Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-04-17

az Christisoit, a.. onset to bridge
Fad aud other social Evils.
Three hundred Young women. hand.
somely clothed in the height OF fash.
lon. crowded the banqueting hall OF
the ST Regis hotel In New York the
other afternoon in attendance ON a re
llgious meeting hat was being held
there by three earnest young society
members OF their own set into n knCwl
edge OF the joys Of a Christian life,
says the New York Herald. No men
were asked or permitted to be present.
IL was the first religious meeting ever
held I'm the - Regis. The performance
of the marriage rite has up ill rCcently
been the nearest approach To a religious
ceremony which the hotel has known.
Miss Jcanir a. Duncan and her sis.
ter. Miss Amy l.. Duncan. OF . East
SiNty-fourth street and Miss Ethel G..
Thompson, tile daughter Of Richard ].
Thompson. OF ~ East Si~xty-seveuth
street were the leaders Of the meeting.
For more than Il year these young wo-
men have been holding religious meet
lngs at each others homes. and now
the number Interested has crown too
large 10 be housed In a private res.
dencc. Tho meeting the other after.
noon was th" first Of n series OF meet.
ings 10 be held on Thursdays at the 81.
Regis. The meetings ARE by invitation
only, aud the Invitations are confined
To the personal friends OF the organiz
ers.
In spite OF the up TO date setting and
the excellent well dressed appearance
OF the young women Interested the
meeting bore non Of the characters.
ties Of modern sem%irelIglous. semi
reform movements. II had every char
acteristic OF the old fashioned Metho.
dist experience meeting. Every one
Joined I'm the singing OF the opening
hymns, after which Miss Jeanne Dun
can made an informal address. urging
those present TO investigate the prom
ises Of the Bible and enjoy the expert
ence OF n personal religion.
Miss Duncan liz slight and %vivacious
She spoke with force and feeling. APP
pealing directly 10 the need for consoln-
ton In the midst OF unhappiness. which
is felt by all classes OF society In New
York city.
1T isn't education or culture that
will bring relief from sorrow, crime or
wretchedness." she said. III II werc
we would never hear OF crimes commit
ted uptown among educated and cul
tured people. We would never read In
the newspapers OF the awful things
which occur I'm the more favored
classes OF society. Education and cul
ture without the religion OF Jesus
2 Christ Will breed clever men and wo
men. but not good ones.
1T is only with the religion OF Jesus
Christ that they become power 10
move the world for good. We women
couldn't live In New York city today n
IL were not for Jesus Christ. Commits
sioner McAdoo himself has said that n
II were not for religion and the faith
that lies back OF II all the policemen In
the country couldn't keep New York
city I'm order"
Miss Duncan then called for testimO
malls Of faith In the religion of Jesus
Christ. From all over the room bcaull
full young women who bore The stump
OF having lived sheltered and luxurious
lives arose to say that In religion they
found the only solace for sorrow and
discomfort. None OF the wolncn in the
room looked more han thirty. and the
average age was about twenty-thrrc
years.
After nearly fifty persons had tcstl
fed, the meeting concluded with hymns
and prayer. Tea was served In nm ad
Joining room. Some of the Young WON
eli expressed their surprise at the un
usual nature Of the meeting. but by far
the larger number were very seriously
impressed.
We're holding the meetings here
said Miss Duncan. because We want
them 10 be strictly nonsectarlan. and
they couldn't be that In II church. our
object ~ simply TO learn to know Jesus
better. We feel that there * need FOR
some one 10 do something To stem the
tide Of bridge and other things to
which women devote themselves so
much nowadays"