Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-19
ANNIVERSARY SERVICES.


| riety at the FIrst Va. ~. thurch LhHt
| Evening.
| The First NJ. E, church was occupied
last evening by the local Women's For
eign Missionary society of the church.
which celebrated on this occasion the
Eighteenth anniversary Of the organiza>
ton of that society. The exercises were
Of an interesting character and were full
of convincing arguments in favor OF the
organization and its work. Mrs. j. 7.
Noftsker, president OF the society. occuN
pied the chair. The first paper read was
an essay on Our Eighteenth Birthday"
by Mrs. G. W. Cue. Mrs. Cue devoted
herself to two subjects-the necessity OF
the organization and its growth. The
social customs and conditions of the
heather were such as to render him mac
cessible to the efforts of men, so much so
as to render the existence of the society
an imperative duty, The women of the
church recognized the voice of God IN
their society, and multitudes of noble and
unScllsn women ndu Ihlu uoNh th'h
lives and devoted their energies to its
splendid work. A comparison of their
work with that of other missionary socie-
ties would show that with vastly less ex.
pensc and no salaried officials they had
given nearly as much money per year as
any OF the older organizations The
amount of money raised last year over
and above all expenses was Sl67, 09S.S5.
The society had fourished until il
had outstripped any and all the Others,
and therefore she was aud should be
crowned queen of all the rest on her
eighteenth birthday.
Mrs. G. B. Kinyon then gave a read
ing, "Watchman, What of the NightH"|
after which there was some singing by a
quartette composed of j. T. NOftsker,
SewalI Dodge and w. c. and Frank Col>
Inns.
Mrs. P. A. Cool then read an essay on
Bombay" a carefully prepared paper
full of interesting facts and information
in regard to the country, the people and
their habits and manner of life, also
sketching the great progress they had
made since the introduction of missions
aries in their midst. Mrs. E. w. Hurst
then read leafet entitled, my Becky's
Conversion" strong argument in
behalf of foreign missions, in which the
leading points were stated in an efrec-
tive manner.
Mrs. NJ NJ. Sturgeon gave a memorial
of Mrs. J. w. Spencer for nearly eighteen
years the honored president of the
society. Her life had been characterized
by self sacrifice from her early childhood |
when she had given the first money she
had been able to earn to the cause in
which she had been such faithful and |
devoted worker in later years. Her life |
here had been one of wonderful courage |
and boundless charity. The present
Methodist church had held its first meet
ing in her house. Her hospitality was
boundless, and strangers and friends |
WGEG Hike WtlCoIlC dJ lltI ubuSt' |
She had always been friend of the
homeless, and there were many in Rock |
Island today who had cause to be CRATE
full to her for such friendship. Although |
again and again the shadow of great
grief had fallen across her pathway, it
had only rendered more cheerful her
character. For fifty years she had been
an untiring worker in the cause of God.
Those years had been characterized by a
self sacrifice that had become second na~
ture with her. Her devotion to this So
ciety and church had been deep and tens
der, and in her last hours she had spoken
lovingly of them and their work. The
measure of love and sacrifice had passed
from sorrow to rest, and well might we
thank God that such as she had lived.
A duet by Mrs, j. W. Crandall and
Miss Lizzie Henderson closed the pros
gramme, after which Rev. Cue conducted
the closing ceremonies,