The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-10-09


down, quaffed lemonade. Refreshments
were served and there was "joy uncon-
tined' till the night was we'll advanced.
The dance order was odd, and the dancers
puzzled their witsito discover if it was writ
ten in voupul1 or some aboriginal dialect
A dancer with the intuition of Chinese
discovered in the riddle the name of the oc-
casion, Harvest Dance" spelled back
wards. Each guest was given as a souvenir
of the evening an ear of corn decked with a
bow of white ribbon.
A VERY delightful reception was given
Rev. j. Edward Wright and wife in the
vestry of the Church of the Messiah on the
evening of last Friday. 1t was given by
the church to mark the completion of the
twenty years work of Mr.. and Mrs. Wright
in this village. There was large number
present in the vestry, and congratulations,
warm and sincere, were showered on the
beloved pastor and his wife. A few simple
floral decorations added to the evenings
enjoyment, and tea and chocolate were
served by the ladies'. During the evening
a letter was read from Rev. Charles A.
Allen, now of New Orleans, who was the
first pastor of the church, preceding Mr..
Wright The letter was written from
Plymouth, Mass, where Mr.. Allen is now
stopping, too i'll with cold to be present
Friday night, az he intended, This was
also the twenty-tirst anniversary of Mr.
Aliens first visit to Montpelier and the
wards organized as the Church of the
Messiah. After congratuating the church
on the twenty years pastorate now just
ended, Mr. Allen writes; need not say
anything to you who know 1t all so well
about the fathfulness, ability and devout
earnestness of this ministry, which, as you
and are all thankful, has not yet ended,
even though a twenty-years' record has
come to an end. | want to assure you,
however, that this has been no obscure min
istry, although your village is hidden away
among the hills of the far North, but that
the singular beauty and power of it are
fully appreciated in our denominations (both
the Unitarian and Universalist) by minis
ters and aymen and that it is now known
even in the West as well as in distant
cities on our Atlantic coast, AS rarely ideal
ministry-as worthy of admiration and
honor as any recorded in former centuries
of Christian history; and the good fortune
of your church and the Burlington church
in being able to retain such pastors for so
! long terms is, in these days of frequent
changes and increasing instability in the
| ministry, a proof that faithful and able
pastorate may find warmly mly-appreciatve
and loyal support, and accomplish the great
| good that long residence in one place may
ensure, where personal influence grows
stronger with all the tender and reverent
associations of the accumulating years.
| Rev. l.. G. Ware of Burlington was present
]
| parish.
REFERENCE was made week or two ago
to the unfurling of flags over school houses
| in Chicago and other cities in the West.
! The practice is spreading rapidly. In a
grammar school in Boston a few days ago a
! beautiful set of colors was thrown out,
amid the cheers of the boys, singing of
patriotic songs and an appropriate speech
| by the master One or two places in Yer
mont, also have caught up the idea. While
the enthusiasm is in its flush and strength
why can not Montpelier take hold of the
movement and run flag up over the Union
school? If there is sentiment which COM
mends itself on the score of both utility and
principle to the American people more than
the love of country, we do not know what
| tits. The word " utility " is used advisedly
The problem of our country in the next
fifty years is to weld together the different
elements that make up our people. Vary
| ing as they do so widely through ethniC
causes and long periods spent under totally
| different environments, they have very few
things in common, socially, religiously and
even politically. In the main, however
they believe in republican institutions; but
with many, principles are vague and prac
tice revolutionary. 1t is not an undulS
roseate view of the future that sees the evo
| luton of a homogeneous, vigorous and per
haps the most highly developed people o
the world out of these opposing elements
As religious strife ceases, as the social anO
industrial skies clear, the hoped-for unfit.
cation will come on apace. But nothing
can be so potent in stilling religious foment
in settling through slow and reasonable
processes the social and industrial problems
and so at length making the people of this
country one people in fact, as the develop
ment of the national spirit, and that, W,
venture to say, can be done quite as surel.
by free display of the countrys flag to thu
young as in any other single way. A sug
gestion which is practicable and perhaps a
good, under all the circumstances, as any
is that the pupils of the Union school bu.
the bunting and the girls make a flag witt
their own hands. The school board woul,
undoubtedly accept the colors, which coul,
be raised in connection with simple eXer
cises This plan of obtaining the flag woul'
be far better in some respects than to pur
chase it with the public money. 1t woulC
interest all the pupils now in the school
and as long as the flag might remain they
would continue to feel something of per
sonal responsibility in encouraging th'
schools work. And now a word on the or
ganization recently formed to assist in secuT
ing better attendance of children at school
The object is eminently practical. 1t is
good thing, and every one knows it, Bu
will it live longer than a brief year or so
Many "good things" have died in less tim
than that in Montpelier. 1t is to be hope
that every public-spirited person in tow
Will ASSIST III one way UT duObneI, duu nv
only now but next year. 1t should be tn
pride of Montpelier that every child o
school age in town is in some school,
N MILLER PRATT, who graduated at tn
Seminary this year, was in town over Sun
day. Mr.. Pratt is now a student at tn
Vermont University, and has recently beel
elected president of the freshman class
80 Frank Donahue returned to For
Payne last Thursday. Three gentlemen
of this vicinity, one of them David Blair G
Barre, accompanied him. == Orrin Dale
of White River junction was in town las
week. - Rev. A. j. Hough lecture,
Monday and Tuesday evenings of this wee
at Rochester in aid of the new Methods
church in that place, - Charles II
, Shipman went to Springfield, Saturday
with his mother, who had been visiting him
to attend the funeral of an aunt - {
! NJ. Bennett w. S. George and Juliu
} Volholm have gone to Boston. 80 Anon
the Montpelier people who have gone t
Gettysburg to attend the exercises ar
Arthur ID. Farwell, w e. Adams and hi
, son John, George A. Peck, Byron Palmer
f. III. Mcclure, g. L.. Blanchard, Colone
Fred e. Smith and Hon. Charles Dewey
, - b. j. Reed is to move to Mortified
this week. He will engage in the grant
buai naaa thara DR. HOraCa Bowen q