The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1904-01-08


EDUCATIONAL PEOPLE SHOWS THAT
SPLENDID RESULT ACCOMPLISHED IN
19O3.-AN IDEAL NIGHT BRINGS OUT
A LARGE NUMBER OF THE 'OLD
GUARD"
1t has not been ideal weather since;
but it was just the thing last Friday
evening to make church gathering a
royal success, if the weather can do it
all. AS Mr. Barker said in opening the
order of the evening: Snow, dear
friends, the moon is all right, the
sleighing is all right, our reports, I am
sure, will show that the work we have
done in 1908 has been all right, the
cooking which the ladies have done in
preparing this banquet is all right, no
man here will doubt that; why, what
could a mortal wish more?" Every
body knows who has studied into the
problem at all, that it is yearly becom-
ing more of problem to solve how to
keep the rural church in New England
up to anything like a standard Of
all sides at the annual meeting the
testimony was that the last year had
been the best year the church has ever
known, it speaks volumes for the
united spirit of hearty devotion that
binds together pastor and people. L.
c. Morris, the Ecclesiastical society S
energetic treasurer, to whose untiring
zeal and, it might be added, to whose
Astounding good humor the financial
success of the church is largely due,
made rough estimate at the close OF
the meeting from all the reports sub
mitted, and found that about $4,000
had been raised in 1908; and this has
been done without any hysterical ap-
peals or pyrotechnic display, but simply
by all going ahead to do the next thing
that lay in the path of each one. This
yyear has been notable in the church IS
history for two things; the repairing
of the church interior, identifying and
enriching it: at a cost of nearly $1,000,
and the gift by two devoted friends Of
the church Of a second Gospel wagon
which, taking in the route of Hunting.
town and Palestine, has brought some
Is children into the privileges of God s
house who otherwise would spend the
Sabbath day as any other day, and has
brought new life and zeal for work
into the whole church as we'll. Mr.
Barker, in speaking spiritedly about
what the wagon had done, truly said:
''The day has gone by when the coun-
try church can decide that it has full
filed its entire duty by ringing the
historic bell on Sunday morning, open
ing it's doors and ministering to the
handful of the faithful who may wan
der in. The old line, direct in descent
from the Puritans, is fast passing
away and must be replaced, if it is re-
placed at all, by those of alien birth.
If these old country churches are to
be saved, they must be saved, not by
easy going through we'll worn ruts Of
service, but by valiant self-devotion
and earnest heroism. If there has been
one watchword and motive that more
than any other has inspired my service
here, it has been this: Keep the CEN
trail church strong. Let that be the
nucleus and radia ting center of earnest
endeavor. Do not repeat the folly of
dissipating your forces by establishing
separate organizations in every little
neighborhood three or four miles away
from your church at the center. Do
To
hoods. Reach them by all means, but
reach them by sending workers out
from your strengthened central church,
or, better yet, send your wagon to
them and, by the gentle persuasion Of
an earnest effort to help them, compel
them to come in"
Three tables had been arranged to
fill up the prayer-meeting room. They
had been neatly spread, and bright
lamps and ferns laid in the shape of
stars gave the added touch which
showed the deft hand of the one who
stands behind all such functions in the
life Of the church and makes them go,
the honored and loved president of the
Ladies' Aid society, Mrs W. M. Rey-
nolds. This star thus represented
must have been the star Of hope and
good fortune, for hopefulness was ex-
pressed in every ones face and the
ring of cheeriness was in every ones |
voice.
A delicate little thing that was done
after the pastor had invoked Gods |
blessing upon the gathering was the
despatching of a messenger TO convey
to 'shut-in" one near by the New
Years greetings and Christian greet
ing Of all assembled. For some time
even conversation dulled as unflagging
attention was given to the good things |
provided for the inner man. The three |
tables were filled and the number over
flowed to table improvised on the
emergency. Some 10 persons sat down,
the largest annual meeting any one re-
members.