Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-04-21
EASTER OBSERVANCE
Large Church Congregations in
Spite Of Indictment Weather
United Choirs Render Cantata - Bap-
tisms and Sunday School Concerts
Features of Programs.


tisms and Sunday School Concerts
Features of Programs.
1t will be 81 years before another
such dreary Easter Sunday on April 20
will be endured. Not until the year
1000 will Easter fall again on April 90,
which is not to be regretted if the
weather of that particular calendar day
is always like that of last Sunday.
For persistent cold, DRILLING rain
without moment s respite or even the
pleasing threat Of break in the low
hanging clouds, it will be hard to beat
Sunday, a day which is considered
the one day i'll the whole year when
everyone by right of custom blossoms
out in spring regalia.
Many braved the danger of utterly
running new gowns and gayly colored
shoes. Others were less optimistic of
the chances of salvaging anything and
appeared clad in the more sombre hued
garments of the yesterdays. 1t was a
very disappointing Easter day, viewed
entirely from the standpoint Of the
physical exterior.
The churches, however, suffered very
little in the matter of attendance. In
gregations were large enough to plain
ly indicate that the day was one to be
especially marked by church going folks
generally and some folks who are not
regular church attendants in particu-
lar. Faces not very familiar to pastors
appeared in pews.
Nature and religion, fashion and
childhood welcomed Easter, uniting
Myerent rejoicing with purely human
gladness for the coming of spring, even
though the particular day was marked
by persistent spring rain.
There were 10 baptisms in the First
Baptist church at the morning service
yesterday. AS in all of the churches
the Easter lilies predominated in the
decorations, with few palms, and
around the baptistry were arranged va
rigated vinca vines. The Sunday
school orchestra played at the morning
service and again for the Sunday
school exercises which followed the
close of the church service.
Lilies and ported plants were the
decorations in st. Michaei's Episcopal
church. At the early service 81 par
took of communion and As more at the
regular 1890 o'clock service, which
""o NSig iui SC VI lHt
communicates of the church. Potted
ranged in the form of a cross at the
each child was presented a plant.
Prizes for attendance during the Len
ten season were given also.
The masses in st. Michael IS Roman
Catholic church were attended by con-
hnt Al
clement weather had kept few, if any, |
ut home. The church decorations were
Of lilies and palms, attractively ar
ranged about the chancel.
There was very large congregation
ut the service in the Methodist church
Sunday morning. Lilies, ferns and car
tons and these were Distributed
among the shut-ins after the service.
The Sunday school exercises, which
we're at the usual hour, were attended
by very large number of children
In the Centre Congregational church
the platform was banked with Easter
lilies and daffodils, which later were
carried to the sick and shut-ins. After
the morning service special com
munion service was held, which was
Of the communion service which usual
ly is held the first Sunday in May. No |
Sunday school session was held. but at !
4 o. CLOCK Sunday school concert was
given and the interest of the children |
was shown by the large number of them
who came despite the rain. The reel
tations and all exercises were especial
ly interesting and it was the opinion of |
many that the singing by the children
never was better.
One of the largest congregations ever
in the Universalist church was present |
in the morning. The platform and
choir rail were banked with lilies,
palms, daisy plants and red and white
geraniums. The Easter concert by the |
Sunday school followed the morning
service and the attendance at that was
the largest in the history of the school,
The Sunday school room was decorated |
with flowers, all of which were later
among the sick and shut-in
while each child of the Sunday school |
was given a potted plant. At the Fri
day evening service of this church for
the reception of new members and the
observance of holy communion 81 were
admitted to membership.
Lilies, palms, pink geraniums and |
white carnations were the floral decora-
tiOns in the Unitarian church. The |
service was followed by a carol |
service for the children of the Sunday |
school to which many of the older par
ishioners remained Rev. f. Q. S. Os-
good, pastor, gave brief address. Each |
child was presented one of the potted |
plants.
A surprisingly large congregation,
the stormy weather considered, attend
ed the union musical service in the
First Baptist church in the evening, |
when the special feature was the can
tata, The New Life, by James II. |
Rogers, rendered by the various church
choir, organ and orchestra. Rev. ID. +. |
Trout of the Unversalist church offer
ed the invocation, Rev. T. W. Owens
of the Methodist church read the
scripture lesson, Rev Richard II. Clapp
of the Congregational church offered
prayer and Rev Il. Q, S. Osgood of the
Unitarian church pronounced the benc-
Il