The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-12-28
Christmas i'm MONTPELIER.

Very unlike the green Christmas OF last
year was that Of '92, which was very white
and very fierce. The wind howled, and
blew the powdery snow into eddying, blind
ing clouds, and the atmosphere was wick
edly cold. Indoors, however, peace, good
will and good cheer reigned.
Christmas services were held at all the
churches. At st. Augustine's midnight
mass ushered in the birthday of our Lord,
and Sunday mass was said at and 10: 80 A.
N. AT the latter mass Father Sullivan
preached strong sermon. The music was
elaborate.
At Bethany the regular service was car
ried out in the morning, with an appropri-
ate sermon by the pastor. The choir sang
Bucks festival Te Deum in G.; "And there
were shepherds" Holden; and " The birth
day of TIE King" Neidlinger. In the even
ing there was concert by the Sunday
school, assisted by the choir and Mr.. Hol-
tons cornet. The church was very prettily
trimmed
The excellent music at the Unitarian
church Christmas morning was rendered by
sextette-F. w. Bancroft, George A.
Knapp, Burt NJ. Shepard, Carl Shepard
Mrs f. L. Pitkin, and Mrs. II. NJ. willard
The evening exercises included carols by
the school and choir, with solos by Mr..
Bancroft, Mrs. Pitkin, aud Mrs Willard;
IDEAS Of Santa Claus, by six boys of Miss
CATERS class reading by Harley Darling;
recitations, Rollo Blanchard and Garlic
Richardson; Building of the Ladder" by
Mrs. Harlow Smiths class; solo by Bertha
Dewing A letter from Mr. Wright was
read, and Superintendent Andrews an
nounced that Lucy Gould had been absent
from Sunday school once during the year,
and then on account of illness. The an
nouncement was also made that there
would be supper for the Sunday school
this evening, from five till seven, after
which there would be an entertainment and
social for the grown-ups. Instead of the
benediction, the choir chanted the Lords
Prayer. The church was handsomely
trimmed with festoons of evergreen, in
cluding two big bells.
Az the Metnodist church the pastor
preached from Luke ii: 10" And the shep-
herds said, let us now go into Bethlehem"
| The music comprised solo by Miss Myra
b Ross, Night of Nights" and the an
them, Hark! what mean those holy
voices?" In the evening the regular prayer
meeting was held
Christ church was gaily decked for the
! festival, Rope cedar was twisted about the
pillars, and iestooned in profusion through
the center OF the church. In the windows
was cedar, and striking contrast was the
Ella Dewey Pitkin memorial window,
which was decked with pink and white car
! nations. Saturday night was devoted to the
chidren's festival, with its carols and
| heavily laden tree, on which was purse
| OF money for the rector. The rector gave
luded to the chilly days of the Puritans,
when Christmas was almost prohibited
Sunday morning, for the first time, was held
the full Christmas service according to the
revised prayer book. Holy communion
was administered, and regular Sunday
school services were held.
Monday evening aU Bethany the Sunday
school held its festival. There was tree
bowed down by presents, Christmas can
tata, and reclatuns by the liule folks
Will Smith and George More appeared in
double reindeer act, and Theron Cotton
personated Santa Claus.
AT the Methodist church the cantata,
Jolly Christmas" was presented, under
the efficient superintendence OF w q. Tap
lin. Walter Iaplin was santa Claus, :"
aud the other leading parts were assumed
by Anna Mayo, Mary Hough, Bert Yaw,
and Chester Waller. Two Christmas trees
were stripped.
The Baptists had the traditional tree,
with supper aud social. The young folks
r, cited and sang, and merrily plundered
the tree, A twenty-dollar gold piece was
presented to the pastor, Rev, o. Web
ster.