The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-05-22 00:00:00

FORDINGTON BENEFIT SOCIETY.

The annual festival of toe Fordiegton Benefit
Society, which is always made the occasion of a
united parish gathering, took place on Tuesday last.
It is • source of mush pleasure to hear from the
secretary (Mr. T. A. Pearce) that the society is
flourishing, as the revolt given below will show. Not
only in funds but in members is the society ilICTONling.
and this fact, in there days of leviathan benefit
sociaties I. vrrl gratifying to the friends of this
local club. The members attended in goodly
numbers, and marched in procession to the parish
church. We were glad to see a much better atten-
dance of club numbers, as well se the general congre-
gation. The vicar (Bev. A. A. Leonard) conducted
the service and read the Special Leeson. (Proverbs
iii. and Acts iv.). epeeist' appropriate hymns and
psalms lan( sung. Trie sermon was preached by
the vicar of West Fordingtou (Rev. C. I. San.ituary),
who founded his remarks upon the text "And the
multitude of them that believed were of one heart
and of one soul • neithor said sny of them that aught
of the thints which he rersersed was his own; but they
hod all thingt common." (Act. iv., 32.)
After tbe service the procession was reformed, and
marched to the schoolroom to the tune of the parish
bells. At the schoolroom the tables were tastefully
laid for tea, being decorated with some splendid
flowers from Mr. 8. R. Hard/. Cornwall road
Nurseries. Among the Wise who took tray. were
the following :—Mrs. S. Harris, Mien Miller Mrs. L.
Tilley. Mies Hodges, Moe Brooke, Mrs. Miller, Mrs.
Fisher, Mrs A. Groves, Miss L.ocaster. Miss Pearce,
Mrs. H. Bear .mbe, Mr.. It, Hunt, Mrs. A. Isock,
Mrs. Ling. like Good, hire. Bayne, Mrs. Orchard,
Mrs. S. Hunt, Mrs. W. Bishop, Arm. Northoeer,
Mrs. Allardyce, Mrs. Galpin, Mrs. Thome, Mrs. W.
Dixon, Was B. Csmpbell, Mrs. Woodland, and Mrs.
. . . .

During the tea the following ladies from Mims
Brooks Establishment performed *elections ..f
music : —Mime Dol,ige, Miss Gantt ger, Miss Nicholls,
Miss Smith, and Miss Powell. The executi.lo of several
of these ladies was very brilliant, and their perform-
ances were greatly enjoyed.
At the close of the repast, and grace having been
sung,

The Vice% said he should like to pay how very glad
he was to see such • large congregation at the church
that afternoon. He dare t soy some of them
remembered he said something • little bit hard last
year on the subject ; therefore he was very glad to
see so many members of the club at the church, and
three or four times as many more of the parishionore
g Ily. He thought that was as it might to be, for
It was not only a social gathering, but • religious
festivaL When he came there he always thought they
ought to have that tea meeting oftener. for it was such
• pleasant gathering ; one seemed to know each other
better after five cilantro there than in • whole year.
Still, although they did not have tea meetings oftener,
they had had some very pleasant gathering, in that
room during the pant winter. He had enjoyed them
Immensely, ant they had afforded him a very great
deal of genuine pleasure, and he thought they hart
been greatly appreciate I in the parish. Tney were
got up cheaply, still they had been enabled to hand
over • nice little sum of money to various parochial
object.. He di I not know there was anyttdo4 he
could particularly refer to as having taken place dur-
ing the past year; tney had jogged al .ng quietly and
peacefully, he was thankful to say. He hoped it had
been • happy and a prosper us year, to most of them
at any rate. He alluded with much pleasure to the
Motile Memorial Coffee Tavern, which they would
remember this time last year woe built, but not
opened. It had been opened since the last Whitsun-
tide tea • although be could not aay it had been so
largely used as he hal expected, so far as the c iffee-
house pampas were concerned. Still it had been
very useful for • lot of purposes, and for club pur-
poses as a means of mental improvement it had been
found a very great boon. They had • fair-steed club,
and he hoped before very long they would have •
much larger one. He know there were a great many
people in the parish, who, from no fault of their own,
had not been educated enough to care for books and
newspaper.; but he thought the time would come,
when the youngsters woald be grown up, when
they would find it a very valuable institution, and ha
thought they would live to see the time when it would
be an immense good in the pariah. They had no one
in the roam who bore the honoured name of the late
vicar of Fordiagton, but they had a very good substi-
tute, • gentleman whom he had never seen till that
evening, and whose acquaintance he was proud to make.
Before be (the Vicar) nad been in Fordingtou • weak
he found out that the name of Mr. Matthew Brans
was • household word in the parish., He gave him now
• very hearty welcome. Referring to the condition of
the society, he o:pronged his pleasure at the prospect
of • very satisfactory report from Mr. Pearce. He
believed Mr. Pearce would be able to tell them that
the club had made very satisfactory progress during
the year; they were stronger in numbers than they
had been for two or three years past. He was not
going to say • word against the Oddlellorre and the
Foresters , for be was the last man to do that. He was
an Oddfellow himself, and • Forester too. He was
proud of It, sad he was thankful to themfor doing him
the honour of admitting him into their ranks. But
there were lots of working men in the pariah who
could not .fford to belong to those societies—he only
wished they could. Therefore this society came in
hen ly as • poor man's cluh. He Rupp reed everybody
knew that for 3d. or 41. a week any working men
In the wrists could snore hluPelf Irtis, • we-k and a
doctor in times of sickness. He dud not believe there
was a single mth in the p with who was in regular
work who was not able to join the club on these Wens.
It was • cheep club, and • sound one; he would not
take it up lilt were cheat) and not sound, but It was
bath cheap and sound. In conclusion the Vicar urged
the monthers to try and get others to join. One of
their members had got several others to join, and if
every one did the same they would have a very large
club in • very short time. (Applause.)
Mr. T. A. PIAUI, then real the following report—
S., will known to you all I. the part I have to assume
In this evening's proceedings that I hope no apology is
' needed from me is asking your kind Indulgenoe for • few
' moinitots chile I, as your secretary. Icy before you the
Admits of the Forrington Unit•el Benefit/21dd, since last
• Whit-Tuesday. Although, doubtless, many here present
' take but little interest in the hare statement of facts and
, figures, which It is my duty to present, and are looking
forward far more surds to what will follow ral report,
yc t we most heir is mind that the red object of our
, gathering together here is to forward the Uttered' of the
; society; and this can only be brought about by our
' friends being made fully acquainted with our position,
both financially arid otherwise, rid, then, an regards our
numerical strength. We now halm enrolled In our ranks
62 benefit members, whereat at this time lest year we
r numbered 49. The appeal I male last Whitsuntide to
/ members to tire their iiifluence to induce others to join us
was well responded to—no l-ms than seven recruits having
; pre.ented themselves, and I belays that four out of that
I Dumber were introduced by one moosh., alone. A huts
; more energy on the part of benefit members will doubtless
enable me in the futons to report • for greater incresee
. In our numbers. satisfactory as the post year has been In
' this respect. You will tr•te from the figures I base
' menUoned that four member, have quitted us. Two of
; thee. WNW removals by death—e sad lose indeed—and
. one, to which happily on occasions like these, I have not
I lately had to allude, no eivaricy basin. occurred in our
, ranks from this cruse since the year lin. Let us hops
another six ',ears may elapse boors I hive • similar report
to make. Every picture has it. lights and its shades, and
as I sewn now to be painting ill the shadows of my picture
I sill complete my lark background at ones. Our rick
pay account during the past yea has been unprecidently
• heavy. No lees a number than 17 members have ex.
I p-riencad the benefit of belonslng to a society moth as
ours: and to them the suns of £4l sr. 41. has been paid
since last Whit-Tuesday. This is indeed • heavy (Ira
It. arid anol wrie"• hobuti:i thhaarrialythcuerfulinthture wwsarentaliby Lint:orb:al:to
the almost total Immunity trout nehmen we enjoyed for
some Mrs, especially as our new members an for the
most part young men So much for the background of
• my picture. The foreground Is certainly bright As our
• numbers hays increased oar receipts frogs benefit
r member,have increseed likewise. Dories the Pain 7rar
we have received .CI3 Ia 114 from benefit members as
opposed to Lill 15.. lid, received In the previous rear.
Oran more I base to tender, on behalf of the club, to
I our kind and liberal bosomy members our been thanks
. for their warm. coetlnited, and substantial support No
, Igoe a sum than £l7 51. was contributed to our tee,
musagement, and benefit funds by our kind Meads
r during the last year. Assuredly while WO are thus 'ali-
t /toothily anpired of the interest taken in us It is • very
, strong inceatire tu both officers and benefit members, to
strain every nerve to mantic's and !Luther the welter of
I our small twit united sodety. Notwithstanding the de 'nf
siato w...shich.ontd Lon:
always:
some of
asuotrjeciattbenby the.prtsmiervaerrede
fund oft deposit is the Dorchester Salads Beak is now

applause.
Mies Gaukr.ger (one of the ladle* from bliss
Bro he Eitabli•bment) kiodly e•og the ballad,
" Come Another D iy," in a manner which well
earned the vociferous encore ACC a.led her. This
yountf lady is the fortunate poses:moor of an excellent
soprano voice, which has apparently had careful train-
ing. In responee to the aoplause she gave the popular
song "No, Sir," in equally gond style.
Mist Kate Blackstone William, waa the next per.
former, and acquitted herself exceedingly well in
simple little • ing, well adapted for the gathsetng. The
choir of girl* then sang the ever-weloome 'Home,
Sweet Home."
Mr. Proscg here read the following letter, which he
had received from the Ser. Handley Mottle, which he
was core they would receive with a great deal of
pleasure :
" Ridley Hall, Cambridge, May 11th, 1MB-
" My D.sr Fr bust di F•ien.ll.—A kind small lies been
conveyed to me lh st I should write. few words of greet
log to he read at the Whit .n•ide tea. I esonot but obey
and with the grarramt willingness to. although what I
write is hut a brief and hurried messes in the midst of
constant and pressint wo-k. 13-11 ere me that I shall be
present in true beet affection on To-tiny evening. I
*hal , with the mind's eye, look round that dear familiar
r oat and see there face upon fees that I know, aed call
U., oh, how many now the' ate piss-d away from earthly
eight into the unseen vs.trld. but are not passed away from
love and tn.mory. And I shall trorel hack in thought to
tea messines of long ego since the lint that era. held 21
or 22 yearn sine., and hop, I shell be filled with thanks
to Him who, in all thee tong veers. be* proved Rommel(
the God of grace and troth, and rho his given so many
tomato to my beloved native piece. I cannot express to
you how warmly I remember my short visit to Fdrdiogton
Nat Linusry, the first visit after our departure from the
ancient home. The itrelcom, given me, and the looking
again upon church, and school, and village, seemed to
give a new life to el the dear put, and e new glow (if
one were needed) to my heart's undying attachment to
Fordington. I t,ust, too, toot my visit will, for many •
day to cone, help me in more end MOM sternest prayer
for the parish, the riser, the church, the sehoob, and
all the true Interest, of Firdington. And now particu•
larly let me wt.). CI *1 mimed Irons my he.rt to the ben-fit
club. lam rejoiced to hear of new members, and of the
general prosperlip and stability or the good work. May
it 'take root downward and bear fruit upward' for long
year, to come. Moy it be one TtleS,ll salon/ many to
help the work of the Gospel br leading its members to
feel the tree connection between living a life of honest
care end steady pro lanes in this world, esoecially on
behalf of those who depend on us tor home and for love,
and living the life of faith in the Son of God, who loved
us and gave Himself for us. The mot that really dose
the letter will be sure, if be is tmet', his Principles, to try
to do the former. Shall I give you, deer friends, two
brief mottoes which I remember to have had printed on
my mind lour years ago by on' of my dear brother, now
in Chins! 'Live so as to he mia.ei live so es not to be
missed.' Both are true words; both help to make • fine
text for the life of one who, knowing and loving the
Lord, seeks to live • life of duty and of right. ' Live
so se to be nsisegri.' Live so that when you are goats it
shall be felt that au infiumme is gone that was all on the
right old& and strong on the right ride ' Live go as
not to be missed. Live no that your influence, under
God. shell raise up ant stimulate others to take ;our
place and follow your steps, eri far as they can when you
are gone. I am led specially to thing and speak time
by • (act of my life to-day. Shall I tell you what it DT
It le • funeral I Am I right to seek at • Whitsuntide
festival of • funeral service I Yes; f think I am, because
this is • tuners' full of thoughts of life and hope sod fay.
I am about to lay In the cemetery the body of a very
denc friend who has indeed lived to be mimed, and who
hae left a blessed example to stir us all up to follow his
stew Not a minister, not a learned professor of the
university. lie had a shop—not a large one—ln one of
our busy streets, and was dilieent, punctual, and active
Ii hie hassiume But he was also • Christian. • spiritual,
devoted, gentle, and thoroughly happy believer In the
Lord Jesus; and so ready was he to help in every good
work in the psrish and the town that if you had not
known him In his shop yea would have mid he had
nothing to do hut to do good. Ho was dying proof of
what the unselfish power of the all Gospel leased how it
works in a true inane daily Ufa And so at the age of 65
he is gone. His last words, uttered very slowly end with
great difficulty. were 'ln thy prseence is the fulness of
joy' Dear friends, my heart's wish eni prayer is that
every member of the riot\ every friend at the tea, me,
live on that man's principle. and die a death as fall of
light as his. Then there shell indeed he • grand gather•
log from Fos-dinette around the Lied and with the
blessed one, who hove gone fu. fire on in the better land.
Here 1 hed moult to ave. Bit jost two words shall I
add I First let me say how my heart ?stoical that once
snore our name ls represented In our old home, by sty
dear eldest brother's reborn with his family reside in
Dorrheeter. Then let me say how me greetings sod good
wishes to the :lab and to the porch era all &Mil shared. !
and made worth more than twice their own value by my
deare.t wire. TMs poor and brief mos ego, every part of
It, le, aa I hardly need tell yon, not from as but from us.
God's good bleeping rest spin von ail —I am, most
sincerely and earnestly yours. 11. C. Ci. Moom"
Mho Blanche Smith sang very teetotally "My
bodging is on the Cold Ground," and was sactoseded
by " Why are von Wanderiog here I pray?" by Miss
K. Blackatone Williams.
The Rev. M. EVANS then proposed a vote of thanks
to th. Vicar. He need not say bow thankful he wee
that hie work her, we. prospering under his hand.
(Applause.) He thanked the Vicar for all his kind-
ness to him.
The Vico' briefly expressed big thanks. He could
only say that whatever kindness he hod shown him
and the family he represented that night he had
received ten times more kindness from them in return.
Before they separated he wished, on their behalf, to
thank all those who had helped to make that tea so
successful—the subscribers to the tea and this ladies
who bad kindly come to preside over the trays they
mnet also thank Mr. Pearce for all the trouble he had
taken, and everybody else who bed assisted. He
especially wished to thank Mr. Herrin for his kindness
In sending those beautiful flowers. (Applause.)
After einging the National Anthem and the
Doxology the gathering broke up. We must not
omit to mention that Mr. Norman, the organist of
the church, masted in the piano accompaniment.

DORCIi ESTER COUNTY COURT.
TocliDAY.
(Before Mr. Serjeant Tindal-Atkinson.)
The undefended cases were decided by Mr. Henry
Symonds (Registrar).
Joseph How v. Charles Drake.—Claim Ell 16e. ld.
for groceries, balance of account.—Mr. Burnett for
plaintiff, sod Mr. Hoxtable for defendant.—Mr.
Hurt&hie said b• only received instructions that
morning, and he only consented to act on account of
the defendant's bed state of health. She was not in a
fit state of health to give evidence; it was a very
complicated uses, and he asked his Honour to adjourn
Burnett raid it was a very simple cams,
and be ,x,,04 Doe Imagine what ground of defence
there could be.—Mr. Haxtable disputed many of the
particalers, which he said had been id.-1111s
Honour decided to proceed with the case.—Stersh
How, wife of the defendant, who practically rezriss on
the business, said the cuticular, of the summons
were correct. Some • f the goods she had delivered,
and some her husband. She had applied for pay-
ment several times, and both defendant and his wife
said they would pay it as/000 as they could. Defend-
ant kept a book, in which all the it me were mitered.
Drake bad paid her various sums from time to time.
Defendeet's wife admitted the whole of the account.
—His Honour inspected plaintiff's books, and found
several arsenres and apparent discrepancies, and be

represented by the .0.4 round sam of .CEB3 174. et or On thought he most adjourn the esse for the two advocates
increase of nearly LIP on the amount reported het year. to consult each otam...._mr. EfLuuebk hoped the me,
attePen nesociety of our numerical strenstut out Point would be adjourned and he should be 'lad to arrange
to a more substanual guaranties fund than We and in.
the matter with Mr. Burnett—Mr. 'Bunieu 'biked
creasing GM it dose steadily rear hr year it must setoff, all
our friends that at prerm t the Fordington United Beaellt that the case might be adjourned for baj.en-bour,
arta no: till next court.—Mr. Hnetable : I cannot go
fiy;Marehirapephiol ;el tiho,;:mnato.
c,m.noef
teollanpostiec.or
In the
throsgh that book In halfeen.bunr.—His limeour : I
the meth's. They all minds its. sante and I hops the don't think you can. From what I have seen it
report I nere laid before you wi Ii saUsfy you that both would take more than half.an-hour.—The Judge
treasurer. doctor, and otter officals.* ti••• dooe their hest reminded Mr. Burnett he old not wish to impute
f.,r the welter. of tho• Our medical ohS MO has Mr. his client. only • went of seholershlp.—The
fraud to
way bad very mittens Anti.% t perform during the pint _leemea , ld be
yea', and I hare Inc n ifereel by th. Meek members to Ca" WI? to .011 Po. matter coo n d
repro*, to him their thorough apt'', vation of and grati- arranges', if not the biok will be referred to the
tale for his hind and never,' ine attention to their wants Registrar, who will report at nett Court.
wit thog have had oecaet.in to re•ort to him. My wren and Sows, army tenors, v. Major Rowland
dotr Is now din and a,tho toll Perhaps in some respects HilL £ll5 154., for chilling supplied.—Mr.
this report may not htt end, so saiisfectory 1111 some I have Hnztable for plaintiff, and Mr. T. C mmbe for detail.
preeen,s4 in previous years. yet lam assured there is daht—Mr, 00. b. wined the, the de.bt woe barred
eufficient gr mode to warrant unit p•rwering. and the under oaatuth of - Dinitations. It MU not worth
•ct alone that en many hint friends rally round us on our the
while taking up his Honour'. UM* in the matter.—
anon Whiteantide festival should satisfy us that the
Fortin/ton Unit rt Benefit Society is by no means a bye Mr. limitable contended it was not so barred, as the
word emong.t rum,; hot that a warm late.r.st is still amount was carried no to December, 1872. Major
taken in IL One word to Is inefit members. Let MO urge Hill wee at the Staff College at Sandhurst, and went
cm you not to be satidled with the results of the pest year. to plaintiff., who are large army tailors, and obtained
It he doutetleth highly gratifying to find that we are more clothes. The account went up to 1E72, and early in
an num,er than we have ever been before, and that our
1613 the major left England, and had been abroad with
fiirces have ben augmented by MOP° reunite Men in any
previ sus year, but that is no reason for Pawns from TOW hie tent till last year. This was admitted. The
efforts to bring others to join us You may have the most defendant was as officer in the 39th Regiment, and he
energetic steff of officers pregibi.,. but onkel you yours believed he certainly would not have entered such •
ed... nut yoor shoulders to the wheel and help to roll on plea if be had not been firmly under the impression be
the club, by inducing fresh memiers to enrol themselves bad paid the money.—Letteire were pat in from Major
on its books, all their energy all be of no avail. leers Hill, in which he asserted be had paid some of the
single member must have more or lees influence. and if
m Coombe said his client was on leave,
lyTart'hissYsaepapnlin'udalinrtbepOritant.alsto.r.feiethns•ecdlu,blh"eir7s'arumdard and he. ~believed was s's 7 from Dorchester at the
...het inc. will he continued mimeses and preperity of the Presses ume.—Mr. William Farrell,
one of the
Yordington Unites Hensel Societe. partners, swore the goods were supplied to Major
'Me Vices thought this we. • very statist mtory Hill. They had
repsrt. They hal had mnch eicknese, but they ought in discharge of the bill. They had applied several
to he very thankful they het hat the opportunity of times to him when in India, and thee were returnedpaying go much money to the sick members earl their Refused." —Mr. Coombe remarked plaintiff had
families. (Ap..lanse.) charged over £3 for interest sicl postoiges.—The quer
The Kee. felarrscw Fessa, who spike with evident tion was discussed whether the Statute of Limitations
feeiitig, sail it OM rather more than five yews ago applied, and ultimately His amour said he would
since he stood there. A good many changes had look into the matter, and give his decision nest week.
taken place s nce then, and a change had also taken
plays in his own circumstance', for which be tied been
very thankful. He ba I accepted a living a great
many miles away from them, and he felt he must try
to make an offer to run down and see his friends of
Fordincon before he went ints the toils of perish
work in his new sphere. (Applause.) And it WM well
worth the effort to COMO and see them, for he bad
ben more than rep dd by the very kind relcilas they
had given him. He mitered them he could not
exp•eas the mingled feelings with whi .h one looked
at these gatherings. It spoke of changes; it is a
wor'id of change; and a gathering like this seemed to
being it home to one perhaps more vi•idly taha
It otheseriee wool 1 do. He alway felt that
the society enforced on their attention the fact of
I change-
" Change and decay in all around I see."
But it aleo told of One who never changed, and it
should lift their thoughts upwards and onward.. It
told, moreover, of the world where th-re would be no
change., where there wa. • better meeting place and
a better rest than these earthly gatherings. He
referred with deep em ition to those who used to be
present and joi .ed in that festival. He mentioned
this en that they might remember the greet meeting,
the great harvest home, so that they might resolve to
be found standing on the right hand of GA—
found safe. He need not Bay he always bad taken an
active interest in their eociety, and he had in his
pocket a remembrance of their lore anal sympathy
when he left—e t iken of their affecti in and regard.
He told POMO of them then how mach he valued that
little silver pencil owe they gave him and he was
most thankful for his visit to Fordiniton, to hear
that the society which be hiti taken such an interest
in had reached its highest mark. He was thankful
that prosperity bad attended the club, and he
earnestly wished it Gad speed. (Applause.) When
he left Fordingt nt he could not boast of a wife, and
now that hoc mid he was only too glad to bring her
down to Fordin4ton, and he thanked them all very
much for their very kind welcome to her. (Applause.)
The rev, gentleman, in conclusion, gave some interest.
hag information relating to the worktable new and late
pariah.
A choir of girls here sang • pretty little sour, being
accompanied by Miss Bessie Campbell; and Miss
Blanche Smith—always a favourite at the Fordington
ten—gave the charming old song, "On the Banks of
Allan Water," which was received with uproarious