The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-04-05
The Aid Society of the Ber
gen Reformed Church.
A JOINT STOCK AFFAIR.
Points on the Art of Theatre Dress
ing---PersOnal Paragraphs About
Jersey City Ladies.


NEWS presents his compliments to The
ladies of Jersey city, and respectfully
dnuiteS their cooperation IN making
this column a feature Of general inter
est and utility. Information and sug-
g~estionS are earnestly solicited, and
assurance is gioen that all coan1naena-
cations aDiU receiUe immediate and
careful attention, and a0iU be regarded
as strictly confidential If the a~criters 80
desire.
l was invited to a lunch party on
Thursday, and of course | went. 1t
was just a little out Of the usual order
of lunch parties, but I enjoyed 1t
hugely. The party was given by h
Ladies' Aid Society of the Bergen Re
formed Church, and was held in the
church parlor. Nearly all the ladies
belonging to the society were present,
and the afternoon was spent by them
in charitable industry.
The Ladies' Aid is the oldest society
in the church, and is composed en-
tirely of married women, who spend
much time in doing good deeds for the
alienation of the sufferings of the
poor. The membership is very large,
and includes nearly all the ladies who
are members of the church. Mrs.
Phillip K. Greene, who is very active
in church work, is president, Mrs.
Fannie Brown secretary, and Mrs.
Walter Brinckerhoff treasurer. Once
every month these ladies meet in the
parlor of the church and sew for the
poor, and arrange plans for many
works of charity.
They are also very active in helping
to meet the current expenses OF the
church and have furnished by their
hard work the pretty lecture room
and parlor. A kitchen perfectly fitted
up with every utensil, would ex-
| pect to find, has also been OF the
| ways in which the society has disposed
of its money. This kitchen is, indeed,
| almost as important as the church
work itself, for it enables the ladies to
give suppers, sociables and similar
entertainments at much less expense
and trouble than they could without it.
At the last meeting of this society 1
found much to interest and entertain
me. After the sewing was almost COM
pleted and toward the close of the
afternoon q number of the ladies COM
menced to prepare tea. | presume, as
the invitation particularly mentioned
this as a lunch party, it would be bet
ter for me to say they prepared lunch.
| And such a lunch-fit for any epicure.
Each lady, when she arrived in the
afternoon, carried a mysterious little
| parcel, the secret of which was not
discovered until the lunch table vas
| spread.
Tea was made on the kitchen fire,
and was served from a pretty urn
which occupied a position of honor at
the head of the sumDtuous table. But
| the best thing of all was the merry
| chat and bright conversation in which
all joined with zest and pleasure.
Mrs. Cornelius Brett, wife of the
pastor, with quiet tact kept all things
going in an even, pleasant way, and
was careful that no little feminine
arguments should mar the occasion,
But everything went along smoothly,
and when the pleasant repast was
over the table vas quickly cleared and
work resumed for a short time.
Mrs. Albert Romano is one of the
active workers in this society and
much is accomplished by her excellent
advice and readiness to share any
work. Mrs. John Morrison, Mrs.
Richard P. Romano, and Mrs. Oliver
Washer are also among the many
earnest workers who give their time
and labor in seeking to be of assist
ance to those who are in need of it.
The society has accomplished a
great deal, not only in clothing the
poor, but in meeting many other de-
mands upon the church for money.
| Concerts, fairs and various entertain
ments are the means used by them for
filling their treasury, which they
never permit to become empty. When
twilight was beginning to throw its
shadows about the handsome old
church, making it impossible for
further work, the ladies departed for
| their homes, well satisfied with having
| spent an afternoon in doing much
good.
Theatre Dressing.
[BSons the Nev Yorl: Suatl