The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1916-08-10
-. G. o Nj Nj e II T S ..
Flower Sunday

The fortieth annual Flower Sunday service was
appropriately observed in this Institution last Sun
day. A goodly number of women members of the
w. G. T. u, by their cheering, friendly presence
dispelled for fceting moment the sorrow and sad
that cast continued shadow over the lives of
our ntra- mural residents
Assembling in the chapel at 10 a. M, we were
treated to splendid rendition of two numbers by
the prison orchestra After the usual Introductory
singing by the congregation, and invocation by the
Chaplain, Mrs. Eva Waterman, of Elk River, Mimi
esota read with much feeling the 6lst chapter of
Isaiah.
Following the singing of hymn by the con-
gregation, the Chaplain offered eloquent prayer,
after which Miss Grace Reed, of Minneapolis, in
voice of unusual richness of tone, in upfeigned
sincerity of bearing. sang solo which not
only pleasing to our sense of the beautiful, but
aided materially in preparing a seed-bed for the
Gospel message that followed.
Mrs. Bessie Lathe Scovell of Minneapolis. Pres
ident Emeritus of the w G. T. u, using the Isaahic
Scripture read by Mrs. Waterman, as foundation,
proceeded to construct before mental vision a
sermonic tee whose outspreadne branches reached
into the far regions of both the Old and New
Testaments, from which she frequently pucked
Scriptural passage with which to suggest line of
thot or to clinch argument. We do not recall
the day when we have heard better pulpit effort.
Coupled with her evident thoro knowledge OF her
subject was an ease of delivery, clearness of
enunciaion, a concseness Of thot. that made it
easy, pleasant and instructive to follow her thot
trend thru depths of profundity to soar with her
in her more lofty reaches of sublime eloquence
Taking for her subject, Sin" she showed, first
that all sinners in the sight of the Infinite One:
that we sin, not knowing wny that God did not
create sin, but having made a free moral agent
it was possible for him to sin; that death is the
ultimate OF sin; and finally. that there is but one
way OF absolution from guilt, viz, to accept Him
than whose there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby must be saved.'
Also, Mrs Scovell spoke in glowing terms of
the rapid strides that continually being made by
the temperance movement in the State Of Minnesota
stating that those who went from the institution in
the future would have less to contend with because
of the removal of this fragrant source of temptation
Altho she did not attribute all evil the drink ha-
bit, yet it an indisputable fact that the major
portion of evidoing was traceable to the habit of
tipping.
Following the sermon, Miss Reed again sanu
for u.s. Immediately thereafter the Chaplain intro
duced Mr.. f. Emory Lyons, Of the Central Howard
association, Chicago Mr.. Lyons spoke with much
earnestness of the work of the Association in helping
the prisoner into the paths of sobrety and homes
ty and of the zeal which they tried inspire within
him to vision and lay hold of only the good the pure
and the beautiful in life.
Our Chaplain, Rev. Benson, appropriately
rounded out the service oy expressing in few we'll
chosen words the deep appreciation that we the in
mates feel for the unse6sh efforts made by the la
dies of the w. G. Il. U. 10 bring momentary pleam
of sunshine into sordid lives
Immediately after the service each inmate was
presented with boquet of assorted flowers which
frightened for day the barrenness of prison cell.
But, altho the flowers may fade aud their fragrance
be dissipated in the prison atmosphere our memory
will ever be refreshed by the recollection of the
kindly efforts put forth by the ladies of the w. c.
T. U. in our behaf-"Optimo'