October 1898

OCTOBER

BITS ABOUT TEMPERANCE.-Some very curious facts have recently been made known respecting the Drink Question; £ 152,281,723 was spent in the United Kingdom last year on intoxicating drinks. That is £3 16s 5d a head for every man, woman, and child. This sum is equal to all the rents of all the farms and all the houses in Great Britain. It is nearly twice as much as the cost of all the bread eaten in the United Kingdom;120,000 persons die every year from the effects of drunkenness. These are most alarming facts, especially when you remember that there is not so much nourishment in a pint of beer as there is in an ounce of bread.

THE celebrations of the Harvest Thanksgivings were most successful both at Pymoor and at S. Owen's. The Tea was not a success at Pymoor, and we feel obliged to apologise in the names of the Pymoor people to all those ladies who provided so bountifully. They will feel at all events, that they did their best, and they cannot help this want of sociability which caused the Tea to be a failure. More came afterwards to the Thanksgiving Service. The combined results of the Tea and the collection at the Service produced £2 9s 3d, which has been gratefully accepted by Addenbrooke's Hospital. The Church was beautifully decorated. At S. Owen's the good people were as usual most liberal, and among their gifts were 159 eggs. The collection amounted to £1 19s 4d.

THE vegetables and fruit were most gratefully acknowleged. Altogether 294 eggs have been sent this year. All those who have sent things will feel that they have helped to give a treat to the sick, and they also feel that they themselves are not a bit the worse off for having done a kind action. Altogether the Church has sent £7 0s 8d to Addenbrooke's Hospital this year, and £2 2s 0d to the Hustanton Convalescent Home.

THE Committee for Technical Instruction have this year given £13 17s 6d in prizes for Stacking and Thatching. The following are the names of the successful competitors together with the amount of their prizes: W. Tabeart, £2; Trew Nicholas, 15s: M. Lythell, 10s; Fred. Smith, 15s; H. Easey, £1; J. Leaford, 15s; J. Stevens, £1 10s; J. E. Moxon, 12s 6d; J. W. Pearson, 7s 6d; E. Parson, 10s; J. Stevens, 7s 6d; G. Taylor, 12s fid; J. Shelton, 15s; J. Youngs, 10s; D. Fenn, £1; M. Barber, 15s; M. Griggs, 128 6d; J. Barber, 10s.

MISSIONARY Meetings will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 1st, at Downham, in the School at 7-30 p.m. The Address will he given by the Rev. J. W. Bate, for eight years Missionary in North America. At Pymoor in the School on Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, at 7p.m- The Address will be given by Mr. \V. Browne, about " Burmah and India." Ail who are interested in Missions or wish to increase their knowledge of these distant countries are invited to come.

S. LEONARD'S DAY falls on a Sunday this year. The Annual Tea and Concert will therefore take place on Tuesday evening, Nov 8th, at six o'clock. Tickets for Tea and Concert 6d each. Children who come with their parents pay 3d each., The Concert will begin at 7 p.m, and those who do not come to the Tea will pay 6d. or 3d. according to the seat they occupy.

THE Tea and Concert at S. Owen's will be held on Tuesday, November 29th; Tea at six and Concert at seven o'clock. Tickets will be the same as at Downham. The proceeds of the Tea, both at Downham and S. Owen's will be devoted to the Fund for Sunday School Prizes.

THE Stained Glass Window placed in the Chancel to the memory of Mr. Fisher, altogether thirty years Curate and Rector of Downham, has been provided by Mr. W. Hayes Fisher, M.P. The subjects chosen are intended to commemorate what were considered to be Mr. Fisher's chief characteristics, zeal in preaching the gospel and generosity to the poor. Hence the three lights in the window are divided thus. In the centre a picture of the Crucifixion, on the one side a picture of the Sermon on the Mount, and on the other a picture of the Miracle of Feeding the Four Thousand. At the top over the whole, is a picture of the Glorified Saviour.

THE Church and her Clergy-The Prayer Book is a book containing a long preface of explanations, the Services to be used in tha Church, a number of directions how to use them, and then the Thirty Nine Articles are attached at the end. The following are the Services.: The Preface., the Calendar and Table of Lessons, Rules for the Feasts and Fasts, Morning and Evening Prayer, The Litany Special Prayers, Collects, Epistles and Gospels. The Office of the Holy Communion; of Baptism with the Catechism, of Confirmation, of Marriage, of Visiting the Sick, of Burial, of Churching of Ordination. Finally all the Psalms, arid two special forms of Prayer-Things to be noted in the Preface. All Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer and unless "reasonably hindered," shall say the same in the Parish Church or Chapel. . . and shall cause a bell to be tolled before he begins, that the people may come to hear God's word and to pray with him." When the people hear the bell ring morning and evening, they will know that it is to invite them to obey the directions of the Prayer Book. This is the morning and evening sacrifice of prayer offered to God by the minister in behalf of the whole parish. It is a time of rest and self-recollection for all who will come and join him. If none come, he must offer it by himself, for the prayer is to God, and the minister of the parish must intercede with God for the people.