The Portland daily press., 1897-06-17
THE FRIENDS DISPERSE.
Concluding Sessions Of the New
England Yearly Meeting.
EXPRESSIONS OF BROTHERLY
LOVE INTERCHANGED.

A Women's Meeting for Discipline Held
Yesterday NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the
Joint Session-Next Meeting viii Be
Held at Newport.
The Friends, that society of noble-feat-
ured, warm hearted, God-fearing people,
concluded their New England yearly
meeting, at the Oak street church yester-
day. According to the testimony OF many
of those who have taken the most
prominent part in the sessions the
meeting has been one of unusual inter-
est.
. The meetings of the closing day began
with devotional service at s O'Clock,
and an hour later the women went into
special session for discipline and to
listen to official. reports.
AT IL O'Clock the final business session
began. continuing till 1916.
At the opening of this session, Charles
A. Chace thus addressed the meeting:
1.-THE usual public temperance meeting
has been omitted at this yearly meeting,
and only the member of the temperance
committee who was so imbued with
earnestness that she could not keep still,
has been dropped from the committee.
1 would like to ask why this is"
The question was briefly replied to-,
and regret expressed at the leaving off of
Lucy Shows name from the temperance
committee, but the debate was ended by
the announcement that the calendar for
+nr,> oofiv ~
On the afternoon Of the fourth day.
Epistles to tho yearly meetings of
Friends in Ireland and London, and to
the yearly meetings of the society in
America were read. Some discussion of
the wording of epistles ensued, the appli-
cation of certain scriptural quotations
being specially considered. Tenderness
in the consideration of each others per-
sonal convictions was urged. An amend
ment to one of the epistles was offered
and adopted by the meeting.
An address from the meeting to the
sick and afflicted and another to the
children were read.
The committee on returning minutes
reported in the usual form, and its report
was approved. The visiting ministers
and elders responded to the statement from
the meeting of appreciation of their atten
dance. Expressions of good fellowship
from various representa- lives were also
voiced, and general interchange of fare
well greetings followed.
The committee appointed to confer
with George L. Crossman, in reference to
the Friends school property at Provi-
dence reported as follows:
'.We have attended to our appointment
and also been in conference with the real
estate committee of the school, And it
. IS subject, it has been well managed,
considering all the circumstances.
The attention of the meeting was called
to the approaching celebration of the
18th anniversary of the Friends school
at Providence, on the 22d of this month.
Warm words of appreciation and thanks
were expressed to all who SO kindly and
well entertained Friends during the
meetings.
The next yearly meeting will be held
at Newport, r. T., in June, 1893.
The concluding minute entered on the
clerks records, with the approval of the
meeting, was as follows:
The various affairs of the church that
have claimed our attention have been
considered and acted upon in the spirit
of Christian love.
We have remembered with lively inter-
est our members scattered over the differ.
emit parts of this yearly meeting who,
from physical infirmity or other causes
have been prevented from meeting with
us, but whose thoughts and interests
and prayers have been with and for u.s.
May the God of all comfort, bless them
and make them large partakers of the
riches of His grace.
In bring ing to a close the sessions of
this yearly meeting Of 1897, with the pur-
pose of meeting at the established time
in Newport, R. l., in 1898, if SO permit
ted, we commend each other to the care
of our gracious Lord, in the assurance
that He will establish the work of our
hands upon us, according as it is done
in singleness of heart as unto Him.
John Ellword Paige and Alice W. Max
field, clerks.
The meeting for public worship, held in
the evening, was quite well attended,
though but few Of the visiting Friends
who have been in constant attendance at