Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-30
GIVEN A GRACIOUS GREETING
Mr.. and Mrs. William K. Crosby
Welcomed Home.
RECEPTION AT CENTRAL CHURCH
rendered by the Sunday.schooI
Workers of This City.
Interesting Addresses Were Deiiyarsd bv a
Representative of Each of tho Four De-
parrmenrs of Sunday-school Work of
Which AIR. Crosby Ia n Member.

welcomed Mr.. and MIS-. William X.
Crosby home again from their Euro
nean trip at a reception in Genital
Presbyterian Churchruesday night. Mr..
Crosby himself made the hit of the
evening in his reply to the several ad-
dresses of welcome. When he discussed
the cordial relations between this
country and England and urged q
higher political life here.
James II. Applehy of the Sunday
school Superintendeuts' Association
presided, and after prayer by the Rev.
L. A. McCurdy, D. D., announced the
arrangements for the reception, the
scheme of which was to have Mr..
Crosby welcomed by representative
of each of the four departments OF Sun
day-school work Of which he is mem.
Ter, the Bible school and the city,
county and State associations.
George w. Bush spoke for the Bible
school department. Mr.. Bush referred
TO the magnificent reception rendered
Emperor William of Germany upon the
occasion of his visit to his grand
mother, Queen Victoria, and to the
fact that in the course Of it, the band
started up the popular air, "Willie, we
have missed you The speaker re-
marked that separations, although they
are painful, arc not without their COM
rensations. We miss our friends when
they leave us. Yet while they are away,
messages of love, like white winged
messengers, pass between them and
there is constant communication be-
tween those who are absent and those
who are home He continued that after
this separation came the pleasure of
welcoming them home, and he extended
to Mr. and Mrs. Crosby cordial greet
ing tc their old positions Of superinten-
dent and teacher
William II. Foulk spoke for the Will
mingtou Sunday y-school Union. lie said
that between 1850 aud 1855 meeting of
Sunday-schocl workers was held at
Hanover Church and q committee was
appointed to gather in to the respective
schools all the children. Possibly one
moro meeting was held when report
was made on the work. City organiza-
tion seems not to exist after that time,
until more recently. when it remained
for William X. Crosby to put the
wheels in motion for the organization
of the schools of the city. He consulted
on that subject with Joseph Pyle and
Charles Baird. The first meeting was
held in Delaware Avenue Baptist
Church, February Goth, 1892: Mr..
Crosby was member Of the committee
on organization and Mrs. Crosby was q
member of the executive committee,
and continued Is member until 1898.
The death Of Charles Baird made a
serious vacancy. At the annual meet
ing this year, Mr.. Crosby was made
vice. president, and the October meet
ing, of the association had been merged
into this meeting Of reception.
Mr. Fpulk closed with words Of well
come to Mr.. and Mrs. Crosby.
Tho address in behalf sof the Now
Castle County Sunday-school Associa-
tion was made by Peter b. Ayars, its
president. Mr.. Crosby was once presi.
dent of the organization and IL now
member of the executive committee.
Mr.. Ayars deciured that Mr.. Crosby
could not help being a good Sunday
school man, for on one occasion, when
the Sunday-school association dele
gates were going by steamer from this
city to Delaware City, ON Thursday,
when Mrs. Crosby was asked to teach
the Sunday school lesson, she taught
that for the following Sunday, showing
that she did not wait until Saturday
night before beginning its preparation.
To Mr. Crosby, be gave the praise for
having brought the county associa-
tion into existence and referred to him
as one of the men they delight TO honor.
The speaker closed with words of
welcome.
Fl. s. Goldey, vice president for New
Castle county of the State Sunday
school Association, spoke in behalf of
n fa1 &huN
it was mistake to reserve all the good
things we can say about man until
he has passed away He spoke of Mrs
Crosby'5 activity and reliability and
interest in Sunday school work. He
| expressed the hope that Mr.. and Mr..
Crosby would be spared for many years
of usefulness in the work they have
been doing. He welcomed them home
again.
After selection by the choir, Mr..
Crosby made response to the greetings.
| In behalf of Mrs. Crosby and himself
he desired to thank his fellow Sunday
school workers most heartily for be
| generous words of welcome and the
representatives of the Sunday schools
| for their presence and greeting.
He and Mrs. Crosby had had a very
enjoyable holiday, the most delightful
and enjoyable, perhaps, in all their
| lives. He was reminded of minister
he knew in his youth who had the
faculty of making the people twice
glad, glad when he started to preach
and glad when he closed: and so they
started on their trip with bright antici-
pations and enjoyed their travels and
yet were glad to turn homewaId and to
receive the greetings of their friends.
Mr.. Crosby said that former visits
had been largely made to the British
Isles, but this time they determined
to see more Of the continent, and they
had delightful trip through Belgium
and Switzerland; he dwelt for few
moments on the magnificence of the
scenery of Switzerland; ard they
also kvisitod Rome, Venice, Pompeii
and Fesuyius. 1t was thrilling ex-
perience as they stood at the mouth oi
thes crater of the great volcano and
| gazed into its depths.
| AS far as the Sunday-school cause is
concerned, they had little opportunity
to make investigation as TO its prog ess
IN Europe, but they knew that America
is far ahead in it. Little is done ir
that regard on the continent, but In
England, it is making progress. Taken
all in all America is in the forefront
in the matter of organized and efficient
Sunday school work. He maintained
that the very best efforts should be do
voted to the Sunday school. When il
is considered for moment what rossi
bilities are vested in every boy and CIR
in the Sunday schools and that in the
next % years they are to take the places
of the present leaders and hold the
reins Of government 10 church and il
State, how important IL is that they
should hapa the word of God in thnil