The Portland daily press., 1901-02-01
LAST EVENINGS MEETING,

Four Days Convention Opens Mo
AuspicIously.
Last evsnins ttee was large congre-
gallon at the Second Parish church
where were held the first sessions OF the
convention. Notwithstanding the inole.
ment weather nearly every seat In the
galleries and auditorium was taken. The
Interior OF the church is prettiiy decorated
In honor of the convention. Long
streamers OF the national colors are sra e.
fully suspended from the centre OF the
ceiling. The pulpit is draped with bg
American flag on which Ia place Afhiel
bearing the letters &C. Il. over the
pulpit is.hupg the familiar motto OF the
society: 'For Christ and the Church
The services BEGAN at 90 o clock with
Rev, RoIIin Il. Hack, the pastor OF the
church, presiding. First came q prai
service, o large chorus OF young ladies'
singing several Eelsntions under this direc-
ton of DR.. Harry NJ. Niekerson. This
singing was grand and aroused the ut
most enthusiasm of the immense congre.
CATION. 1t wss followed ny devotional
exercises conducted by Kew. Bowley
Green, the pastor Of the First Baptist
church. He read the 91st Psalm and
offered fervent prayer. Then there was
more singing, after which pisStaut.w words
Of welcome In behalf OF the Portland pas
tors were spoken by Rev. L. X. Purdy,
the castor OF the Friends church and by
President L.. ID. Marshall Of the Portland
Chriitian Endeavcr Union. in behalf of
the Portland Christian Endeavorers. AS
MIR. Purdy advanced to the platform he
was grests with applause. lie spoke rs
follows:
Not oftsn Is a matron OF twenty per-
Initted 10 welcome to the Old Homestead
children, grandchildren and Rreat-grand-
children. We are glad to see you. Many
of you we have never met before, but
we have heard OF on, and your names
are in the old family lord. Come in.
children. God bless you. Make your
selves at home; Play cars on the sofa,
stand on the parlor chairs, do anything
you want to, and II you Will wait few
moments till Mr. Marshall and / finish
rafting the dishes You shall have some
thing good. We offer to you the fresdom
of our town, and we want you TO have
the best OF times In this CITY by the SEA
which history has 50 beautifully adorned.
"Ueering's Woods" are here, still fresh
and fair. You may wander under tbs
leafless branches OF the Oaks, and think
again the "long, long, thoughts of
YOUTH but L beg of you do not sit down
Tor La grippe is there also. View the
birthplace of LongfeIiow, and dream
yourself poet: the home of Neal Dow
ana drink in the spirit OF reform; and
then 10 and wait In the shadow Of VIII
llston, and let ten thousand Inspirations
for Christian Endeavor thrill your soul
rOrk fnund p1Agf and EaAntiIIll
harbors we nave been continually send
ing forth great quantities of ice, noun
tains OF rock for the monuments and
dwellings OF men, ships from our ship
yards, lumher from our forests and more
enduri ng than all these, the songs OF the
poet and the messages OF the statesmen
But we feel today that our best effort TO
ministsr Co the reffeshment of fever
stricken humanity, to girdle the earth
with song, to preserve II 10y righteous
ness, to lift up monument for our
Lord, and provide safe dwelling PLACES
FOR men was when, twenty years ago I'M
der the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
there was launched the plan to organize
young people pledged to the serv CO OF
Christ and the Church. And now you |
have come to US from far and wide bring |
ing your reports to cheer our hearts on |
our twentieth birthday, and % send us
forth into a decade OF better work. |
Friends, II you feel that you are "brlng |
ing Goals to Newcastle" ana you are |
tenn pied 60 speak mildly or indifTerently |
to US, you will make a great mistake |
We need your most stirring words; we |
need to have brought back to us just that |
which we have scattered wide to others. |
Sometimes we get sluggish. Sometimes |
we lack the enthusiasm that ought al |
ways TO prevail in the birthplace of |
Christian Endeavor. but we do not wish |
1t 90; We love to have our pulse beat |
~N.nt-t ~
grandmother; we do not want to be |
We love the fullness of life |
Then speak to us your very best words, |
and when this convention is over W. VII |
clasp hands, and feel more fervently Bon
ever that "Christian Endeavor lives
In bshalf Of Portland pastors 1 weleo Ee
you. l believe you Will ind among Cs
the heartfelt sympathy with Christian
Endeavor work. Ohi we have our Mon
days when we get q little doubtful
Sometimes we are q little afraid that our
will be sidetracked or some 9TH
or calamity befall the people, but we have
forgotten all that now, q I'd are ready to
shout with the loudest or you. Our
and our pulpits are open to you,
and our hearts are yours, What oetter
address could one make than to repeat
again and again, each time more en-
come, ''welcomef' DIR. Clark, we are
for the work you have been per-
mitted to do, We are proud OF the honoTe
that men have heaped on you In many
lands, and we love you for the way you
have borne those honors, Go on with
your work, travel far and wide, in no
other place will you find warmer well
oome than in your old home, And Tor
your sake, as well as for theirs, and for
our own, We welcome these your oo-work-
srs. Brethren, We love you for your
work S sake. A few miles of spacs, or
some theological nicetiss may seem to
separate us, but the spirit of service and
Of love bind us together. l have heaed
Of one who brought home works of art
from distant land; from out the straw
width which they were packed were scat
tered SEEDS that sprouted flowers that did
more to beautify his native land than all
bis works or art. We are counting much
upon your messages, but We trust also
that while We are unpaoking you in the
way of welcome, while you mingle with
US in daily fellowship, and while We
pack you mp again with our Godspeed,
you may scatter among US an influence
hat shall do even more for the came
Ne love than the best OF your formal
.fforts.
prasfdank Mar ahal alen e,raafed NV an |