The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-14

BY MRS. ROSE b. STEWART.
1.-THE following was prepared for an 'Echo
Meeting" held by the Muncie Union. and given
by request. at the State Convention of Y. P.
G. u.
1T was an enthusiastic Convention!
The quality of its enthusiasm has
never been surpassed in any Universal
ist gathering.
It was this enthusiasm, sincere and
earnest, that will cause Boston '95' to
go down in history as an unparalleled
Convention.
Bulwer Lytton declares that "enthu-
siasm is the genius of sincerity, and
that truth accomplishes no victories
without it."
We first discovered the presenc of
this wonderful enthusiasm several hun.
dred miles from Boston,-early on the
morning Of the 9th of July, after we had
looked about us and discovered ourselves
in the midst of several hundred Univer-
salist Young Peoples Christian Union
ers; and realized that we were speeding
on over the country on train bedecked
with floating streamers of the blue and
the white,-our national symbols for f.
deity and purity. y.-and proclaiming by
triumphant banners on its sides that
this train was filled with the Y, P, 9. U.
Of the Universalist Church. We had
never travelled thus BEFORE proclaiming
undaunted, our mission to the world.-
and naturally this gave US new sensa-
ton.
At intervals, all through the day, we
were invited-first into one car-then to
another to hear this or that State song.
And how they did all sing! The car
roofs heard, and trembled!
And as we neared Boston the songs
were sung oftener and livelier, until it
would seem as if all had been sung out;
but it was not so,-for there was no
wearying of such ardor.
At Fitchburg, the pastor of our
church, with his Union, we're at the
station to extend cordial greeting.
They shouted and sang for us, and we
for them. And SO. singing and rejoic-
ing, we came into Boston.
The enthusiasm OF the opening rally
is something that beggars description.
You should have been there to have felt
it's magnetic thrill.
There .was enthusiasm every where!
1t was expressed in the floating ban
ners OF the white and the blue. that
literally covered theChurch of the Unity
both inside and out; it was expressed by
the chorus of $50 voices drilled especial
ly for this Convention; it was expressed
in the words of welcome to us by the
representative of Boston's Mayor, who
greeted us in behalf of the historic city.
Never was there such a waving of
banners, and Of flags, and clapping Of
hands as greeted each speaker of the
evening;-to DIR. Perrin of Every Day
Church fame; to President Metcalf of
the General Convention; to President
Endicott of the Massachusetts State
Union; to our host, Rev. M. J. Savage; to
Mrs. Mclaughlin. representing our first
missionary effort at Hartman. Tenn;
but with the greatest feeling to our Ma
tional President, Rev. Elmer j. Felt, who
b i'd travelled across the continent to be
with US, from Tacoma, Wash, to Boston,
Mass.
His words of greeting were echoed
from every heart. "Our Union" he said
stands for the great spiritual life OF
Jesus Christ.
"We are organized to build that life
into the lives of men, today. That is
what we are here for!" DIR. Perrin
thrilled us by saying if he were asked
to make great speech. in few words, it
would be this: II am a Universalist.
This was met with tremendous ap-
plause.
Again. we listened, enthralled. to the
new Interpretation of the hand writing
on the WALL mystic emblem the
G. (which stands not only for Chris
tian Union, and reversed-for Universal
ist Church, two grand, good, God given
institutions. but, better still, it stands
for, coming up; coming up from Sec
tarianism to the living of the life of the
Master; a coming up out OF the old. into
the new; that is what our @. U. stands
for!
The enthusiasm that shone in every
Unioner's face, as we were dismissed,
told how good it was "to have been
there!" Life and vigor were shown in
all the carefully prepared papers. and
the short speeches they excited. When
ever an open parliament was called
three. five. sometimes MORE were on
their feet, trying to tell us what their
Unions were doing I'm His Name"
At night we were thrilled by the
speeches of the ablest of our young men.
Rev. DR.. Augusta Chapin-the only SO
titled woman in the world-enthused
us by telling us how to always remain
young.
DIR. Perrin devoted one evening to tell
ing US Of our mission in Japan, illustrat
his lecture with stereopticon views.
Scene after scene he showed us of pic