Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-02-01

except perhaps some good old deacon who
still frowns on the dance and the fatal pro-
cesslon although he may have come to
sometimes question the doctrine of election
on the certainty of eternal damnatlon.
1t is your intention, Mr.. Hastings, that
this building shall be the church home,
that within its walls shall be found all the
decent pleasures that make home lovely
and attractive. That here old and young
shall constantly unite in cheerful companion
ship and gain by relaxation from toll,
strength to follow with renewed courage
those higher thoughts and aspirations that
are essential to we'll spent life.
This home, however, like other we'll or
dered homes is not all for play, for here
must be the centre Of that active life that
makes the success of the church.
Here will be the woman's headquarters,
for this building is above everything the
woman's building, where they will con-
tinue to keep watch and ward over the
church, nourishing, protecting, maintaining
it, as they alone can. To them here will
come many masculine committee, saying
as our old church records have it, THE
report OF executive committee was read
and accepted and, it appearing that the
society was in debt about 500, voted and
chose the executive committee committee
to wait on the Ladies Sewing Society and
request them to hold festival to liquidate
the debt How many debts the ladies
have liquidated, and how many more are
still in store for future sewing societies to
pay unless the financial problems of the
future differ widely from those of the past
Under this roof In coming days will be
held those frequent and delightful social
gatherings and festivities that ever send the
participants away lighter in heart, mind
and pocketbook, while the good ladies
who have provided for their pleasure, re-
main to rejoice over their happy success
and contentedly count the church's gains.
This home must be made the home of the
spiritual and intellectual life Of the church ;
here at times will be held our religious SER
vices; lectures will be given here and into
its hospitable door will come our Sabbath
school, and classes striving to obtain higher
and nobler thought and life; nor will spir-
itual growth be retarded because the echos
of the dance and play still linger, for work
amid surroundings so agreeable and at
tractive will become easier, and the minds
will receive with more eager zest the GOOD
lessons so pleasantly inculcated.
You, sir, now place in our hands the
| means by which with proper and united ac
ton on the part of our society, smull ano
struggling as it is, we may hope in the fu
ture to carry our burdens more success
fully than we have done in the past Among
our women to-day are many who bear, a.
we all know, the heavy responsibilities Of
the present as theoretically and faithfully
as did those wohm they have so worthily
| succeeded, and now let us the men of the
church shake off the lukewarmness ant
indifference that has been too general,
| prevalent among us and strive to become
| more worthy co-workers with them IN th
noble work.
You place in our hands, Mr.. Hastings
| an instrument that must be used to be o
service, an instrument that invites labo
/ and not sloth, industriously, skilfully ant
intellicently used it will accomplish CRANE
results, but not otherwise. You coulc
have eiven us no better gift than thi
church home, if we make it that center o
activity, industry and labor that ever.
home should be, as well as the abode Q
pleasure, JOY and peace.
/ 1t is not so difficult for us to thank yo
in words. for we all feel gratitude tina
seeks expression, but we know that it
not the thanks we speak tonight that ca
recompense or content you Tor this grea
Gift. but it is the thanks that years of faitl
full use of your gift will show that will rel
der to you the reward you deserve and
which YOU are so well entitled for the goo
deed you have done.
/ rejoice in the opportunity afforded N
: tonight to give public expression to I'll
! high appreciation / have for the work tn;
women have done for our church organic
t ton and to testify to the loving veneratio