Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-28
PRBsBrrERlAx SUNDAY SCHOOL CuRlsr-

oti Oouo tnS hioSI PACooo"'
"reminiscences of Christmas day, to US as
to hundreds of others, viii be the Christ
mas tree and festival of the Sabbath
School connected with the Old School
Presbyterian church, held on Christina s
morning in the church. corner of Second
and Vine street The house was dense :
ly crowded with the scholars, their pa
rents and their friends, and everything
passed off in the most pleasant and de-
hghtful manner -
The exercises were opened by music
by the choir, and the invocation of the
Divine presence and blessing BY the pas
tor, Rev. Alex Sterrett. This was follow
ed by music by the school, led by Mr..
Tileson, all the children joining and
making delightful music in numerous
songs and hymns appropriate to the oc-
casion, interspersed with short and
pithy speeches by several little boys of
the school.
Addresses were then made by Rev
MrlSterrett, J. F. Glover, Esq, Rev. Mr..
Walters of the Methodist church, and
Mr.. Mccullough, of Henderson.
All the speeches were excellent and ex-
ceedingly appropriate to the occasion.
Mr.. Mccullough, who is a Sunday
School Missionary, and has established
more schools and brought under their
influence more children, perhaps, than
any man in the West, was particularly
felicitous in his address which was plain,
simple and comprehensive, being admira-
bly, adapted to the understanding of the
children. rT ~
But the most interesting and attrac-
tive speech of all was that made to the
children by the magnificent Christmas
tree, from the thousand tongues that
hung from its branches or that clustered
around its trunk, speaking like the Glow
en- tongues on the Pentecostal day, plain
ly understood by all, whether Jews,
Greeks, or Elamites, dwellers in Mesa
potamia, @or elsewhere, telling of free,
enlightened and Christian people, bles-
sed with peace, prosperity and plenty
Of fond parents, generous friends, faith
ful teachers, and happy youths, bounte.
ously provided for by the liberal officers
and friends of the school.
The Christmas tree, was the very fn-
est we have seen in many years, and was,
as we are informed, present to the
school, by Capt. Gus. Lemcke, the gen.
tlemanly Superintendent of the Evans
vile and Cairo Packet Line, whose pop
ularity is only equalled by his princely
iiberality. r,ia
It lowered from the floor to the cell
ing, rising out of moss-covered knoll
numerous artificial white rabbits cIus-
tering around itsibase On the highest
peak, stood beautiful miniature of the
Goddess of Liberty. bearing the proud
emblem of our liberty, the Star Spangled
Banner, with two other like emblems of
our nation on either hand ar
The wide-spreading branches of the
tree bowed beneath the weight of elegant
cornucopias, filled with choice delicacies,
while handsome toys were interspersed,
and attractive books clustered around
the towering trunk. ...-...5.sI
Wreaths of evergreen, hung with gar
lands, joined the tree to either wall,
which were also decorated with the flag
of beauty and of glory. r .-l.sH .
The whole affair was creditable, in the
highest degree, to the ladies of the school
who got it up, and we never witnessed
happier throng of Sunday School schoI-
ars, as they sat beneath the rich folds of
the stars and stripes, which gives them
protection and hope, mingling their sweet
voices in songs of JOY and praise, and
receiving the bountiful presents furnish
ed them by their kind teachers.
Two tables fanked the pulpit, groan-
ing beneath pyramids of cakes, nuts,
and fruits,swhich were distributed among
the happy scholars, who viii long remem-
Der the Christmas of 1868, as one of
great happiness and delight. Mr.. Ma
ghee, the Superintendent of the School,
conducted the exercises with great abil-
! ity. %