Evening star., 1904-03-22
CLUBS ANNUAL DINNER
Congregational Church Mem
bers at Social Function.
MUSIC AND ADDRESSES
THE SANCTITY OF HOME THEME
OF DISCOURSE.
Annual Election of Officers Occurs al
Business Session-List Of
the Guests.

The Washington Congregational Ciue, the
object of which is to foster among the
members of the Congregational churches
and societies of the city more friendly ana
intimate acquaintance. and to promote the
interests of CongregationaIism and the gen.
eraI welfare. held its thirty-ninth annuai
meeting at Mount Pleasant Congregational
Church 14th street and Columbia road, last
evening. The program consisted of re-
ception, beginning at o'clock; business
meeting. lasting from 6:30 o'clock until
o'clock, and banquet followed by mu-
sical and literary program. About 2Oo
members and guests were present during
the evening. The church parlors and din.
ing rooms were fittingly decorated for the
occasion.
At the business meeting officers of the
club for the ensuing year were chosen as
/ follows: President, Charles s. Clark; vice
presidents, Rev. S. M. Newman, Norton IA.
Little, M. V. Baldwin and Rev. D. w.
Montgomery; secretary. .. M. McPnersoh'
treasurer jerome F. Johnson.
The feature which came after the dinner
was, in many respects, the most pleasing
of the program. The musical numbers were
furnished by Mrs Thomas c. Moves, WHO
sang Nevin's THE Rosary and Pansles,
and by DIR. Charles Bliss.
The speakers were Representative J. Adam
Bede of Minnesota, Mrs Sterling n. Brown,
Rev. Edward Everett Hale. d. D., and Rev.
c. C. Crefgan. D. d. OF New York city.
Theme of the Addresses.
The theme of the evening was The
Home" each of the addresses touching in
some way upon it. Mr.. Bede made the
chief address. He was introduced in fe"
remarks by the former president of the
club Rev. John l.. Ewell. After remark
ing that he thought the world is growing
better instead of worse every day, ana
making mention of few of the difficulties
with which one has to contend when teach
ing in the home. Mr.. Bede went ON TO say
"A menace to the home Efe in city IS
the fat 1t has been too well said that
there are too many 'sharpS in our flats. lc
is we'll to go upward, but on this earth it IS
as we'll to go sideWise-out into the SUBURBS
to live We should know more OF the
country. ] remember a description Jacop
RiiS gave once of open air excursion
some children took from New York. When
they saw herd of cows chewing their cuoo
they wanted to know whether or not the
farmer had been buying chewing gum for
the whole bunch. We want TO know
more of the country.
He suggested that children nowadays are
getting smart sooner, and that the terms
father and mother are going out of use.
But after all has been said, he contin-
ued Il believe the sweetest happiness is in
the middle class American home. around
the fireside. True, there are many million
aires that are happy; it is also true that
many cannot sleep for thinking what they
are going TO do with their wealth. Too
many millionaires have done ninety days in
South Dakota to gain happiness.
Largely Matter of Mind.
Happiness is largely in the mind Our
idea of happiness has changed-been e.e-
waited Why look back at Henry VIII!
Think of Edward the SEVENTH was
tempted to say the Seven Spot-with all
those wives. The only difference between
our happiness and King Henry's is in the
number of wives Why, don't you remem-
ber that he used to go around killing his
wives. disregarding the game laws? None
of those girls wore shirt waists or rode
bicycles
Go back 10 Moses. They let him get
into sight of the Jordan but they didn't
let him get in. No family in Washington
had such disrespectful children as some OF
Solomons.
.'Then, we have got better religious
feeling 1t used to be you could tell how
often a Baptist had been in Boston by the
hicks in his ears. l know out in my coun-
try some Protestants wouldn't go to
party once because they were using Roman
candles. We are all together now A
choir leader out west had tuned her voice
to sing When We've Been There Thou
sand Years about to the ceiling. FINALLY
some one suggested she make it 800 and all
would join in. We have all Joined in now"
Home of Colored People
Mrs. Brown read a paper on ''The Devel-
opment of the Home Among the Coiored
People She said slavery had destroyed
the tender instincts of the coored women,
leading them to marry men as stock Were
mated; but there has been improvement
since the war and she thought the eradi-
cation of the fiat and the alley meant more
for the colo-ed home than for the white
home.
Dr. Hale when he was introduced to give
"reminiscences of the New England home,
said he thought the hour little late
for "reminiscences. He referred to the home
as the place above all others where there
should be love. Continuing, he said:
Il see we are to sing Home, Sweet
Home this evening. l think of the mother
of the author of that song, and of the
father. He was a confirmed drunkard l
remember the story of how the mother
tied note to dogs tail and put the dog
out of the window to go to a neighbor's
house. perhaps to summon aid and save
the family from starvation. If he could
write, BE it ever so humble. there is no
place like home, why cannot always
say that?'
The last speaker. Rev DR.. Crefgan, spoke
rin9xy hon,