The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1899-05-19
The Trumbull Church.
THE CONGREGATIONAL
lists DEDICATE THEIR
NEW CHURCH, LAST
WEEK THURS
DAY.
Interesting Addresses by Prom
inent Clergymen.
GOOD WORK OF THE BUILDING
COMMITTEE.

last week, May IL, to make the dedica-
ton exercises of the new Congregational
church in Trumbull a success. The day
was perfect. We do not forget that a
drenching rain came down after the peo-
pie were we'll in the church and kept it up
| right smartly for several hours but this
| only added to the perfection of the day,
for every drop of the rain was so much
needed that folks were almost 10th to
catch upon their backs what ought to
have fallen upon the ground. Lowell
puts the rare" day in June, but we sus-
pect that 1t comes now and then In May :;
Just to inhale the air on that day after
the rain, as it came laden with the fra
GRANGE OF hundred blossom. burdened
orchards, was better than the odors of
Hymettus. The day was perfect, and so
was about everything else in connection
with the exercises; indeed we have sell
dom been to any event when the high
keynote, struck at the beginning, was go
we'll sustained throughout. This remark
applies even to the eatables; for, to u
an old smile, the tables groaned under
the weight of good things which they
bore. Five hundred were provided for,
300 came; you can imagine what hap
pened. Three hundred had to stretch
their appetites to do the service that 500
ordinary appetites on most occasions do {;
and we think the ladies who presided
over the tables when, after the guests
had gone, they held consultation and
beheld the debris, must have agreed that
the 300 matched their task. One senti-
ment prevailed among all those who
came and saw what the building COM
mittee had accomplished. 1t was this ::
"What pretty church this is How
conveniently all Is arranged! 1t can
only be pleasure to worship in such a
church" Some even Of the ministers,
though with blush it must be recorded,
were wicked enough, as they contrasted
these fine furnishings with the unrelieved
plainness of their own churches, to say
that they would not shed many tears II
a similar accident came their way, pro-
vided, Of course, that the outcome could
be as satisfactory. "You should have
known better,any way, than to have put
80 much money into the repair of the old
church," exclaimed Rev E. G. Fullerton
in his address, land in due time the
Lord took it away; and surmise 1T was
matter of no great regret to any one
except the insurance men, and with them
it was matter of policy" The descrip-
ton of the new church, with some &C.
count of the history of the organization,
has already appeared In THE BEE; we
now confine ourselves to report of the
proceedings on the day of dedication.
People came through the dust long
distances over the country roads and by
train, Bridgeport and Stratford in par
ticular added to the full tide; so that
when the hour of 10 80 came the new
church was filed. 1t was
AN AUDIENCE THAT MADE THE OCCASION
memorable. No doubt in other days,
especially when mud and wind and cloud
and all the rest Of the convenient ex+
cuses intervene to keep the people home
and to make the congregations small,
Brother White will think of this day and
how the pews looked when not solitary
seat remained untitled. The organ pre-
Jude brought out the rich tones Of the
| fine instrument which fills the big niche
in the end of the church. Rev Joel s.
Ives. pastor of the mother church In
Stratford, invoked Gods blessing upon
the work that was to be done, petitioning
that He whom the heaven of heavens
cannot contain might condescend to
manifest His presence in this temple
which mans hands have erected. Rev
John DePeu, of the North church,
Bridgeport, read as the Scripture lesson
the prayer of Solomon in the consecra-
ton Of the ancient temple from the 9Th
chapter of ii Chronicles. After the
anthem had bean finely sung, Rev w. r.
White, the pastor Of the church, spoke
words OF welcome. He said: ST bid you
thrice welcome here to-day. First, I
welcome you as pastor of this venerable
church, organized in 1890, having had an
honorable history, which has passed
through many trying experiences TO ex-
periepce at last destruction by fire In the
| spring Of last year. This church has
frequently been reported as among the
dead and dying. In the words of an
American humorist let me say that this
report IL greatly exaggerated. After an
exhibition Of waat call sublime faith
this site has been purchased and this
church built. All this has been achieved
without asking outside aid. No black
board Will be shown here to-day and no
collection taken. You are hers is our