Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-04-22
EASTER DAY OBSERVED
by the Local Churches---An Outline OF
the various Services and Hints OF the
SpecIaI Features introduced.

the various Services and Hints OF the
Special Features introduced.
Easter day dawned clear and bright, full
of the promise of coming life and beauty,
and the festival, whose observance each
wear is more and more general, was joyous
iy celebrated with songs and flowers and
special services by the local churches.
Early in the morning the first of these SER
vices occurred, when, at 7 O'Clock, com
munion was observed at st. MichaeIs
Episcopal church, and at the same hour
the Epworth league and the two Endeavor
societies united in a service in the vestry
of the Methodist church. About 200
young people were present, and very
helpful and inspiring service was the re-
suit. Lewis Gregg II. II. Hackley and
Mrs. f. S. Morse were in charge and l..
W. Hawley at the organ and Clayton
Hackley with the cornet led the singing.
At 1880. the time of the regular morn
ing service, the various houses of worship
were well filled, and for the hour the great
thought of the day, the resurrection from
the dead, was considered by large num-
bers, and beautiful Easter anthems told
the days glad meaning.
At the Congregational church the deco
rations were a simple arrangement of Eas-
| ter lilies and evergreens massed about the
platform, which was very effective. The
| theme of Rev. Mr.. Days sermon was "The
clear word of the Easter prophecy" his
text being John Xxx, 10, "Peace be unto
you," and Ephesians ", 9-10, ''NOw that
he assembled, what is it but that he also de-
scended first into the lower parts of the
earth? He that descended is the same al
so that assembled up far above all, that he
might fill all things" Rev. Mr.. Merriam
assisted at both services. The music was es-
pecially well rendered, Mrs. Hubbard's So
| To-, "He is risen,'' from Gounod's Gre
demption,' being given with much taste.
In the evening occurred the usual Easter
Sunday school concert, pleasing feature
being the cOrnet duet by Messrs. Brigham
and Morse with organ accompaniment.
Mr.. Morse succeeds Mr.. Brigham as cor
netist for the Sunday school, Sunday be-
ing Mr.. Brigham's last day.
At St. Michaels Roman Catholic church
there was an early service, at Q o'clock, at
which the mass of the Innocents was rem
dered by the children of the parochial
school under the direction of the sisters of
St. Joseph, with one of the sisters at the
organ. At 1890 Lambiotte's mass was
| given, the regular choir being assisted by
| L
delivered sermon appropriate to the day
and an Easter offering was made. Stearns's
vespers closed the days services. The
main and the side affairs were very beauti-
| fully trimmed with cut flowers and potted
| plants. An especially interesting feature
of the day was the first appearance before
! the altar of 20 new altar boys. who per
| formed their newly assumed duties at the
second mass and at vespers.
The Universalist church had masses of
| flowers and plants piled up about the plat
| form and pulpit, Easter lilies forming a
large part of the decoration the general
effect being very beautiful. Rev. Mr.
! Sprague spoke in his morning sermon on
The future life in religion. taking as his
! text Mark XVI. 81, and they said
among themselves. Who shall roll Us away
| the stone from the door of the sepuchre?
And when they looked, they saw that the
stone was rolled away: for it was very
! great. He dwelt upon the development
Of the idea of immortality, and traced il
! through the Egyptian, Persian. Buddhist,
| Greek and Jewish teachings to the Christ
! ian. showing how in Christianity the idea
of immortality grew out of the moral and
| spiritual environments, while in the other
| teachings it had purely philosophical ba-
| sis. At the close of the morning service
one person was received into the church.
and the ordinance of the Lords Supper
was observed. The Easter concert at
o clock was an especially enjoyable one,
the music and Rotations being well rem
! dered. a solo by Mr.. Markham, duet by
Mr.. Markham and Miss Kirwan and a cor
net solo by Miss Miller were among the at
tractive numbers of the evenings pro-
gram.
Beautiful Easter lilies in abundance
were tastefully arranged about the altar at
the Unitarian church. Rev. Mr.. Phalen
| spoke upon Resurrection of the dead,
and Mr.. Miller sang impressively an Eas-
ter selection. In the evening the Sunday
school enjoyed their annual Easter CON
cert, singing and Rotations being given
by the children, and another song by Mr..
Miller.
At the Baptist church the platform was
one mass OF flowers, tastefully arranged.
several crosses of cut flowers being notice
able. Rev. Mr.. Parry's Easter sermon
was from the text, "Now is Christ risen
from the dead" l Corinthians XIV. 20,
AT O'Clock the concert given by the sun
day school proved an exceedingly interest
ing service. In addition to the usual class
exercises, songs, etc, there was a selection
by male quartet, the reading of an Easter
story and short address by Rev. Mr.. St.
Dalmas of the Grande Ligne mission
| among the French Roman Catholics of
Quebec. A song in their native tongue by
some % members of Mrs Estey's class of
Swedish young women was an interesting
number.
At ST. Michaers Episcopal church pure
white lilies and roses, with potted plants
and green foliage, were used in decorating
| the altar and altar rails and in front of the
choir stall. A handsome cross of lilies
and roses was placed above the altar.
| The Easter music was rendered by the boy
/ choir, and the rector Rev. Mr.. Collins.
preached from John XIX, 81, 'But these
things are written that We might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God
and that believing We might have life
through his name" the theme being the
resurrection of the dead and the divinity
| OF Christ. Communion was again OBJ
! served. The children's service occurred at
4 o'clock, when the carols were sung. the
Easter offering, for which the children had
been saving through Lent, was made.
amounting to S36, and Rev. Mr.. Collins
and Commander Brown, the superintend
ent of the Sunday school, made short adj
dresses. The children's guild made an Of
fering of flowers to be distributed among
the sick in the parish.
AT the Methodist church the Easter ex-
ercises will be conducted next Sunday.
The Sunday school will give an Easter
missionary concert in the evening.