New-York tribune., 1878-01-01
WATCHING THE OLD YEAR OUT.
SERVICES AT DIR. HEPWORTH'S CHURCH.
A UNION MEErING-ADDRESs By THE REV. DIR. AR
MITAGE.

MlTAGE.
awe shall have a regular Old-fashioned
Methodist Watch-Night Meeng," said DR.. Hepworth
last evening at the Church of the Disciples "We had
glorious meeting last year, and our house was packed
full don't know just what the order Of the exercises
Will be tonlght-Such meetings are always more
or lc.s Informal" Such proved TO be the ehaiac-
ter Of the meeting, except, perhaps, That III tone
it was somewhat subdued although no less earnest
than the old-lashoned Methodist watch-night service
was to be. When, few minutes before lo ocloch
the choir advanced to the front of the platform
TO sing the "Beneactus' and "Glora,"
congregl ltion had assembled comfortably filling
the Church. II was a union service, IN which
four congregations had uncd-the Fifth Avenue BAPTIST
the First Reformed Episcopal the Fity%eyenh street
Reformed and that OF the Church Of the Disciples On
the platform We're the pastors Of the respective c0ngre
gatlons-ibe Rev. Dr. Armtdg, the Rev Mr Sabine, the
Rev M Lloyd, and the Rev. Dr. Hepworth.
A service OF song aud other devotional exercises
orcupei the greater part Of the first hour Brief al
dresses by the pastors, and prayers ana cNhoitaoh'
ntersper.ed with the singing of popular hymns, pro-
iractcd the service until II O'CLOCK. Precisely al
mat lDLr little clock upon the puplt wlth
which WAS connected chime of be'is, struck
the hour Rising together the congregation caugEt
ND the familiar strains of the Old DOxcloCy. Praise
cod from whom all blessings fOw." Tho hcnc-
dicou followed and then abrcf season Of handsahins
and congratulations, participated In by friends ana
strangers.
Among the speakers during the evening was d.: Armi-
tacc wnose address as follows:
DEtE BRi TnRES iepwOrth sabine Lloyd anu Iyng,
and vour con gleaiiuis As ncishbOrng pd>t0r from
thr bottom OF my heart | wish you Happy New
Year" This wish OF itself, shows mat hope; hWtolShi
I'm the very uatuic Of man-hOpc which TIE shades u Ou
years cannot darIcn. IL Is your own mmoft"iy on!
lee ing its way into the future Is TIE s Oi o cur
nal coming meet You. Tins hope ot the lntHrc 10Y
msy UniUlds to you thc possibilities Ol ths lute; IL
points yOu 10 an open gate through Nh'cl poUiiess
ooI may come Lies cup not yet full, hui you ihlj
oai swccjer draft from than you have ever dIula'
The li; isnre of the present l. pc"g 10 !ou' hIyn
Inc gc, Of midnight closed behind ,he Od 1eai Lc ltt
crlty handed, and Ihc bosom o the New hGaFe5 "ith
cheer aul Whispers gooi thr@S To COME Mheh uo'd.-
is N Il. oi tie uncertainty tie iuturo the! start no
cause lcr dcspoudency. That uncertainty may bes' eitah
s;Icag and roacc. Mans desires are 10 n'e 10 nm
than ms po.s -spnshe one are IneaNul a. tle oln.f
miil,ss II you NeC peri cty sure o1 az ;"' 'ls
New Ycir brings, you coui scarcely welcome IL; ~ Is
the perchaoc, tnc uncertain. the unkho%h apont % II
which gives its charm, is z'st Tie weary "d!lIrr
the tOi!some TRACK Is ntr ca t. ''G iHnc
by the Unforeseen. ULap Just u, iyFe IN nm -
amt r,sl viii he found. No want Is SO great Dn iHe
miur, supply it, 10 burden so great Dat tie itio
an no :, OF affairs 50 enanged but that the future can
ITnr rrl,a.e II .ncc as The New Year brnSs hope, II
HlSi Hra% Of the .i hl H.'" IA, a,ad al % viii lie
OH Year. tut lives over into the NeWi aui ne is
10 be- Your Cutie through the New ~ t'lOush l'r o.
Wcli may wish each other - Ha?py New, lcai,
and always mean what we say II j Is uttered III !" II
uInrhnt -. the wish tor a Merry tirs mas" week
ago For hundreds OF years al. 4ohS tne me Oh
as warm and a> fresh as sYer Man cNeiywlrlc r,tsN
out 10 his fellow tnc fluent words crys1ih1eu latO I'm,
Andly formula. Hut especially wherever ne heitl Giu
luSh IAN /, spoken 500; q, me flsl dfy e" tue
Woman dud tii!id j thl"Nu uG oit
in, soul, wish. Al over, II il Il li"pp -" ltf
sow, why mast n3ppy De the word th%t We u
Nuy not "A prosperous, or a cheerful OF Il -"d,
or even merry Neg lcaVl 1t must be " happi,
because tlc wish be expressed 10y 10 "tner
word L Is sarewd curi, rr1vcrbia, puts SO
rtn IN little space and means just Whtt II SAYS 1ue
wisdom and hnJint>. our far BACK ancestors apiO-
pr,acly shaped Itself into this pirticuar sentence oil
goodwill. amt nobody ever serks TO sLpcIrde or
chang, or improve the legacy, "uaPpy New AR;
Wne. our language y0uh@ Just forming ITSELF ihc
m.puluy OF each distinct word was H. crisp cedf ana
accurately cut .s sh from tho mint Ana II 5ou
look a. trSc words when they were hr>t sent iOiti mo
circulation, you VIII lind n meaning IN th'li
wnicn lies Acry deep in the heart oi humanity
itself Thty are words Ot tbc llps-ney spring from
a deeper wen. "a Happy New Year Nheu TIE ola
English folk tock up the word "bapP into tleir car.
r.ry OF speech. il pressed the good that mght nap
10 w. the good at nj -hi happen; that H. not YET DuI
thgt y, .h may cOu.. ii 20 down 10 the FOOT Ul
the word. fl ont0mp,atrs GOOD IN store Tor H. lO an
remember the hcutilll Ot the word III the bo.A OI
Ruth "Snr went out o. gleau and her hap WAS To Sht
on a pant % tie field belonging - lJaz.' II
1T was her hap" and 1t made her happy
Tor HE Now you will the htncsS oi the Wish
"A Happy New Year