Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-10-29

was nearly half-past five o'clock when
the afternoon meeting was brought to
close. Mrs. A. W. Wild of Charlotte,
sided during the sessions with much abil-
ity and tact Mrs. Wild was reelected
president; and Mrs. C.. NJ. Stone of st.
Johnsbury, recording secretary, Miss
Mary c. Torrey of Burlington, cores
ponding secretary. and Mrs. +. NJ. Howard
of st. Johnsbury, treasurer, were also
reelected. as indeed were all the officers
of last year.
The music for the day and evening
meetings was furnished by this choir:
Mrs. j. W. Pitts. Miss May Bolton. Mr..
VI. \. Munro. Mr.. NJ. II. Dana and
Messrs. Coolidge and Thomas of the col
lege. This list of names speaks for itself
and it is scarcely necessary to say that
the singing was excellent. Mrs. G. ID.
Miner presided at the organ in her usual
! fine manner and handled that instrument
as only a few can.
The ushers were all young married la
dies of Middlebury, and performed their
duties with much grace and good humor.
They were Mrs. George NJ. Fletcher, Mrs.
Will II. Bond. Mrs. Oscar ii. Cushman,
Mrs. John II. Stewart and Mrs. w. ID.
Lane.
The public meeting was held in the
evening and there was "A large audience
present to hear the addresses which had
been promised from Rev. DR.. George w.
! Phillips of Rutland. Rev. Mr.. Speare of
Middlebury and others. Mr.. Speare pre-
sided. The exercises of the evening be
gan with an organ voluntary. which was
followed by singing. Mr.. Speare then
read the 72d Psalm and offered prayer,
after which Rev. Mr.. Brooks. at Mr..
Speare's request, read a missionary hymn
and it was sung by the choir
Mr.. Speare then delivered brief but
effective address. His principal thought
was that Providence is always equal TO
new emergencies and that no matter what
the occasion or the crisis may he ProVi-
dcnce always finds a solution for the diff
ticulty. such was the case in the dark
days of our civil war and such was the
case when God raised up the Woman =
Board of Foreign Missions TO assist in
the work of shedding the light of the
gospel ON all lands. Rev. NJ. {. Stcbbin,
of Cornwall next addressed thc mcctiH,-
and spoke for about fifteen minutes. Mr..
StcbbinS dealt with the question of WO-
mans work and growing consequence in
the churches. Statistics show that of
the members of all the Congregational
churches in the land there is an average
of about two women to one man. I'm
Vermont the proportion is about 6O0O
men to about 10000 women. In MasSa-
chusetts the proportion of women is the
largest. the female membership being
about $1,000. the male about 1000 In on
ly one State, Mississippi, and in only one
territory, Montana, is the number of men
greater than that of the women, and in
both of those the total membership is
very small. Mr.. Stebbins desired to see
the influence and prominence of women
in the churches and in church work con.
tinually increase and believed that the
Womans Board of Missions was doing d
great work for God,
After the singing of the 7S4th hymn
Rev. George w. Phillips of Rutland wa,
presented to the audience and delivered Il
short but eloquent address on the value
and necessity of woman's assistance in
church work. Mr.. Phillips followed gen
orally the same lines of thought intro
duced .by the preceding speakers and
dwelt on different aspects of the question
of womans work. Mr., Phillips thought
it hopeful sign that the women are i'll
creasing in numbers and influence in the
church, for he saw that the young men
now growing up are not coming into thu
churches and it would probably be duo
to the efforts of the women of the BOarC
of Missions that the missionary fielt
would hereafter be supplied with work.
ers. Mr.. Phillips hoped the time was q
hand when the doors of the Churche'
would not be shut against women. A
the conclusion of his address Mr.. Phillip
offered prayer. The choir then RENDERED
the S94th hymn, and after benediction
pronounced by Rev. Mr.. Phillips, TIN
meeting dispersed,
The first meeting of the Vernon
branch of the Woman's Board was he'll
in Middlebury, and now the fourteenth
annual meeting, also held here, was prot
ably the best attended and most impol
tant one in the history of the boarC
The increase in strength and numbers be
tween the first meeting and the foul
teenth is "A source of qualification to IA
: of its members and friends.
: EXCURSION TO BOSTON,