Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-07

over 300 of the members and friends
of st. Marks parish assembled Thurs
| day evening to witness the opening and
blessing of the Hannah Bridge Will
liams Memorial Parish house, which
| has Just been completed. The Rt. Rev.
| Robert Goldman, bishop of the diocese
of Maine, was present to perform the
ceremony of opening and blessing the
new parish house.
The service of blessing began with
the hymn, 90. God, Our Help in Ages
Past the bishop saying at the close
of the hymn. Peace be to this house
ana to all that shall come into it," The
several versicles followed and the
Lords Prayer, together with prayers
for the donors of the building. for the
soul of Mrs. Williams and for those
who have laborod on the building. Very
striking was this last prayer:
Bless o Lord, we pray Thee, the
worhmen, who have labored in the
building and adjoining of this place;
and grant them to be guided as liv-
Ing stones in Thy spiritual temple,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
Amen
Tnc address Of welcome by the rec
tor, Rev. Brian c. Roberts, followed at
| ter the singing of the hymn, "BleSt
BE the Tic that Binds'' He took for his
| text the parable of the prodigal son
and argued that although the parish
| house was built for secular purposes
| it was also built for the glory of God.
\ statement in behalf of the build
| ing committee was made by Richard
E. Goodwin, stating the inception, pro-
gress and completion of the iibuse Mr..
Goodwin related the history of the be-
ginnings of the fund and said that its
growth to proportions sufficient to be
| gin building was due largely to Mr..
| Roberts, NWhO solicited the greater
part of it. In all to date $6303.17 had
been raised. In illustrating the small
ness Of some of the contributions he
cited the case of the small boy, who
was given 25 cents to have his tooth
pulled, but instead brought his %
cents as a contribution to Mr.. Roberts
! for Il parish house The committee
| has been careful and we have not eX-
| pended a single dollar on the building
| until we knew where it was coming
from. He cited the gifts which had been
| made towards the furnishings by the
various organizations of the parish and
| by private individuals and said that
the present needs included a ceiling
for the large assembly hall on the sec
ond floor and the grading of the
grounds.
| Mr.. Goodwin then formally presented
the keys of the parish house to Dr.
William McDavid, who accepted them
in behalf Of the vcstry. The following
| l..tt I.,, CT,
OF Hoston:
| 212 Summer street.
Boston, Mass, May 3, 1909.
Rev. Brian G. Roberts,
| St. Marks Rectory,
| Augusta, Me.
| Dear Sir-I deeply regret that, on
| account of a serious illness, | cannot
| be at the dedication of the memorial
to Mrs. Williams on the 9Th. have just
returned from a very strenuous trip of
$4,000 miles through the Ottoman en-
pire and in and completely around At
| RIGA. 1 came home very exhausted and
the change from equatorial to our New
England climate has proved a very
unfortunate thing for me.
1t would be a great pleasure to me
to, be present on this interesting occa-
sion We're it possible. In my long and
varied life, it has been my good for
| tune to come into more or less per-
sonal contact and relations with very
| many Of the most admirable and no
table people of the past generation
| statesmen, authors, reformers, philan-
| thropistS. teachers and leaders of both
| Europe and America-good men and
brave women. Among them all, of the
past and the present there is no one,
who holds a higher place in my rever-
erce and affection than my god
mother, Mrs. Williams. Her friend
ship vas beneficence, here mere ac-
quaintance a blessing.
| I have always been proud to have
been in my youth, and continued to be.
through her great age, lone of her
| boys" l am, l believe. the only sur
vivor of the Sunday school class in
my time. which she so designated 1t
has been my good fortune to keep in
| constant touch with this good and
great woman for nearly, if not quite,
half century, and her dignified figure
and fascinating smile are among the
most notable remembrances of my life
in beautiful Augusta, and my visits
to it, since my boyhood.
| 1t was with genuine pleasure that