The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-12-23
CAROLSTO Be SUNG
IN STREETS Of
BENNINGTON
Novel Feature of Com nunity
Christmas This Year
MUSIC BY CHURCH CH1R0S
Singers viii Respond to Signal of
Lighted Candles in Homes of
of Aged and III.
MUSIC BY CHURCH CHlROS

In "A thousand cities across the
country the people will gather on
Christmas afternoon to sing the fami-
liar carols, Bennington was among
the first to have community Christ
mas tree This year the plans have
been much enlarged. The trees dee
Grating our corner. have already car
ried to many the spirit of Christmas
which will reach its climax in the
singing on Christmas afternoon. But
there are many who cannot come to
the corner because of i'll health or
age. In order that these may share
in the Christmas JOY. groups of carol
lers from the different churches have
volunteered to sing to them. They
will sing at the corners of intersect-
ing streets and where lighted candles
have been placed in the windows as
sign OF invitation The carollers
are requested to be at their respective
churches at 4.15 that the singing may
begin promptly at 4.30. The village
has been divided as follows. The St
Francis de Sales carollers will sing
on West Main. Dewey, Elm, Washing
ton. Weeks and Jefferson streets; the
Baptists on Main, Union, Grand View
and South street; the Methodists on
North, River, Mill Lincoln, County,
Depot and School Streets: St Peters
on Park, County, Maple, Gage. Divis-
ion and Pratt streets; the Congrega-
tionalists on Pleasant, Main, Branch,
Gage. Bradford and Scott streets.
At $50 the carollers are invited to
come TO Library hall and will he serv-
ed with hot chocolate.
At $50 all the church bells will
ring and everyone in the village is in
vited to assemble around the Christ
mas trees to Join in singing songs of
rejoicing for the Christ Child's birth,
Frank Hurley will lead the singing ac.
companied by cornet The program
will be short and will consist of the
four most familiar carols: ''Hark the
Herald Angels Sing" 20 Little
Town of Bethlehem" ut Came Upon
a Midnight Clear" and Silent Night"
Something interesting and unique has
been planned in connection with the
singing but rs the details are not yet
complete full announcement will ap-
pear in tomorrow's issue.
If the thermometer hovers around
zero the church bells will not ring at
five fifty and the singing win be post
poncd until the following day.
Above the hustle and wear and tear
OF city's life, in busy square,
The Yule tree stands with its open
hands,
A symbol of love for all who share,
And great and small respond to the
call
or the belfry chimes till one and all
Forsake the shop and the gilded
home,
For the Christ Child's voice is calling
Come.
Oh. come, for my festival is free,
And Love is host at my Christmas
tree!"
They gather--the rich and poor are
Parent and child and the stranger
lone,
For the heart of the city goes out to-
night
In a chorus OF music, flood of light
And the Christ child spirit divinely
fair.
That illuminated the manger cold and
bare,
Is born again in the city square.
Jean Dwight Franklin in Pittsburg
Dispatch
The Ladies' Home Journal has just
carried the fame of Benningtons
community spirit TO thousands of
cities all over the United States. In
the meantime Bennington has again
proven herself worthy of her reputa-
ton Every child in her big family
win celebrate Christmas joyously.
The spirit of love and good will to
men has been abroad in the village
these last few days and many, many
gifts have come to the community
headquarters. This afternoon forty
two big Christmas boxes were pack
ed and a merry Christmas provided
for children who would not otherwise
be cared for. On Christmas day we
may all rejoice for the little feet that
gather around the Christmas trees
will be warm and dry and all little
hearts will be happy. the family cir
cles of Bennington will have been wild
ened to include them all