Connecticut western news., 1895-05-30
MEMORIAL SERVICE.

A Memorial service was held in the
 Methodist Episcopal church last Sun
 day at p. m. and every sitting in the
 edi6oe was taken. The church was
 decorated with flags, bunting and flow
 CTS. A large flag was suspended from
 the arch behind the desk, while the desk itself was covered with flag. Ths
 altar rail was wound with bunting. A
 bank of red, white and blue flowers
 rested on 8 table covered with bunting
 at the left of the desk. The chandeliers
 were decorated with small flags, and
 boquets of flowers stood on the altar
 rail, the organ and other conspicuous
 positions. Twenty members of David
 s. Cowles Post, and nine members of
 the W. R. O, were seated in the front
 centre of the church.
 The service was as follows: The Rev
 c. D. Milliken, pastor of the Pilgrim
 Church, read the National Hymn (No.
 10S9), and the congregation joined with
 the choir in singing it. Rev Milliken then read the 33d Psalm. The Rev B.
 Seeholzer. the pastor. offered an impor- tunate but trustful and triumphant prayer. The choir sang hy mn of their own selection, and then Rev Seeholzer read Hymn 1908 "Lord while for all mankind we pray" After the choir had sung the last mentioned hymn, Rev Seeholzer delivered his memorial ser mon. which he stated he preferred not to call sermon as he had looked in vain for several days for suitable text on which to base his remarks. In pre- facing his sermon or address be said 'I was mere boy when the first shot fell at Fort Sumter, so I am child of the wAr-not son of a veteran. I often wish that my father had gone to the war, or that I had been old enough to enlist. welcome you to this church to-day" Rev Seeholzsr's sermon was very impressive one and recounted many thrilling and emotional scenes of the Civil war. Among the many thoughts presented was: The spirit of arbitration, the angel of peace, has now superseded the spirit of war. In ad- dressing the veterans he said "Your mission since the war has been to allsy the bitterness between the North and the South" He related the replies of Gen. Grant to the sympathy extended to Grant by the Confederate generals during Grants last illness at New York and at Mount McGregor. Rev Seehol- Fer told the post it was "their duty to inoculate the youth of our land with patriotic principles. Teach the youth love of country" He told the story of Andersonville and that not one prisoner of the many thousands during the en tire war ever turned traitor to the old flag or deserted to the Rebel cause. He recounted the glorious work the loyal women did in the hospitals and else- where during the war. He related many pathetic incidents of dying soldiers wanting to see "motber" again before they died. He mentioned no text at the beginning of his sermon but now he wanted to give the veterans text, and he stated if any of them lived 25 years longer they would be very old men, but whenever they were called hence he hoped they could, like St. Paul, say Il have fought good fight, I have finished my course, have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me crown of righteousness" etc. h conclusion Rev Seeholzer read the poem the first line of which is .Brave heart, good night" After prayer. Hymn l090 "God bless our native land" was sung and the benediction pro-