THE following brief historical sketch inadequately tells the story of earnest labors to establish the cause of Christian Science and its demonstration in the Oranges. First Church of Christ, Scientist, was informally organized in December, 1895, and held Sunday services and conducted a Sunday school in Berkeley Hall, East Orange, until the completion of a part of the church edifice in Orange in 1904. Later a reading-room was maintained by the church in the Tiplin Building, East Orange, until removed to 188 Main Street, Orange, in April, 1900. Testimony meetings were conducted in each of these places until the attendance outgrew the capacity of the latter locality, when the meetings were held in Berkeley Hall. At about this date a free circulating library was opened in the reading-room.
First Church was formally organized and incorporated April 5, 1898. When, in July of that year, the Sunday school collections aggregated ten dollars, the children sent the amount to our Leader for the church in Concord, N.H. Little hands were guided to sign the children's names to the letter which accompanied the gift, and the following acknowledgment was duly received from Mrs. Eddy:—
The check sent by you as a contribution from the Busy Bees of Orange, N. J., was safely received. Will you please thank the dear children for me, for this gift to Mother, to be used for furnishing the church in this city, . . . and say that Mother loves them all.
