Newark post., 1911-09-20

The Tooth anniversary OF West
Nottingham Friends Meeting,
near Rising Sun, Md, was held
last Saturday.
Addresses were made by many
prominent Friends.
The following was delivered at
the morning session by w. E..
Cole, the popular conductor on
the Delaware City road:
PLAIN PEOPLE.
A noted English lady historical
and biographical writer, opens
one Of her interesting volumes en-
titled William Penn, with the state
ment concerning the quiet neigh
borhcpd OF Wiltshire, England.
Here is the cllancei of Christ
Church there is a much visited
monument which has been erected
to the memor yof man whose
ONLY title to fame is that he was
the ancestor o: great Quaker.
We are here today at the sollci-
tation OF those who are descend
ants OF the early settlers in this
community. The first settlement
was upon a grant Of land known
in the legally preserved record OF
the county, as tile Nottingham
grant from this same great Qua
ker. William Penn. And what is
the paramount object upon this
occasion, if not to jreview and
proclaim our admiration and ap-
probation of the many good and
noble deeds accomplished in the
manly struggles of these early set
tiers and their descendants, and
especially 50 of those descendants
whose careers are dated from the
establishment here of this The
Little Brick Meeting House" as a
place OF divine worship, just one
hundred years ago? For what
higher purpose can a voice be
raised than an effort, feeble
though it be, to help keep alive
the local history Of those times
and to perpetuate their memory.
Now, do not suppose, even tho
| may look it that | am able to go
back one hundred years and speak
with any degree of accuracy from
personal recollection, but it is a
noted characteristic of real old
people that they can tell more
about what took place in their
early childhood than they can OF
what took place much more re-
Gently, or even what is taking place
at the present time. Whether or
not it is sign am getting in the
real old class, what little | may
say here today, at least from this
platform, will be from my personal
recollection in early boyhood OF
the religious, social, educational
and industrial history in connec-
tion with the lives of a plain
People" commonly called "Ouak-
ers," but by themselves called
Friends s"-a name that automati-
cally suggested itself and was ac-
cepted by them at very early
stage of the formation of their
religious associations owing to
the kindly and neighborly friend
illness displayed by them toward all
men and especially between eacl,
other among all those OF their par
ticular way of thinking.
The religion of these plain
People in form, or rather in the
absences of form, for all formas
far as practical was superseded
in large measure, by silent
mode OF worship. They gathered
IN silence sometimes remaining sc
throughout the entire meeting.
1t was occasionally complained
of as irksome-the period of sell
examination and keeping company
with ones self Well, man, es.
pecially one with many shortcom
ings and often in a large measure
with imaginary cares and troubles
don't always find himself agree
able company and seeks to have
his attention diverted by being
talked to or otherwise entertained
But here at this little brick meet
ing house there was no one parti
cularly specified or ecclesiastical,
authorized in advance to do tn
talking, and he who volunteered