The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-10-30

of Kennebunkport. 1t is far wiser ~
avoid all amusemantsfof doubtful natrra
even If In themselves they may NOT he
harmful. II we could see any good
coming from these amusemeuts we might
feel right In INDUCING In them oursal.
yes. We should strive to develop the
social nature Of our members, and in
this way succeed by the various socinl
methods now operative in our church
1.-THE League as Christian Citizen ),
was the paper by Arthur A. Callaehan
of the Chestnut street of this city. II Ia
a good thing for man to be citizen
of any country. it is good thing TO be
a citizen of this country, but it is in
fnitely better to be a Chr.sglan citizen.
Some say it makes no difference to
me who is eleotad or how election GOES.
1t does make difference and every
Christian should be at the polls and ex-
ercise his right of franchise as well as to
exert his influence for the right.
We oft times talk about certain ones
being elected to Office, but whose fault
Is it if we stay away from the primaries
or caucuses and allow thes, people to he
country is apt to forget his family.
The convention then sang America
after which Rev. W. I. Perrin of South
Boston was introduced and spoke on the
subject of "Visions. Achievements
are born visions. The universe existed
in the thought of G cd before 1t was Gre
ated. The house exlsts in the mind OF
the architect before the sod is even
turned preparatory to laying the founda-
tion. Achievements In our spiritual lives
are born of visions. often think said
the speaker, of the vision that pastor
in this Cit had; how he realized the ne
cessity of banding the young people to-
gether In Christian work. Today we
see the result of that vision In the exis-
tence Of the Christian Endeavor society
and kindred societies of other denomina-
tions. Visions are also born Of the spirit
OF God. The realization of the many in
ventions that we have today are born
OF the spirit of God breathing through
the choas into the mind of man.
The speaker then went on to suggest
what ought not to be the condition OF
affairs that should be righted, one of the
conditions mentioned being the evils of
the rum traffic in which he paid a high
tribute to Neal Dow. On the other
hand, as to the things that ought to be,
the speaker referred to the practical
things of life that should be raken up
and carried out, and to do this, we are in
need of n leader who shall be Christ.
David, Daniel and Solomon were men of
vision. II you want to be men and women
OF achievement, be spiritual. We should
live 80 near to God that we can feel our
connection with the spirit and the di-
vine love. DR.. Perrin spoke eloquently
throughout and held the CLOSEST atten-
ton OF his hearers.
The afternoon exercises were then COM
pleted and the business meeting of the
league was then taken up. The first
business was the election Of officers
which resulted as follows:
President-Rev. j. X. Clifford, Wood
fordz.
Vice -presidents-A. A. Callaghan, PORT
land; Miss Nellie L. Guilford. Old Orc
hard; Miss Nettie Debeck, Westbrook;
Mrs. II. L. Nichols, Kennebunkport.
Secretary-Miss Grace e. Tibbetts, Bid
deford.
Executive Comnlittee-Ira s. Locke,
Woodfords; Miss Belle S. Allen, Portland;
Rev. G. G. Phelan, Westbrook.
An invitation was resolved and accept
ed from the league atWest Kennebunk
inviting the district league to meet with
them next year.
An adjourDmeut was made to the yes
try whero a bountiful supper was en-
joyed.
EVENING SESSION.
At the evening session, after the praise
service and prayer by Rev. A. A. Lew
Ia, beautiful solo was sung by Miss
Card, followed by an address on the Ep-
worth League House by Rev. C. N. Lit
tlefeld of Boston, corresponding secre-
tary of the Boston Missionary Society,
in The Epworth League House. The
Epworth League House Ia the house of
the university settlement, one of the
many branches to the work of the Bos-
ton Missionary Society of the M. E.
Church. 1t is located at "a Hull street,
opposite the Copps Hill burying ground,
in the very midst of the poorest and
most ignorant section of the city. This
seouion, which was once the abode of Bos-
toms aristooracy. is now the a bode of 10
or 10 different nationalities. These peo-
pie are ignorant of all American ideas
and are prejudiced against our Protes-
tant faith and are destitute of the knowl-
edge of good home sand good morals
It Is into the midst of this section that
five years ago we put our Epworth
League House. to be sample home and
to assume the roll of neighbor and friend
to the people.
The house contains 100 rooms and has
In 1t six cultivated, broad minded and
devotsd men and women. The relation
of the residents to the neighborhood
is purely reciprocal. 1t Is to receive as
well as to give. In this section of the
city ara children ny the thousand who
never saw the inside Of well-kept home
How then can they be expected to make
onef And they are no more destitute
of the knowledge that comes from the
sight of home than they are of what
pertains to home making and homs
keeping. More than this they have no
knowledge Of how to take care of their
person, eithsr In keeping themselves
neat and tidy. Many of them are iliite.
rate. They can neither read nor write.
And when 1t comes to that which psr-
tains to moral principal or discern ment.
they are abjeotly destitute. Into ths
Epworth League House are gathered
suoh children and young people as these.
and the fathers and mothsrs of such a.
these. They are formed into classes of
reading, writing, spelling; into the
kindergarten schools, sewing schools.
Industrial schools; into clubs for read
ing, for tho study Of United States histo.
~, for the study and privileges and dn-
ties of American citizenship, and for the
study of the elements of industry and
business. Besides these things they have
their library and stamp savinas banks
their outings and pionics, their Billie