Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-08-16

trees. The wholesale stores are chiefly in
George street. Pitt street is noted for the
retail trade. We found dust among the
nuisances to which we were exposed in
travelling about. We didn't like to face a
" Buckfelder" or "Southerly Buster" es-
pecially in the region of Surry Hills, as the
air was filled with sand. Still worse was
a hot wind, that would wither grass or
green peas. We fairly wilted under it.
TEA MEETINGS.
In Sidney and the suburbs there are
eight Congregational churches. The min
listers formed an association and monthly
breakfasted in one another's houses. A
ministerial dinner" was provided for them
once in two months, by some of the princi-
pal laymen of the denomination This
would have been pleasant reunion but
for the drinking usages still prevalent there.
Though only about halfthe ministers drank
wine, the Ladies were accustomed after
dinner to retire, and the gentlemen had
their regular toasts. They had also toasts
at dinner attending the laying the found
alton stone of the principal church. 1 am
glad to see that such "social customs" are
becoming obsolete at ecclesiastical gather
ings, even in the old country" DIR. Ly-
man Beecher in his autobiography tells us
to what a frightful extent drinking and
smoking prevailed at ministerial associa-
tions in New England sixty years ago."
We enjoyed better than these social
breakfasts and dinners "the tea meetings, +"
as the anniversary soriees connected with
the churches and Sunday schools are call
ed. Sermons are preached and collections
are taken up for each church for the occa-
sion of its anniversary. A tea meeting is
held the following week for the same OBJ
| ject, addressed by some half dozen minis
tiers. They occur so frequently at some
Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist or Con-
gregatiOnal church anniversary, orare held
for some other charitable or religious OBJ
ject, that ministers have good opportu-
nifty of being introduced and getting ac
quainted with one another
MISSIONARIES.
Here are the headquarters of the London
Missionary Society for the South Sea Is
lands. The new John Williams" theiI
mission ship, corresponding to the morn
ing STAR" called at our port, and our Sun
day school children who had taken stocI
in her, went down to inspect the vessel
We had also the pleasure Of a visit from
five young missionaries and their wives OF
their way to their several stations Re
: tired and superannuated missionaries resid
ed near us who had been pensioned off b,
the Society and preferred, instead of re
turning to England, to close their days il
that bland and genial climate The wild
ow of Aaron Buyocott, the model mission
airy, whose life has been recently publish
ed, was such a neighbor. There were 9th
ers who we found were known to the Am
erican missionaries at Honolulu on on
l touching there afterwards. l spent
e pleasant evening with sister of " the mar
tyr of Erromanga." Many of our peopl
had curiOsities from these islands Som
;. of the missionaries who came to recuperat
spoke in our churches. They had muc
to tell Us of the great revolution accomF
=, lished in "the islands of the sea" by tn
: missionary enterprise, of the regions bt
: yond still unevangelized; and about tn
0 iniquity of the French protectorate owe
e Tahiti. That island which | should hay
liked much to visit, supplied US with bette
u oranges than we could raise; and furnish
u ed beautiful specimens of coral. Aroun
Il it lies an island world, to borrow Chez
: er's rather spread eagle style of expression
>, 1t has associated with it a whole library
Il literature, consisting of voyages, mission
airy accounts, and poetry, with which
had long been familiar. So it was a gre
L disappointment when some friends wei
l. going there that l couldn't visit it befot
$ returning to America.