The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-25
.HHE FRIENDS MEET IN PEACE
No PRESIDING OFFICER md
No SET SPEECHES.

wish to BE- named. opened a session Of
their annual convention az the old brick
meeting house at Fast Fifteenth street
and Rutherfird place with a devotional
service.
The very frat 20 arrive was a tiny white
haired woman Of many wrinkles who
wore a little quaint black bonnet that
was a compromise between the befeath-
cred headgear Of to-day and tho gray
poke Of the days Of George Fox or Of
even the comparatively recent days Of
iS7S when the sermons 81 Elias Hicks
Of WeStbury. L. l.. resulted in a split
from the parent sect and the OrRaniEa-
ton Of the East Fifteenth street body.
which even nov is sometimes called the
Westbury meeting
For some reason the aged little lady
stood for q moment or two on the sun
aecked sod in front Of the meeting house
studying the old fashioned lines Of the
building Then she entered Two girls
followed, They were dressed in the
prescribed color. but their gowns came
up 20 tho Friends ideas Of simplicity
only in that the dresses were Of lgray
brOadcloth fashioned Fin simple tailor
made lines such a. a Fifth avenue modiste
might build. There were roses on their
hats.
Two little girls in fluffy clothes and
skirts that scarcely reached the knees
followed after. laughing. Then came
old and middle aged women. young mon
in striped summer clothes and older
men wearing black frock coats and in
some cases top hats ~ ancient design.
They all walked into the rcd brick meet
ing house and found SEATS In pews that
are surrounded With architectural lines
which are straight and severe. There
il no pulpit, but under a curved sounding
board there ia a row Of SEATS on a raised
dais a sort Of enlarged jury box and
there ara no pictures and no Gttompt
at decoration. unless you except the gin
gerbrcd hrbelOWs on the old fashioned
gas jets.
Also. a. you know There il no minister
and no Officers except a secretary and
his assistant who take notes The older
men and women and the younger folks
who carried typewriter reports u COM
mittee meetings fled into the raised seats
under the sounding board because that
IL their right. And for many minutes all
the congregation sat silently IN medta-
ton.
God speaks directly explained a
friend. 10 ones heart through the con-
science The Bible and sermons are a
help. We believe. but each being s supreme
in that what TO him 10 right s right and
what IL wrong IL wrong. regardless of
creed and dogma
The first moments of silence were mo-
ments Of prayer. They didn't kneel
like Catholics, nor even bow Their heads
~ Professionals do when praying. but just
inclined their heads a bit, men. women
and children. There was absolute silence.
Hey. Kelly yelled a shrill small boy
who evidently had found the much sought
person Just outside the Fifteenth street
windows. -kellyl- There was a drone
from the combined wolves. far N, 81 the
On ildren playing IN Stuyveaant Park
Kelly evidently had come to a halt
Kelly, began the shrill voice, -what'n
he'll DID yuh mean by not gttin aroun'
las night when The tinkiy brass
notes ~ a street piano playing ragtime
Just across the street drowned out the
rest u the sentence Nobody ~ the
Quaker meeting seemed ~ hear 'he IN
tPrTuptons.
4 tall man with white chin whiskers
and wearing a faded froCk coat trimmed
with braid arose He had a concern
~ the Friends term the desire of one II
tho congregation 10 talk briefly about the
religious subject that has come o. him
during tho moments II meditation
I'm a farmer from Illinois said the
tall man and ! know farming Jesus
knew all about all kinds of farming
And he spoke ~ figures that were about f.
farming Jesus told NJ to take the yoke
upon ~ The yoke. lie said Jesus /
know that the yoke j. fitted upon the neck /
1T the oxen. the easiest part that 10 could /
10 fitted on, and that it is made Tor two I
oxen When He said that YOU and | |,
should put the woke upon no ne wasn't /
asking ~ m work har Ter ne was ask |
ing NJ n work easier He meant that |
YOU put The yoke on with Him and that 1
He will do HIS share of the hauling Jesus |
wants YOU % WORK with Him heraure I
W hen you both work together there's /
only half tho effort that you'd have II 4
you tried n haul hy yourself
When thu devotional meeting was over .
e hairmen ~ committees arosa n read .
lnRlF YEARLY TRINNFIH ~ was IAAFmfAN ]
that during the last year the Friends IT |
Greater New York have made an increase /
of fve members There would como |
long pause and then a man or woman |
would stand up and read a report about ,
the work being DONE in the nav Schools
the negro schools or tho free summer .
schools
Miss ANY willett Of Long Island read
a report which showed thai the Friends
are interesting themselves IN matters |
n moment. such a. sending letters - |
the United States Senate concerning the |
white slave trafic. the ,lacing u |
drinking fountains in BROOKLYN. temper |
ance. prohibition and legislation on local |
option. and especially the enlarge |
ment II the Friends free summer schOOls |
and their two schools for negroes IN the |
the south Miss Wilett's committee |
report asked for an appropriation II |
$50 from the society n be added 20 the |
donations already received for the negro |
Southern scho 10
There WEs a three minute silence after |
she read her report and had sat down |
Then q pink and white young girl with |
parted in tho middle simply but which |
simply refused N behave stood up over |
near the north wall
I was very much pleased with the re-
port. said the pink and white girl. 4
approve Of IL and ask that tho appFOpria- !
lion 81 $50 be granted
4 approve. aaid an old man after a !
time. Then there were minutes 81 ~
lenCe
so Do some one said some time |
later. AZ intervals then a voice would |
be heard saying, 30 do l. There was |
no presiding officer. and ~ II Was not /
evident who will appropriate the $50 1
The onlOOker grasped. however. that the I
money will be paid 10 the committee that ,
aaalra -