, out of father’s pocket must
come the wherewithal to keep t e lad
in cuffs.
If this state of things continued
long our boys would be refined out
of everything that is sweet, sunny,
natural and manly—the very things
that make us their willing and happy
slavep. But fortunately a little
knocking about in the world goes far
to take it out of them. A little ju
dicious snubbing from an older sister,
a little tightening of the puree strings
and keeping the loaf under his own
arm on the part of the father, a little
indifference on the part of the girls
and women whose adoration he ex
pect?—all these are remedial agentp,
and will certainly help to cure. Then
usually down at the bottom of his
nature there is a substratum of com
mon sense and genuine nobility that
bv and by finds its way to the sur
face and gives us back again the fine
fellow who has been so buried up
under his notions of wbat is due to
his precious person that we feel as if
we had lost the heart and soul of our
boy. The condition while it lasts is
to be borne with and ignored as
much as possible. While he seems
lost to us it is well enough not to try
to hold him too tight, and when he
comes back it iB wise not to act as if
you ever knew he had been gone.
On no account get ready the “fatted
calf,” though it is rare that the re
form comes so rapidly that he would
resent the addition of a new robe or
even another “ring upon his hand.”
New Yobk City.
OHUROH DUTY IN TIMES OF FINAN
CIAL EMERGENCY.*
BY MB K. DYKEMA,
Grand Rapids.
The conclusions I have come to
have been drawn from my experience.
Tqo86 duties do not greatly differ
one time from another. A church is,
first, a religious institution; second,
it is a business institution. As a
church, it looks after the moral and
spiritual welfare of its members, and
any others who may attend its ser
vices. As a business institution, it
looks after paying its running ex
penses and keeping its property in
order.
The pastor is the general manager
of the moral and spiritual phases of
its work. It is not the duty of the pas
tor to be the financier for the society.
The manner in which he comes into
touch with the people and the merits
of Lis sermons, must be of such a
standard as to draw the money nec
essary to pay his own salary and
other current expenses of the church.
Unless he develops sufficient strength
to accomplish this, the enterprise
will prove a failure.
It cannot, however, be reasonably
expected that a minister will be as
unchangeable and perfect as your
Father in Heaven. Most * of them
have changing moods, just as other
people. If you expect your minister
to always be equally smooth and
nice, and he succeeds in meeting
your expectations, you may conclude
that he is an unusually well-balanced
man. Everything in this world is
changing, and a minister will be no
exception. All these matters apply
to good as well as hard times.
A church also has its legal repre
sentatives in its board of trustees.
There should always be perfect har
mony between the minister and the
board of trustees. When any num
ber of trustees less than a majority
of the board are out of harmony with
the minister, they should resign.
They have ceased to be useful as
trustees. If a majority of the board
are out of harmony with the pastor,
then he should resign. Any trustee
uttering unkind sentiments with ref
erence to the minister in presence of
others is spreading poison. If he
succeeds in making others feel as he
does, he is lowering their standard
as well sb his own. This is as true
of a member as of a trustee. Un
swerving loyalty to the minister by
trustees and members of the church
is the foundation he must have to
stand on, or he cannot succeed. To
be loyal costs money sb well as ser
vice.
Churches need money to run n
good times. This need is emphasized
during hard times. A church mem
ber is never at his best for himself
or his church, when he becomes con
servative about giving. I do npt
mean that the amount you give de
termines your loyalty, but the spirit
in which you give it. If you give
as little as you dare to, and that only
for the looks of it, you will be but
little benefit to the church, and less
to yourself. Loyalty and consecra
tion injects power • into the money
you give. Every time we withhold
money that ought to go to the church,
our loyalty shrinks, a process sets in
•Read at the Michigan Universalist Con
vention, Lansing, October 6, 1897.
just the reverse of that which the
church stands for; instead of grow
ing spiritually larger by its touch we
grow smaller.
Every church member can figure
out approximately what his proper
portion of that church’s current ex
pense is. If you pay less than that,
you are spongiDg on seme one more
loyal than yourself. If others are
not more loyal than yourself, the
honest obligations of the church will
go unpaid. A church society that
daes not pay its debts when due can
njt be a very great saving power.
Such a church should utilize the
prayer, “Lord, what shall I do to be
saved?” It should learn to save it
self, before it goes into a general sav
ing business.
A Board of Trustees creates obliga
tions based on the proposition that
each member will render tribute ac
cording to bis or her pledge orability.
A failure to meet such individus 1 ob
ligation is rank dishonesty, both to
the trustees and to the people with
whom they have contracted debts.
To succeed in this world you must
be honest. If your church is not
safe in relying on your pledges, I
would suggest that it would be un
safe for any one else to trust you.
The church you belong to stands as
your representative in the religious
world. To be powerful it must have
a ciean, honest record. An honest,
loyal, earnest membership will make
any church Bucceed in its particular
work. It is the duty of every mem
ber to be kind and considerate of
every other member.
If you discover a weak spot in the
character of a brother or sister, don't
advertise it; you may have weak spots
yourself, and there is always plenty
of gratuitous advertising of such
matters without your help. You can
afford to be honest and candid, no
matter if you are misunderstood. If
there is a member you do not like,
do not tell it; your mental. vibration
will make him or her aware of it. Do
not forget that every thought and
word is an act of sowing seed, and
there are no dead kernele; they all
grow, and the harvest will be youis.
Fortunately, however u. -> I3 as true
of kindly thoughts and kindly words
as of the other kind. It is of kind
thoughts, acts and words that heav
enly treasure is made up. And such
are really the only staying assets. A
church whose membership pcsscssss
plenty of these will have no cause to
default on its obligations no matter
what the times are.
I have been a member of the Uni
versalist church in Grand Rapids
for twenty years. During that time
all sorts of conditions have prevailed.
Whenever I have heard a report of
the church’s financial status by com
paring it with the previous one, I
could tell w hether the true life of the
members was rising or falling.
When spiritual life in a church loses
its warmth, its cash receipts fall off.
If the minister's sermons become
cold and intellectual, again the cash
receipts fall off.
At the outeet I said that a church
is a religious institution. The Uni
versalist pulpit is not for the purpose
of teaching science or philosophy. Its
spiritual teachings, however, must
be up to date and in harmony with
the latest discovered truths. A min
ister that cannot keep up with the
newly discovered truths of the day
will 90on be left behind by at least a
part of the members of his church.
To be a member of a church has a
meaning. Every person who joins
the church assumes a responsibility
with every other member. He or
she is equally responsible for the
faithful performance of every duty
of the church toward the community
in which it is located. It is the duty
of every member to appropriate from
his earnings a proper amount for the
support of the church and then pay
it promptly. Above all never find
fault with any one or anything. Al
ways be kindly one toward another.
Harmonious action is absolutely
necessary to the highest success.
Let every member be true and loyal
to his duty; then there will be no fi
nancial emergencies to take care of.
Grand Rapids, Midi.
Scandalized HU Brethren.
It is on Piofessor Shields, as clergyman
and member of the New Brunswick Pres
bytery, that the brunt of the ecclesiasti
cal attack and criticism falls among the
signers of the petition for a saloon license
for the Princeton Inn. The Synod of New
Jersey could not well aijopt the resolu
tions enjoining the presbytery to inquiry
into the facts and to indict necessary dis
cipline, as the presbytery already has be
gun investigation of the matter; but the
Synod reiterated its condemnation of
those who rent property for saloons or
sign petitions for license, which is as near
to a judgment as could be given, as there
is no doubt that Professor Shields has in
this way scandalized bis brethren.—The
independent.
THE OARE OF THE OHUROHES.
BY ROBERT JAR DINE.
Permit a comparative stranger in
the Universaiist denominatit n to ex
press himself, through your valuable
paper, in regard to one of the iir par
taut subjects discussed at the recent
General Convention. I refer to spirit
ual supervision of the churches; and I
need not remind your readers that
this matter was brought before the
convention by the conference of min
isters, and that the solution of the
problem was thought to be the ap
pointment of a Field Secretary.
Without undervaluing the useful
ness of such an offic al, if he were ap
pointed and could be paid, I take the
liberty of saying that the sphere of
the chuich is entirely too large for
the supei vision of any single official
to be effective. No one man, how
ever ubiquitous he might be, could
possibly cover thelength and breadth
of the United States with his spiiit
ual influence. If he tried to doeo he
would find that the old logical law is
still valid:—the greater the extension
the smaller the intensity of hiB influ
ence. And I believe that the great
need of the Universaiist Church, as
far as regards the care of its parishes
is concerned, is the better organiza
tion of its ministers in local districts.
At present the lowest church court
is the State Convention. That body
meets but once a year and fails to ex
ercise an effective supervision of tie
parishes within its bounds. A parish
may become vacant and remain va
cant for months without any member
of the convention feeling it to be> Lis
duty to get it placed agaiu upon a
working basis. And those parishes
which have pastors arenotsystemati
cally looked after by the convention
in regard to their work. The sphere
of the convention is too large to ad
mit of its exercising efficient super
vision.
Where, then, is the remedy?
I believe it will be found in the re
suscitation of the District Associa
tions with well-defined spheres of
operation and functions. Let the
state be divided int'j convcn>en* d:°
tricts eo small that representatives of
the parishes could meet at least every
three months. Let the District As
sociations be composed of each min
ister within the bounds and one or
two representative laymen from each
parish. These District Associations
should have immediate spiritual su
pervision of the churches compre
hended within them and should exer
cise clearly defined functions.
What should be these functions?
L They should act as media for
communication between the State
and General Conventions cn the one
hand and the parishes on the other.
In this capacity they would naturally
collect all statistics of church, Sun
day-school. Woman’s Work, and Y. P.
C. U. They would also transmit
such appeals for financial help from
either of the conventions as might be
made, and would take steps to secure
that these appeals were responded to
where possible.
2. They should carry on necessary
missionary work within theirbounds.
Some dormant churches might be
found or churches in danger of becom
ing dormant. The Home Mission Com
mittee would see that the churches
were visited, encouraged and as often
as possible, supplied with services.
It should be considered a duty for
each minister of the district to give
a reasonable portion of his time to
home missionary work; and the dis
trict committee entrusted with this
matter would make arrangements for
his doing so. This work of District
Association might be carried on in
co-operation with the State mission
ary.
3. They should exercise pastoral
care over parishes when they become
vacant. Vacancies in parishes are
often ruinous, and it is most import
ant that they should be officially
looked after in the intervals between
settled ministries. One or more
members of the District Association
should be detailed to visit vacant
parishes, consult with and encourage
them, and assist them, in any desir
able way, to another settlement.
4. The general supervision of all
the parishes within the bounds would
involve the appointment, by the
association, of committees to look
after: (1) Home mission work; (2)
Sunday schools; (3) young people’s
unions; (4) missionary contributions,
and (5) statistics.
It should be the duty of members
of these committees, not merely to
send circulars asking for information
and contributions, but to go person
ally and look after the interests com
mitted to their care, and to stimulate
and encourage workers in the differ
ent spheres in the performance of
their work.
These associations should be made
a regular part of the church organism,
working under the State conventions
and carrying out their behests. They
should collect material to be reported
to the State conventions and would
be in a position to make valuable
suggestions to the conventions re
garding the various interests of the
church. Through them also the
State missionary might find his effi
ciency doubled or quadrupled as he
would command the assistance of a
score of ministers instead of working
almost single-handed.
With considerable hesitation I offer
these suggestions. They are but
roughly drawn, and might require
considerable amendment before being
carried into effect. But concerning
the necessity of some such scheme
of practical work as is outlined above,
as a condition of the prosperity of
our church, I have no doubt. There
must be some means of getting into
harness the enormous amount of
latent energy stored up in the min
istry and membership of the church,
if we would do our work efficiently.
No highly paid official at the head
can ever secure or guide the efforts
of the hundreds of workers through
out the bodyof the church whoought
to be enlisted more earnestly in the
great work of building up the body
of Christ.
Chicago. Nov. 4.
Wsig. 51.
NOTES FOE OOTOBEB.
Reports from the states recently hold
ing annual meetings are cheering. As
most of the newly elected Boards have
so recently been published in the de
nominational papers we will not repeat,
although several of the new secretaries
have sent them to us for that purpose
with other interesting items relative to
their work.
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Mies Clara E. Woodman, secretary of
this W. U. M. S., sends me a model re
port from which I will make a few ex
tiacte:
President, Rev. Isabel McDufT, Clare
mont.
Vice President, Mrs. Mancy W. P,
Smith, Newhelde.
Secretary, Mies Clara E. Woodman
(P O. box 115), Kingston.
Treasurer, Mi6s J. Grace Alexander,
Winchester.
Board of Advisors, Mrs. C. F. Mcln
tire, Marlboro; Mrs J. A. Hicke, Con
cord; Mrs. J. H. Little, Winchester.
The W. U. M. S. of New York has
settled upon a definite line of work at
its annual meeting, voting to become
responsible for the expenses of the ten
district missionaries in the State. This
they will do with their half of the mem
berships retained for State work. Sev
eral of the ministers within this circuit
at once manifested an increase of inter
est in having a mission circle formed in
their parish at the earliest possible
moment, as they realize as never before
a force has been introduced that has
come to stay, and means individual
consecrated parish progress; and, like
waves of the sea, circling out and out,
far beyond its starting point.
A GOOD IDEA.
The suggestion comes from a mission
circle in Connecticut that papers on
topics given in one circle may be ex
changed with those of others with mut
ual profit, a suggestion we should highly
commend and trust it may be adopted.
THE WAY TO DO IT.
The mission circle in Maine has voted
to accept no invitations for social func
tions occuring on Mission Circle Day.
It this idea should become general there
would soon be no reason for finding
fault for absence of members. This
same progressive circle has voted to
fine all absentees five cents for each
session missed.
A VALUABLE SUGGESTION.
The Executive Board of each State
society should meet at least twice a year
for business and conference on State
work. Every officer should feel some
of the responsibility resting upon her,
and the expense for carrying out adopted
methods is money wisely spent. A good
business man knows there must be
some outlay if he ever expects to accom
plish anything in the way of results.
MEETINGS.
Dear president of mission circles, do
not omit a session for any of the follow
ing reasons: because the dressmaker is
coming; you have visitors, take them
along, or, it they will not go, leave them
to themselves awhile, they will be able
to survive your absence for a few hoars
and respect you for standing by your
raligious engagements as firmly as
though it were a wedding; or shopping,
a slight headache, excursions, rain or
snow of ordinary style, for Thanksgiving
or Christmas baking, housecleaning, or
the thousand and one things we every
day folk have a way of bringing up as
excuses. They may be good enough for
some things, but the Mission Circle
stands for the highest and best, and let
it be only life or death, or imperative
duties that keep us from showing our
faces on that day and don t go just to be
there at lunch time, and then get up
and leave in the midst rf important
business or an interesting prreram.
That is wofully disconcerting to the
officers, and eereitive people feel 'es
though some slight was intended for
them if they happen to be on the pro
gram. The Mission Circle was organized
for extending the work of Christ on
earth, and not for a good time, a nice
lunch, or a monthly gossip.
From the west and south voices are
calling for our help.
IN MEHORIAM.
Mrs. Blackman, secretary of the m's
sion circle in Atlanta. Ga., writes of the
sadness and dismay of the members
over the loss of their deer companion
and leader, Mrs. Lucy McGlaufiin, who
entered the higher life in September.
She was such a good and lovable woman;
so able, willing, and sympathetic in
every good work, she will be greatly
missed. The mission circle was formed
last March, principally through her ef
forts, with ten members, who “are trying
to do all they can to live up to the ob
jects of the society,” though they feel
the absence of their first leader greatly
“We are bolding monthly meetings,
using the topic cards, and always have
some literary topic for discussion. Our
committees look out for the sick, call on
newcomers, supply the pulpit with flow
ers, distributing them after the service
among the sick.”
Each member of the National Execu
tive Board feelB Mrs. McGlauflin’s ab
sence from earthly scenes and activities
as a personal loss, and they would extend
their sympathies to the stricken brother
and the members of the mission circle
at Atlanta.'wbere she gave such hearty
support tolber husband's endeavors, to
the Y. P. C. U., as well as toour associa
tion . Let us treasure her many virtues,
for the it fluence of such a life is abiding
as the fragrance of the rose after the
beautiful petals have mouldered into
dust.
Correction.—Last month, in publish
ing the list of the W. C. A. Auxiliary of
Connecticut, the name of the newly
elected vice president, Mtb. W. S. Per
kins, was unintentionally omitted from
the inventory.
A GOOD SUGGESTION.
A friend authorizes me to state that
she will be one of twelve persons to
a year in the name of this as
^■^on for the benefit of our venera
Texas missionaries. Mr. and Mrs.
Billings. These two faithful ones have
-dc.ne mors to plant Coiversalism in that
great state than any otherp. and should
not be left to feel great anxiety for the
future when so many have enough and
to spare. The idea suggested was that
$10 a month should be sent them from
our treasury. We will be only too glad to
do it if eleven good Universalist women
will join this other sister, whose name
I will furnish privately to any one wish
ing to join hands with her in this under
taking. All these contributions must be
eent through the association. Address
E. L. Sherwood, P. O. box 93, Ana
costia, D. C., Corresponding Secretary.
Mrs, C. A. Quinby. president of the W.
C. A., desires all communications di
rected to 30 West street, Boston, Maes.,
until further notice, as they will be for
warded to her wherever she may be.
THE PBESIDEKT'S THANKSGITING
PBOOLAMATION.
President McKinley's first Thanks
giving Day proclamation is as follows:
In remembrance of God’s goodness to
us during the past year, which has been
so abundant, "let us offer unto Him our
thanksgiving and pay our vows unto the
Most High,” Under Hie watchful provi
dence industry has prospered, the con
ditions of labor have been improved, the
rewards of the husbandman have been
increased Bnd the comforts of our homes
multiplied. His mighty hand has pre
served peace and protected the nation.
Respect for law and order has been
strengthened, love of free institutions
cherished and all sections of our beloved
country brought into closer bonds of
f raternal regard and generous co-opera
tion.
For these great benefits it is our duty
to praise the Lord in a spirit of humility
and gratitude, and to offer up to Him
our most earnest supplications. That
we may acknowledge our obligation as a
people to Him who has bo graciously
granted us the blessings of free govern
ment and material prosperity, I, William
McKinley, President of the United
States, do hereby designate and set
apart Thursday, the twenty fifth day of
November, for national thanksgiving
and prayer, which all of the people are
invited to observe with appropriate re
ligious services in their reepective
places of worship. On this day ef re
joicing and domestic reunion let our
prayers ascend to the Giver of every
good and perfect gift for the continu
ance of His love and favor to us. and
that our hearts may be filled with
charity and good-will, and that we may
be ever worthy of Hie beneficent
concern.
Ia witness whereof I have hereunto set
■y hand and eassed the seal ef the
United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington,
this twenty-ninth day of October,
[soil] in the year of Our Lord one thou
sand, eight hundred and ninety
seven, and of the Independence of
the United States the one hundred
and twenty-second.
William M< Kim.nr.
By the President:
John Shsuman,
Secretary of State.