Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-06-15
BAPTIST SOCIAL UNION.

Toasts Responded 10 after MIR. Dear
ing's address.
The average reporter might very proper
ly speak of the banquet at the Brooks
House last Tuesday evening as Every
brilliant function" but it was far more
than that. During the fall and winter
these gatherings Of the Baptist Social
union have been held bi-monthly, the first
at the Brooks House and those following
at the church parlors. Different speakers
have been invited as their guests and after
dinner speaking has been of high order.
At the first banquet Rev. DR.. Butterick
of Albany was the guest, and at subse-
quent gatherings Rev. Mr.. Cooper of
Lynn has spoken on working for young
men" and Successful Bible class Efforts
Rev. w. II. p. Faunce, the president of
Brown University, and others have been
welcome guests and their addresses have
been of a high order.
Subjects such as temperance, education,
Bible-school work, etc, have been brought
to the attention of the members with rare
skill and ability. The closing meeting of
the season was held this week and the
ladies were there in force as the guests of
the members.
The guests of the Social union were
Rev. and Mrs John l.. bearing Of Japan,
who spent a few days with the charch last
fall and whose visit has been remembered
with great pleasure by all.
Plates were laid for about - and at 80
grace was said by Rev Mr.. Morse, pastor
of the Guilford Baptist church. After full
Justice had been done to the bounteous
spread of Landlord Eddy, the president,
| DR.. II. d. Holton, having offered greeting
and welcome to the ladies, introduced the
speaker of the evening, Rev. John l..
bearing, who addressed the company up
on the subject, "The Women Of Japan"
He said he wished at the beginning to
! refer TO two erroneous opinions concern
the women of Japan. The first that they
were of that bright, yivacous, careless,
! impossible type as described or idealized
! by Sir Edwin Arnold; and the second,
that on the other hand they were all Of
| that vile and immoral class which are so
much spoken against at the present time.
II is true that a very large number of the
women Of Japan are today leading life Of
shame, many of them licensed by the
! government to do so, yet it was not true
of the japanese women as class. The
| immoral tone among the large number OF
these women today is the direct outcome
Of a religion which defines obedience" as
the cardinal virtue of woman; not purity
as in America, bu. obedience, blind, nm
hesitating obedience.
After referring TO the ancient history of
Japan and the fact that in the seventh and
eighth centuries the women were the ablest
| leaders of the nation, he spoke of the pre-
| sent conditions there and then referred to
the efforts being made to redeem the lives
| of the japanese women by the missionaries,
and among them all Mr.. bearing said
there was no one who in his opinion was
| accomplishing as much as Miss Clara Con-
verse, Vermont woman, who was former
! ly successful teacher at Vermont
! Academy, SaXtons River.
After the address of Mr.. bearing, which
was packed full of entertaining and in
! structive information. the president was
! himself called upon TO respond to the toast
"The Ladies of Brattleboro," and while
referring most approximately not only to
the great grandmothers who made the
| town famous many years ago, he gave due
recognition TO the wisdom, enterprise, wit
and beauty of those of the present day,
| especially those present.
! Due recognition having been given to
the Women the next toast proposed
was MAN in the Moon and Elsewhere
which was responded to by Miss Mary Hor-
ton very felicitously and wittily. After ex.
pressing surprise that she should have been
! invited TO speak to such a sentiment in
stead of some married woman, she said that
| the nearest solution was that she could
speak in all candor, being answerable to
no one nearer than the "Man in the Moon"
| Among the characteristics of this being
were first, his calm self.complacency; Sec
ond, his pretension to shyness, being fire.
quently compelled to glance from behind
cloud, If at all; third, he was not to be de-
pended upon and frequently withdrew in a
fit of sulks if required to take part in any
thing of unitarian nature instead of or
namental; fourth, he was frequently out
late o'nights and sometimes was in that
condition of "fullness" which in other be-
ings is to be deprecated. If, however, the
claim is correct that there is a woman in
the moon as well, she, the boon reformer,
will surely bring all things out WELL
The sentiment "Our Social Union" was
responded to by Carl S. Hopkins.
At the close DR.. Marble with much trep-
idation ventured TO ask Mrs. bearing, if,
while she might not feel that she could
break over her rule and speak to a mixed
company, perchance she would at least
smile on the assembled group. OF course
she could not refrain and to the smile she
added few very fitting and appreciative
words which were received with much
pleasure and enthusiasm.
At the close of the exercises the pro-
posal was made and warmly approved that
the social union present Mrs. bearing with
an organ for use in the Baptist seminary at
Yokohama. The organ will be prepared
specially for them and soon go out on its
worthy mission, preceding Mr.. and Mrs.
bearing but little, as they expect to re-
turn to Japan about Sept. LIST.
Suffice it to say that Japan and its Won
derful people and possibilities will have a
fresh interest for all since the twice re-
peated visits of these worthy missionaries
On the inquiry as to whether the union
should continue another season there was
a quick response in the affirmative.
| SIOO Harvard SIOO