The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-06-09
THE BOSTON ANNIVERSARIES.

lay before our readers condensed rec
ord of the various exercises of Ami
versary week in Boston, so far as re-
lates to the several organizations of our
church.
UNIVERSALIST SOCIAL UNION.
On Monday evening, May %, nearly
300 people participated in the exercises
connected with the fourth annual fes-
tival of the Universalist Social Union.
The assembly was held in the banquet
hall of the Parker House. The mem
ber5 and guests came in about O'Clock
and for an hour enjoyed a social time.
Seven O'Clock was the hour appointed
for dinner. After the banquet Presi-
dent Horton made cordial address of
welcome, "reminiscences and congratula-
ton. He then introduced Governor
Ames, who was received with applause,
and who, after saying that it was one of
the chief pleasures of the ex ecutive to
attend such meetings, reminded the
audience that, viewed from it's anniver-
sary festivals of four and two years
ago, at which he was present, the
Union had made great gain. The
governor said that he thought he was
before the best-looking set of Univer-
salists he ever was in his life He
further remarked that he was not much
ola theologian, though he had been born
amidst very long and hard theologi-
cal controversy in his native town of
Easton. He gave some very amusing
incidents of the controversy between
the Unitarians and Trinitarians of
that day. AT little later period he
had gone to a school where he was
obliged to attend Baptist church.
The minister was very dull man and
the embryo governor used to fall asleep,
when his teacher, who sat behind,
would rap him over the head with his
cane. This grieved him, and he OBJ
tanned permission of his parents to go
to the Universalist church instead of
the Baptist, after which he "had real
good time" After this prelude the
governor read the following graceful
little speech
GOV. AMEs's SPEECH.
We who hold to a liberal religious
faith have reason to congratulate our
selves that we do so. I would not, if l
could, deny to any one the right to
hold any faith which may seem good to
him, nor the privilege of acting as its
principles dictate, but 1 am happy to
say that to me the terrors of the here
after have but little force when they
are considered in relation to the hopes
that are presented to us. We believe
that we are not to suffer at any time
without hope of relief, and so believing
we are not led into abusing our oppor
tunities, but are encouraged to so i'm
prove them that we may not only be
happy ourselves, but add to the happi-
ness Of all those who are around us.
One of the chief sources of human
happiness is the feeling of friendship.
The man of few friends is a lonely
creature, one who may well be pitied.
We seek to avoid his dilemma. We
see in the assembling Of men and wo-
men an opportunity for mutual i'm
provement, not only for this life, but
for the life beyond, and we ought to
make the most of it. [ think / do not
need to give you this admonition. You
seem to be SO well acquainted that any
words of mine in this direction would
be unnecessary. will content myself,
therefore, by congratulating you on
the fact that you have so fourishing an
organization, in which the ladies are
included. You know that the mission
of woman is to double our joys and di-
vide our sorrows, and you are acting
up to that knowledge.
An organization of this kind, wheth-
or you call it union or club, gains
infinitely by admitting women to its
meetings. They grace every occasion
at which they find it their pleasure to
come, but they are here in an especially
appropriate manner. You do not, of
course, expect speeches from them, but
they inspire you to better efforts in
speech-making. They encourage you
by their presence; they see how you
conduct yourselves when you are at the
club. Now, the advantages to all of
you to be derived from the knowledge
thus gained cannot be stated, for it
will be ever growing in amount. AT
the beginning of this week of anniver-
sary meetings you have taken the hap
piest method of entering upon the spe-
cial work that is before you. May each
of the events of the coming days be as
enjoyable to you as that of this evening.
The next speaker was Mrs. Mary A.
Livermore, who said that she had
hoped, as the governor had said the
women were not to talk, that she
was allowed to be quiet; but the
governor had evidently not learned all
the ways of Universalists, who urge
their women to talk; who lay their
hands on women in ordination and