Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-06
EVANGELIST SUNDAY tNAueU.
RATES MEMORABLE IhNovA-
TloN AT CEDAR RAPIDS.
ALL BUSINESS HOUSES
CLOSED DURING SERVICE
Crowd Packs Big Tabernacle, Adjacent
Walks and Street, All Wearing White
Flower or Ribbon in Honor of Moth
ers = Sunday Thrills Vast Throns
With Powerful Sermon.

Cedar Rapids, Nov. 6.-Cedar Rapids
yesterday bowed in homage to the ten
der name of mother. To be sure a
true man or a true woman ought not to
need special day or a special sermon
to make the heart thrill with love and
honor to mother. any more than a true
American needs Fourth of July to
make him patriotic, or true chris
tan citizen needs a Thanksgiving day
to give thanks to the author of all
goodness for the blessings that have
been vouchsafed to him during the
year. Mother should be the object of
loving thought and kindly care every
day in the year. Nevertheless, the
celebration of mothers day as cele-
brated in Cedar Rapids yesterday was
a grand and inspiring occasion-with-
out doubt one of the most uplighting
and helpful days for ithousands of men
and women that this city ever has seen.
The celebration began early in the day
With the wearing of the white ribbon
as suggested by Mr.. Sunday. 1t con-
tinued with the sending and receiving
of countless tokens of affection and en-
dearment from sons and daughters all
over the city to mothers near and far.
And it eliminated with a magnificent
meeting. in the big tabernacle, a session
of appropriate song and an address that
was in every way equal to the inspiring
occasion and to the mighty throng
which went to hear it,
Everybody. Wears White Token.
Rev. Mr.. Sunday had asked every
citizen of Cedar Rapids to wear a
white flower or a white ribbon in hon
or of mother. The response was very
general. Thousands of white carna-
tions, hundreds and perhaps thou
sands of white chrysanthemums and
White roses were in evidence during
the morning hours. They were worn
by all classes of citizens, by merchants
and manufacturers and the employees,
by the girls going to work at the mill
and the men driving teams, by passen-
gers and trainmen. men in the factories,
men sweeping the streets, lawyers in
the court room, guests in the hotels,
teachers and their scholars in the
schools.
Business waited while mother was
honored. At 2 o'clock the doors of
nearly every place of business in the
city We're closed and remained closed
until 4 o'clock.
Business Houses Closed.
Long before 2 o'clock, the hour FOR
the meeting to begin, the streets lead
| ing to the tabernacle were black with
a mighty throng, one of the greatest
perhaps the greatest that has ever
gathered there Scores of automo-
hiles and hundreds of other vehicles
had been gladly loaned for the pur-
pose of taking aged and feeble moth
ers to the tabernacle that they might
enjoy the great service in their honor
| There We're many beautiful sights of
| love and devotion on nearly every
street and avenue as strong arms and
tender hands helped mother out into
the beautiful autumn sunshine and
into the carriage which was to take
her to the tabernacle. The day was
perfect; soft breezes played among
the silver strands of grandmother
hair and mellow sunshine frightened
her aged face and helped to kindle
the flame of the old time animation
and enthusiasm in her shining eyes
The old black bonnet with its wide
strings neatly tied under the chin,
was much in evidence. Then there
| were other mothers, some of them
wearing picture hats and surrounded
by groups of daintily dressed, happy.
laughing children; and other mothers
with sad faces and no children to
comfort them, dressed very plainly
and nearer tears than smiles: and
still other mothers, to whom life has
been cold and cruel, yet glad to go
and join in homage to some kind
mother who left them all too young
to fight their way thru a hard world