Two combined choirs — that of First Church of Christ, Scientist, of New York, and the choir of the home church, numbering thirty-five singers in all — led the singing, under the direction, respectively, of Mr. Henry Lincoln Case and Miss Elsie Lincoln.
Judge S. J. Hanna, editor of The Christian Science Journal, presided over the exercises. On the platform with him were Messrs. Ira O. Knapp, Joseph Armstrong, Stephen A. Chase, and William B. Johnson, who compose the Board of Directors, and Mrs. Henrietta Clark Bemis, a distinguished elocutionist, and a native of Concord, New Hampshire.
The utmost simplicity marked the exercises. After an organ voluntary, the hymn, “Laus Deo, it is done!” written by Mrs. Eddy for the corner-stone laying last spring, was sung by the congregation. Selections from the Scriptures and from “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” were read by Judge Hanna and Dr. Eddy.
A few minutes of silent prayer came next, followed by the recitation of the Lord's Prayer, with its spiritual interpretation as given in the Christian Science textbook.
The sermon prepared for the occasion by Mrs. Eddy, which was looked forward to as the chief feature of the dedication, was then read by Mrs. Bemis. Mrs. Eddy remained at her home in Concord, N. H., during the day, because, as heretofore stated in The Herald, it is her custom to discourage among her followers that sort of personal worship which religious teachers so often receive.
Before presenting the sermon, Mrs. Bemis read the following letter from a former pastor of the church: —
