The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-07-08

ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST UNIVERSAL
IsT SUNDAY SCHooL.-The services at the Uni
versalist church yesterday were of unusual in
terest. The audience room was very full and
finely decorated with flowers. On the back of
the pulpit recess, in a neat design, were the
words, Suffer little children to come unto
Me" On and about the pulpit were elegant
bouquets and dishes and vases filled with the
choicest flowers. On the communion table lay
bed of roses three feet square, and on the
right stood "a cross made of small bouquets for
the children to be christened On the front of
the desk was large anchor made of the rarest
floral offerings. A new and beautiful idea was
the suspension of cages from all the fixtures
each containing one or two canares, whose
notes blended sweetly with the childrens
songs. Amid the warbling of the birds, the air
laden with the perfume of flowers, and scores
of little children in white it required but little
stretch of the imagination to transport the
spectator to fairy land. The christening SER
vices took place in the forenoon, and twenty
children were presented at the font An inter
esting event was the presentation of three pairs
of twins for the sacred rite. All the little ones
behaved well and did themselves credit by OBJ
serving the proprieties of the occasion. The
pastor, Mr.. Gibbs gave each child kiss and
little boquet as he ended the ceremony, which
the little ones grasped eagerly and warbled their
thanks. The music was by the pupils of the
school. 1t was well selected and effectively
sung. The sermon, which was addressed es-
pecially to the children, was lisa, xi:6.-"And
a little child shall lead them" The subject
was the influence of childhood; what it is and
how it may be exerted." 1t was model COM
position and stood the most crucial test of
sermon; it was attentively listened to by old
and young. 1t abounded in anecdote and illus
tration, and was sometimes quite conversation
al TWAS the right word in the right place.
At the close of the sermon collection was
taken for the benefit of the Sunday School and
the people responded literally to the call
In the afternoon the exercises were continued
the children furnishing the music. The Super
intendent, George Trefethern, in his report,
stated that the whole number of officers, teach
ers and pupils belonging to the school is 1903;
average attendance, 1872, or G3 per cent. Three
deaths have occurred during the year. Sixty
six books have been added to the library, MAX
ing the total number of volumes 1897. The
cash receipts for the lyear, including amount
brought forward from last year were S3G876.
This includes $196.48 contributed by the pupils.
The expenditures were $31949 Addresses
We're made by the pastor, Rev. Mr. Smith of
Claremout, N. H., and by VIM. Writ Virgin,
Esq. The pleasant service ended with the
Lords prayer repeated in concert.
| MIR SMITH at CITY Hall on SATURDAY. ayan;no
had good deal to say about the terrible storms
and avalances among the White Mountains
Boston warned Portland against awful calami-
ties twenty-five years ago while the AT. & st.
Law railroad was being built, yet that institu-
ton has had fair success in getting through this
impossible region.
HERE'S the composition of the anti-Ogdens-
burg meeting at City Hall Saturday evening"
S. L. Carleton, Gen. James ID. Fessenden,