The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-07

| MANt'HESTEh SINba'-c'ho'L
pGC-NIC.-All the necessary preliminary arrange
mcntS having been conSrmmatcd, tie Manches-
ter Methodist Sunday school consisting of about
two hundred and fifty teachers and scholars, under
| the supcrntcndency of ERASMUS GARY, esq. as
sembled 1T an early hour the !t instant ut their
school-room, and marched in procession to the
| crossing OF the Richmond and Danville railroad,
| on Hull street. They were met ut the train by an
equal number of guests, for al of whom ample ac-
| commodations were found upon the eight spacious
and comfortable ears provided for the excursion.
At hat-past 3 O'Clock the whistle sounded the
| hour for starting. and with bounding hearts and
| cxutant cheers the cHcursionists started on their
| gladstone trip. After pleasant ride of about two
hours they arrived at the Powhatan station, twen-
| ty-two miles from Richmond. This is quite
| pretty place, and Is under the arrangement Of Mr..
Gates. Here, in grove aifor'iing sufficient shade
10 render all rs comfortable the heat Of the day
would permit, found L large number of
benches erected for accommodations I'm
bounded and unrcstraincd were tho delight and en-
thusiasm excited and exhibited by the large con-
course but particularly by the children, upon
arriving upon the ground and finding everything
| so propitous for their enjoyment of the day. So
elastic were the spirits and buoyant the hopes of
all present that the excessive heat of old Sos rays
seemed 10 be entirely ignored, and therefore imp0-
| tent to disturb their cquanimity mar their en-
ioyment in the slightest degree.
| Your reporter. disintcrcsted because already
Gagged" man, feels constrained to say that In
| proportion to the number pres ent he never saw
| greater display Of female beauty and lovelincSs.
| The personal attractions Of the ladies' their cx-
uusitcly tasteful decorations and agreeable man
| ncrs were the theme of many Il tongue. Callous
and stoid, indeed, must have been the hearts ottha
| young men present 10 prove imperVious TO the ar
| rows sent from Cupid's bow on this occasion.
After several hours spent In conversation, promo
nading. and in imbibng "nd dibitunt " that deli
cious aud refreshing beverage lemonade, unsur-
| passed by the nectar Of the ancient gods. boun-
tiful rcpast consisting of everything caculatcdt 10
tempt the palate Of the most fastidious devotee Of
| Fpicurus was placed before the assembled multi
| tute, and the tocsin sounded to arms. Mr. Gary,
| the superintendent Of the school, assisted by Mr..
| f. W. Rcdford, Mr. John J. Jcter. and other gen
| tlrmcu, besides 4 committee Of ladies', did every
thinpfu their powcrto satisfy the demands OF all
| present. and your reporter feels every assurance
/ that universal satisfaction was given, not one
whisper Of complaint having grated upon rs car
| So abundant was the supply o. eulDcs that suni-
| lent amount found its way back to Manchester
| to furnish another considerable picnic.
Your reporter cannot t0rbcar to tender his CRATE
ful acknowledgements to Mrs. Baird, Mr. Redfortl
Mr.. GIN. and MIR. John J. Jcter, 10 whose private
! hospitabc tables. grooming beneath the weight OF
! good things, he was invited, and where they enter
| tancd 4 large number Of their respective friends
| anl acquaintauccs.
Dinner being oYcr the ringing % the bell called
together the assembled tlroug t. hear and witness
the exercises prepared for The occasion by the Sun
| day school scholars and teacher managers con-
sistimg OF Instrumental and vocal music, addresses,
| and dialogues. The mclodcon. excellent In
struncnt. was presided over by Mrs. Belle Fox,
whose graceful and artistic execution of the seye
raj pieces assigned her elected the warInest admi
ration of her lighted auditors.
The following programme was adopted and exc
cuted
|. Prayer. BY Nr. ADncr W. Richardson.
2. Singing. 3y the School.
| ;. Original Address. BY Colin J. McRae.
S. Rainbow. 4 Dialogue BY Misses Lyon,
Cosby, Owen, Walden, Pilkinton, Gary, and
8. Singing. Solo. by Miss Maggie Rcdiord.
| :. Original Address. BY Harry b. Owen.
| ). Singing. BY the School.
\ 9. Dialogue BY Florence Fox and Stella
| 10. Singing. BY the SCHOOL
Wesiger.
le. Singing: Solo BY Henry GIL.
Is. Original Address. By Master Howell Cosby.
| II. Address. BY Miss A. Meredith.
| If time and space allowed me, language
would fall To convey ANYTHING like adequate
idea Of the praise and commcndatlon To which the
superintendent, teachers, and scholars were ent!-
| tied for programme so tudiciously designed and
| SO successfully and brilliantly executed. The adj
dresses and dialogues were In every instance tho
| roughly committed and handsomely delivered.
The singing by the school was excellent, and the
execution Of the solos by such youthful amateurs
was SO perfect and thrilling as To elicit the raptI
rous applause OF the audience II is due to JOSEPH
Il. GILL Esq, to say that the high degree of per-
| fection TO which this school has attained in sing
ing is due to his skifui and untring Instructions.
The girls who engaged In the Dialogue Of the
| Rainbow were dressed In white, each wearing
large sash bearing its appropriate color, and all,
looking very pretty, recited their part In an adj
| mirablc manner.
| Florence Fox and Stella Walker two lovely lit
tie girls six or seven years OF age, with voices rich
with melody, rccltcd their dialogue IN manner
that excited universal surprise and a,!mirat ion.
| Too much cannot be said in commcndation OF the
| addresses By Miss Meredith, Colin McRae, Harry
Owen, and Master Howell Cosby-the latter
| remarkable sprightly boy Of nine years. All Of
| these speakers were vociferously appinudcd.
| The prepared exercises having been concluded,
Captains I. h. Weisiger and William |. Clopton,
ana Dr. A. ). McRae, were called upon and re-
| spondcd briefly.
| AT 81 O'Clock 1t having been announced that the
train was In readiness for the return trip, the
took their seats in the cars, and were soon home
ward-bound. The train arrived In Manchester at
| 7 O'Clock, not an incident accident having
occurred to mar the enjoyment Of the occasion.
| We should by no means omit to notice Mr.. Robert
/ Bowman, the gentlemaply conductor OF the train,
whose popularity, already sufficient to satisfy the
most ambitious, was greatly Increased by his con-