Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-05
OUT AND ABOUT
is MIR. JEFFERSON TO BE DIR
HORR'S SUCCESSOR.

HoRR's SUCCESSOR.
Piedmont Church New Years Reception
Rev. and Mrs. Jefferson of Chelsea
Guests Other Church News-Allen
Club Members.
Piedmont Church, instead of having
the New Years banquet which has been
an annual feature of the church life
hitherto. determined to give itself New
Years reception this year. The recep-
ton took place Tuesday night, and was
attended by about 200 of the PARISH
toner's.
The interest OF the occasion was
heightened by the. presence of Rev.
Charles E. JEFFERSON OF chelsea, who
has been mentioned as possible sue
cessor to Rev. DIR. Elijah Horr, whose
connection with Piedmont Church ended
last July. The receiving party included
beside Rev. and Mrs. Jefferson, Mr.. c.
Henry Hutchins, superintendent of the
Sunday school, Mrs. Hutchins, Hon. E.
I. Marble, Deacon and Mrs. William
Woodward, Deacon B. T. Pettengll.
Mrs. E. B. Knowles and Mrs. c. F. Car
roll They stood in the ladies' parlor.
illS SuSSlS were pTGSeHlGu Dy IL HuI0-
Der of the younger men of the parish,
among whom We're Mr.. John Higgins,
Mr. Aldus c. Higgins, DR.. H. L. Wheel
er, Mr.. c. e. Hildreth, Mrs. c. F. Mar
BILE and Mr.. f. L. Miller.
There was also general reception
committee composed of the standing
and outlook committees of the church,
the duty Of whose members was to in
troduce guests to each other and make
things pleasant generally. The persons
who assisted in this way were Messrs.
A. M. Stone, Horatio B. Lincoln, ThoS.
Hamilton, L. V. K. Van de Mark, Gin
ton M. Dyer A. w. Edison, r. C. Tay-
lor, c. A Hill, J. w, Higgins, E. M.
Bond, E. A. Day, Mrs. G. H. Miller, Mrs.
G. F. Marble. The committee of general
arrangements was composed of Mr..
William Woodward, Mr.. G. F. Carroll,
Mrs. F. B. Knowles, Mrs, G. H. Miller,
Mrs. G. F. Marble.
Frappe and cakes were served under
the direction of Mrs. c. F. Marble and
Mrs. George Miller from four little ia
bles presided over by Mrs. A. H. Stone,
Mrs. A. NJ. Stone, Mrs. ]. E. Orr, Miss
Ruth Stone Mrs. F. A. Mcclure Mrs
Edward Hale, Mrs M. P. Higgins. The
young girls who served were from the
Sunday school, and included Misses
| Alice Higgins. Edith Henderson, Lila
Davis, Marie Parmelee, May Thayer,
Ethel Jourdan, Sadie Warren, Edna
Solomon, Nellie Tolman, Bertha Cham
berlain, Helen Edison, Annie Pettengill,
Mabel Shepherd, Bertha Reed, Ethel
JoSselyn, Gertrude Stone, Nellie Stone.
Since DR.. Horr's resignation from
Piedmont Church, year ago, the
| sta, hoe
| been looking about for his successor.
Prof. George Harris of Andover has
filled the pulpit more frequently than
any other preacher during the interreg-
mum, and. he will preach Sunday. Of
| the so or more men who have come to
the notice Of the committee, three or
! four have approved themselves to the
tastes and wishes of the com
mittee sufficiently to be regard
ture pastors of Piedmont Church, but
it is hardly fair to place Rev. Charles
| E. Jefferson of Chelsea in this category.
much as many of the parishioners would
like to do so. In the first place, he has
never preached IN the church, although
| invited to do so, Several of the church
members have gone to Chelsea to hear
| him, and he spoke in Worcester before
! the Congregational Club last winter,
and at the state association in Plyn-
| outh Church last spring. In the sec
I ond place no understanding has been
reached between the standing commit
tee and the congregation as to whether
| they really desire to have Mr.. Jefferson
settled over them. Mr.. Jefferson is an
derstooG to have rejected several offers
the past year, and the Piedmont stand
hing committee does not feel confident
that even if asked he would consider
4 favorably a proposal to come to Wor-
i cester. He is settled over prosperous
church, Would he care to resign in or
! der to settle in Piedmont? He did not
| come to Worcester, looking for posi-
! ton, and his presence at the reception
| last night is not absolute proof that he
desires to be regarded as a candidate or
that he is so regarded by the standing
committee.
At least, that is what is said by MEM
bers of the committee, but they admit
that he came to Worcester to look over
| the field, and give some of the promi-
nent parishioners a chance to meet him.
AS yet no official recognition has been
! accorded him by the committee, so that
at present, at least he is to be regard
ed simply in the light of visitor to
Mr.. and Mrs. c. Henry Hutchins, whose
guest he has been while here.
Mr. Jefferson is at present pastor of
| Central Congregational Church. which
has a membership of over 700-about the
same as Piedmont. He was ordained
| and installed in 1887. His pastorate
has been successful, for, though only 81
years of age, he is a strong preacher,
prominent in Endeavor work, and a
good organizer. Personally he is Of
medium size, with clear-cut features
and brown hair and eyes. He wears
| glasses, and is rather like an Elzevir
| edition of Richard Mansfield or quarto
| Of Jules Jordan. Mrs. Jefferson is a
| young and pretty woman.
There is some regret among the mem
bers of the church that Rev. Philip H.
| Cole of Schenectady, N. Y, was not
| called last fall. He was strongly rec
| commended, and the committee thought
| we'll of him; he had preached at Pied
mont, and was well liked. But he was
in haste to complete his arrangements,
the standing committee was not pre-
! pared to hurry matters, and he went
elsewhere. There is no doubt but that
many members Of the church would be
pleased to have Mr.. Jefferson settled
over them us pastor.
Mr.. Arthur M. Stone is spending the
week in Baltimore He will go west
| before returning to Worcester.
A very quiet, but nevertheless very
charming home wedding took place at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert R.
Strong, 81 John street, Tuesday after
noon, at o'clock, when their daughter,
Miss Lavinia Elizabeth Strong, was
married to Charles Herbert Sparrell.
Only immediate relatives and intimate
personal friends of the bride and groom
were present. Rev. NJ. H. Harris d. D.,