THE WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

June 26, 1885

 

Children’s Day at the M. E. Church

 

            Children’s Day in the M. E. Church is one of the most pleasant occasions, with perhaps the exception of Christmas, in the whole range of the Societies’ work in the Sunday School.  And it is commencing to be adopted by other denominations.  But we believe to the Methodists belongs the origination of the “Children’s Day”.  The flower festivals in church work are ceremonies calculated to bring lasting impressions on young and old alike, and it seems each succeeding year there are new thoughts and new tings to make them more enthusiastic and more interesting.  On Sunday last the Children’s Day was observed in the M. E. Church with appropriate ceremonies consisting of responsive readings, singing and recitations both in the morning and evening.  A collection was taken in the morning for the benefit of the Educational fund, Rev. D. J. Holmes, the pastor, explaining the use of the fund in helping poor boys get a College Education – those who are studying for the ministry – and unable to get through.  He paid since the custom was established, many hundreds of minds that might have remained in obscurity, shone out now with the utmost brilliancy because of the assistance rendered from the collections made on Children’s Day.  There was a profusion of beautiful plants in blossom on the rostrum and on the walls were flowers wrought in emblems such as the Sword, Star, Heart, Crescent, Cross, Wheel with eight spokes, et.  The last named repre-senting, we learn, Mrs. Chas. Evans’ class of eight young ladies.  One of the most beauti-ful and touching ceremonies of the morning was he exercises of the infant classes lead by Mrs. Roy Holmes and Miss Sara Marshall.  After a song and recital in concert the little ones passed through into the lecture room.  Miss B. Smith played a march on the organ and they all marched down through the center aisle from the front of the church, each with a pretty little bouquet of flowers, which were handed to two young ladies, who in connection with the teachers named, decorated the cross, the school in the meantime singing “Precious Jewels”.  The evening service was one of responsive readings, singing and recitations and a collection was taken for the benefit of Lawrence University.