The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-10-11

Mrs. Briggs was assisted in serv-
ing by a bevy of charming Grace
church women. A check room
worked overtime at one end of the
basement. Everything in fact was
perfectly appointed, and there were
no bitches or jars to mar the pleas
ures of he evening.
Six tables were required to accom-
modate the celebrants. At the head
table were seated the clergy, Revs.
DR.. W. H. Swift, G. G. Miller, Father
7. NJ. Hanley, and A. l.. Whitaker,
and the vestry of the church. Five
other tables were arranged perpen-
dicularly to the first table. The
opening Invocation was pronounced
by Doctor Swift, pastor First Presby-
terian church.
Wesley q. Woodruff, Wilkes-Barre,
whose father was pastor of the Cen
trail M. E. church, Honesdale, at the
time when the present commodious
structure was erected, the first speak
er of the evening, was introduced by
Toastmaster Whitaker as :" a good
typesof minister's SON."
HMalleged subject was Enthu-
siasnP His apparent subject was
Taking Things Wrongly" But
what Ais real subject was the report
er could not learn. His object
seemed to be to put everybody in
good humor and in doing this he
succeeded admirably.
Speaking in serious vein, he
said among other things: Your
churchman will seldom become an
enthusiast, | may say never, unless
he becomes in a churchly sense an
educated churchman. An enthusi-
asst is a man who knows what he is
talking about. The man who knows
something about the history of his
church, somehow, is never quite able
to keep it to himself. He's a radiat-
ing influence" Speaking about the
proper attitude in worship he re-
marked: " If we don't have the
spirit of absorption in our worship,
it won't help u.s.
Chas. Truscott, the solo man, sang
Over and Over Again!" And he
sang it with such effect, that he had
to sing it over and over again.
Rev. William r. Butler, rector St.
Marks, Mauch Chunk, spoke for the
thousandth and one time, glowingly
and eloquently of the missionary op-
portunity, and urged upon his hear
ers, recognition of their individual
responsibility in the matter. Mr..
Truscott sang the other solo, also the
fourth solo.
Homer Greene, Esq, was the third
and last speaker of the evening.
He stated that the Mems dinner was
held as matter of family pride. He
| painted a startling word-picture of
| the condition of a churchless COM
munity, where ten years of depriva-
tion OF religious opportunities would
| work lowering of the moral stand
| ards, contempt of law and order,
a disregard of public and property
rights, very riot of vice and crime.
| We haven't reached that stage
of development" said Mr.. Greene,
whre we can live without the re-
straint of religion. You business
men ought to support the church as
a matter of self-protection, of self
preservation.
Religion is a matter of senti-
ment, of loyalty, of love. | can't
accede to the wiping out of denom-
national lines. | don't believe we
could be as loyal to a great big
! church as we can to what is in our
! hearts our very own. | wouldn't
want to give up my allegiance to this
old beautiful Episcopal church and
transfer it to a great big religious
department store where everybody
could come and get common
brand of religious theology, and no.
where else for us to go. | couldn't
do it. Let us have church harmony
but not church unity"
Voicing the thanks of the audi
ence to the speakers of the evening
Rev. Whitaker brought the evening
to happy conclusion by calling up
on the audience to join with him in
singing
my country, 'Tis of Thee
Sweet Land of Liberty"
1t was good to be there. And the
men dispersed with a renewed deter
mination to do what is right, ant
to stand, more firmly than ever, OF
the Lords side.