The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-26
LATEST FAIR HAVEN NEWS
VARIOUS ITEMS OF INTEREST
 HERE AND THERE.


 Although the weather of Christmas day was cold and cheerless, it only served to make the day brighter in the homes of the people. Probably never before had 50 extensive prepar- ations for the celebration for the great festival been made. The buying of gifts during the past week, it is said, was never on so extensive a scale and all preparations were on the same liberal scale.
 At the several churches the day was observed extensively; choirs had re- hearsed many times their special music, eloquent sermons were preached by pastors and church interiors decorated with evergreen. The church pro grammes have been publishedsdn this paper. Despite the cold large congre- gations gathered in all the churches.
 At St Francis R. c. church there were services at 5, ', S:sO, 9:2O and 1O:3O a. m.-the first and last services were solemn high masses. The quartette con sisted of Mrs. L. Sullivan, Miss Marie Ward, ". Stoddard and J. E. Blatchley; Miss Teressa A. Rohan, organist, and ". J. Rohan, director. There were also yespers at 3 p. m.
 The services at the Grand Avenue Baptist church included an eloquent sermon by the pastor, the Rev. E. w. Stone, in the morning on the subject, ''The Wonderful" It was the opinion of many that they had never before listened to a better Christmas sermon. There was good music during the day by the chorus choir. under the direc- ton Of Miss Ida May Hendee. Preced- ing the morning service came the pro cessional, Joy to the World In the evening there were Christmas selec- tions, the cantata, "Immanuel,n by Doane, and short sermon by the pas tor on HThe Star of Bethlehem" There was also a baptismal service, the pas tor administering the rite to husband and wife.
 The auditorium of the Grand Avenue Congregational church was handsomely decorated with evergreen festoons and wreaths and with palms and flowers about the pulpit platform. The pastor, Rev. Dr. Sheath, preached an excellent sermon in the morning on the theme, "on Earth Peace Among Men.' There was special music. In the evening there was Christmas song service by the choir, with an address by the pas tor, ''An Evening in Modern Bethle- hem. Tn the morning the following were received on confession of faith: Harry ". Hall, Lloyd NJ. Salisbury, Elizabeth L. Oskins, Dora J Smith, Bessie N. Slover Lulu J. Tweedale, Leah B. Tweedale, Harry F. Daggett, William C. Johnson. Bert " Hotchkiss, Cora M. Stevens, Harry Lawson and Benjamin H. Storer. The Christmas exercises for the primary department were held Saturday afternoon. and this evening will occur the exercises for the Sunday school.
 Under the direction of committed, of which E. R. Slater was chairman, the interior of the East Pearl Dstreet M. F. church was prettily and appropri- ately decorated with festoons and wreaths of evergreen At 10:30 d. m. the pastor, Rev. P. (. Tullar, delivered a fine sermon and there was appropri- ate music. The evening service was a programme of Christmas music by the vested choir and included the cantata, '"The Holy Infant" by Bullard. Inter esting exercises for the children of the primary department were held Satur- l day evening. There were singing and recitations by the Sunday school. and Superintendent r. J. Mansfield of the Sunday school impersonated Santa | Claus. There was a box of candy for each child and the gifts from the | Christmas tree This evening at 6:sO will take place the Christmas entertain ment for the Sunday school. There will be eantata with solos and duettes and a very interesting programme. Yester- day afternoon at the close of the Sun day school exercises, each of the 400 members was present with a bunch of holly tied with a red ribbon and an ap- | Ipropriately inscribed card in verse, and the words Christmas, 1904
 Services at Grace F. E. church were very interesting as usual on Christmas, Iwith excellent sermons by the rector, Rev. MT. Alcott, morning and evening. Excellent musical programmes were lrendered by the vested choir of twenty men and boys, under the direction of Benjamin F. Rungle, organist and choirmaster.
 I At St. James church an interesting sermon was preached by the rector, Rev. Dr. Phillips, in the morning. There
 were fine musical services by the quar- I tette at this church, composed of Miss Bertha Warner, soprano; Miss Florence Bradley, contralto; Frank C. Squires, tenor, and Lewis Chamberlain, bari tone, assisted at both services by Miss Belle Manross Sigourney. violinit, and a second quartette composed of Miss Ruby Street, soprano; Mrs. Maud Klock Ball, contralto; George w. Cory, tenor, and George L. Hamilton, bass. The music in the evening included the Christmas cantata. 9rhe New Born King"
 Elder A. w. Bradford of Springfield preached two good sermons at the Church of the Second Advent. There was social and song service at ' p. m.
 At St. Andrews M. E. church in the morning the choir rendered special Christmas music, and the pastor, Rev. Martin o. Lepley, preached an appro- priate sermon. The Sunday school gave a Christmas concert in the evening at 1 6:3d o'clock.
 < Saturday was a busy day at Station