The Portland daily press., 1884-06-03

BOSTON, May 81.
The anniversaries last week were more than
ordinarily important and well attended-that
is, in comparison with those of the last few
years. For two or three years back certainly
there seemed a great falling off of this interest,
and 1t looked as IL anniversary week, which
had once marked off the season as q great
event, would soon be relegated to the past
But all at once new impetus appears to have
been given, and the anniversaries again take
foremost place in the dongs of the town. Even
the old peculiarities Of the weather came in to
make everything seem natural-that weather
that jumped from hot to cold and from fair
skies to clouds and rain In day. Nobody ev-
er knew an anniversary week pass without
rain and this change in the mercury. 1t is
sort of baptism of memory as well as OF water,
which inevitably brings back the old days
green and smiling and suggestive. don't
know from whence or where came this new
impetus, and doubt If anybody does. Very
likely the churches and societies have seen the
decline OF interest in the past few years and
have made fresh exertions to start up the lust
ing wheels, but this would not SO suddenly
have been met with the response of co-opera-
tion, and it is therefore safe to conclude that
the people themselves had of themselves, and
by themselves, wakened up to the anniversary
taste again. Every fashion comes round, it is
said, in seven years, and why not this fashion
of crowding into one week SORT of yearly hail
and farewell between the various societies and
organizations of church and state. 1t is
most admirable fashion, for it keeps alive old
h0ndq Of Iowa and faith nd uot ks
down old barriers which hinder this love and
faith. One thing is very noticeable in these
later meetings, and that is the likeness of the
ways in which all the denominations conduct
their reunions. From the Congregationalist
to the Unitarian there is an easy sociable sort
of way of talking, a pleasant anecdotal meth
cd of meeting and presenting their subjects OF
thought. which shows YER clearly the progress
of the day. Once the grim Puritan grapplsd
with his subject in solemn, unsmiling fash
ion. Now he stands up and clinches his argu-
ment with a story that sends wave of laugh
ter over the house. For instance, the Rev.
Mr.. Price, President of the Zion's Wesleyan
Institute, of Salisbury, N. c., to illustrate a
point of Christian work, told the story of me-
gro class-meeting where the leader asked an
old delinquent it he had taken any of his mas
ter's chickens that week. mo, not chicken"
was the answer. He repeated the question
concerning the turkeys, the geese and the pigs,
to all of which the darkey answered, "No, not
one,'' and in consequence received the COM
mendation, "Well, bradder Jones, you hab
done berry well this week; you may sit down"
Upon which brudder Jones sits down and whis-
.aio a. alo H. \
ducks he'd he'd mel'
This sharp little story in raising a laugh
must have gone home to some of the little sins
or WEAKNESSES which Thackeray would class
as the "un-found out"
The Congregationaists and the Unitarians
seem to have had the liveliest times-the la
dies night Of the former and the annual festi-
val dinner of the latter calling out some of the
best of their speakers. All the Andover pro-
fessors we're at the Congregational party, and
they came boldly to the front and gave &C
count of their teaching which showed that
they stuck to the creed like band of soldiers.
On Wednesday the Congregationalists had
whole day of it.
At the Unitarian Festival, which was held
at the Clarendon street skating rink, Mr.. Ed
ward Everett Hale and Robert Collyer made
things lively. Mr.. Hale said some of his best
things and told some of his best stories. Once
he made quite sensation; and this was when
he told the story of Samuel Sharpe, who re-
piled to the question of what the Unitarian
creed was by saying that Unftarians were not
very strong upon creed, but that what Unita-
rianism meant was 20 shillings in the pound.
Mr.. Hale went on to explain that this meant
that Sunday and Monday and Tuesday are the
same thing, that what is said in the pulpit
Sunday is reflected down on State street and
Milk street and Atlantic avenue on Wednes-
day. When he made this statement Mr..
Hale said his friends of other denomin atoms
would be inclined to say that it was great
brag for Unitarian minister to make, and
that when they preached from the text of hon.
esty, for instance, it was not exactly needed.
Mr.. Hale admitted this, but further explained
that his 20 shillings to the pound, or 100 cents
on the dollar meant the parsons truth to the
people-that at the Orthodox conference the
speaker will tell his hearers that they are to-
tally depraved ETC., and that in the worldly
caucus next day he will tell the people, If you
can only get at the unbiased voice nof the
American people all win be we'll, for the voice
of the people is the voice OF God. There was
a good deal more of this ingenious reasoning.
| AS there were none but Unitarians there
was great applause. What the Eother
side thought of it next day, if they read the
report, 1 don't know. But one thing is GER
tain, Mr.. Hale, with the rest of the Anniversa-
| ry speakers, seemed to have walked up into
new liveliness, which was almost aggressive
ness. There is no room in this letter to give
other peiHts; but these few that have given
will show the sparkle and life of the re5uve-
mated anniversary week.
| The new club is being talked about now
considerably. The club with the rather prim
/ title "The Puritan Club" We seem to be