The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-08-28 00:00:00

ST. JOHNS SCHOOL TREAT.

Very fortunate indeed were the little ones of St. John's
School in having their treat appointed for them for Fri-
day last. That splendidly bright afternoon will be
remembered for many a long month by the 400 or 500 who,
under the leadership of the fatherly Rev. J. Stephenson,
had a pleasant journey out on the Dorchester-road. The
friends had kindly hired abundant waggon-carriage for the
little ones, and the processi in WO.i all of a flutter with
flags of colours varied as the rainbow. "Two Mile
Copse" was the point they were to go quite close to, and
such a journey left no time for a formal perambulation of
the district certain it was that The youngsters would
enjoy themselves the better for proceeding straight to the
field, so from the schools which are so conveniently near,
and vet so separated from the spired church, they went
past Wellington-terrace, with its pretty gardens, past old-
fashioned but cosy Dorset-place, and showy Belgrave-
ternsen, still on till the top of Radipole-hill was gained,
and the valley below could be scanned, with its pic-
turesque variety of meadow and copse and amble land,
where the reapers have already begun the harvest, where
even the yellow sheaves are set in 'aisle.' The new
villas on the Dorchester-road extremity of our suburbs are
passed, and the Mayoress herself (Mrs. Lundie) is in-
terested in the happy juveniles. Still on over the lately.
renewed iron skew-viaduct, past the turnpike, till Wey-
mouth-bridge bears south a couple of mile's, and thence to
the right through a really countrified line, the like of
which one could hardly fancy was no near the town, and
yet no silent and retired that we almost wonder the rail-
way from Dorchester to Weymouth runs within a few
yards. Winding in and out between the tall grasses, the
brambles and the dwarf oaks, the merry party's banners
add the touches of colour just wanted to make a picture
that an Italian artist might not rival even with sketches
of his sunny land. For a short few minutes we wind our
serpentine course till we emerge on an open field, and,
spare, skirting that, press eastward past the butterflies of rare
kinds that fiutterlover those willows and reeds which mark
Donkey boys in every land, from Egypt to En,idand, the site of a stream or pool, and then into a park-like
claim a prescriptive right to " wallop the Neddy an field, covered with grass, not so smooth but that the fun
wouldn' go." But Lord Shaftesbury has shown that will be increased by the "bumpiness" here and there.
the long-eared is a cultivatable animal, capable of From those fine trees hang numerous swings for the girls,
great improvement by kindness, and the dispised and in the next little park is net ups frame for the boys,
moke, equally with the British soldier and the public while there is a space for cricket and football. 'Tis a
uiet self-contained valley in general, with Mr. Ridout's
school-boy, is to be delivered from fear of the rod. A 7armhouse hardly visible, if at all, with the spire of St.
gentleman who has long found moral suasion prefer. John's just peeping over the hill to the south, and farther
able to thrashing, for the thickheads of the human back still a bluish grey mass, which we can scarcely
family, has sought to remove the stick from the thick- recognise as Portland. To the east Two-Mile-Copse
hides of our poor relations and he happened on a darkens the hill slope, and were it not for the constantly
particularly cruel caseof donicey-beating. I congratu. passing trains behind this might he a valley of Raseelas,
late Mr. fhiselton on his efforts in behalf of the almost forgetful of the world. It is all-resounding now
with merry shouts, and donkey drivers urge their noble
humble animal, of whom even that advocate for
steeds to speed beneath the weight of those who think of
eorporal punishment. Solomon, said—not a whip—but little lint fun. Donkey-boy nature is the same here an
" a bridle for the ass." The Bench, too, aredetermined elsewhere, and Sergeant Hitch, on duty to look after the
to put down donkey-beating, and I am glad that hedges, I suppose, restrains the too stimulating appliances,
Titania in Weymouth, who has always hail a tender while the customers prove that they don't agree with the
affection for Bottom's head, has spoken in favour if old distich—
mild treatment for the donkey's body. But just one "Doubtless the pleasure is as great
word, Titania! Over-loading is as bad as over-beat- In being cheated, as to cheat'
ing, and when a lumpy matron of say a dozen score, The good vicar presides over a large number of willing
gets on Hee-haw's back, and wants him to gallop helpers near the hedge that the trains, at a comfortable
along the sands, she ought to pary the donkey-boy s distance, rush beside, and here are net out squares of forms
with baskets of cake, not far off, watched wishfully but
fine if he over-persuades the poor rute. with strict regard to won and hints, by some splendid
dogs. The fragrant steam goes up from some field tea
If ten-shilling fines don't prevent dealers in green- equipage where the Vicar hospitably entertains visitors,
y from trying to cheat the Market-house bond- himself keeping a watch at the same time over the groups
holders of their twopences, I fear nothing will, scattered at large. Tea for the schools is being prepared
Remember the ticket, please, all you Upweyians, at Mr. Rldout's farm-house, and about half-past four, a
Broadway farers, and Bincombe how-dye-does, before number of immense cans are borne into this neighbour.
you bring your fresh produce to our doors. We should hood, the fife-and-drum band redouble their music, then
like to have you in without a toll, we should like you the drums beat up a tattoo, and in troop the boys and
to have a free market, and inir lodgers and we cheap girls to the feast Here congrerate a selection of those
eggs, butter, and vegetables merry young sirs from the fashionable houses, who try
, and plenty of them. to delude us into putting down a portentous array of
But " someone has blundered ;" we have a costly titled names among the lady helpers, and who are very
market-house which does not pay its way, and you first persistent in their prayers—" Put down my name, too.
must be taxed to pay the bondholders some trifle of The grace is sung, and forthwith out pour the ladies to
pocket-money. for 'tie little more substantial that they feel the hungry, and think it good fun too. Talk about
get. But don't be deceived, pray be convinced that pastoral bites of the times of Louis Quinze ! The scenes
you can't escape the toll, or if you ddepicted by Watteau were tame and feeble compared with
do nave a 2d. now the pictures of the ladies of St John's distributing to
and then, you II find it penny-wise and pound foolish the children of the schools. Ah! had the gay nobieue, who
policy, for a good many twopences will go in a ten- trifled away time so elaborately in the days of the
shilling fine. We are sorry for you, and some of us Bourbons, been as kind to the boargeoisie as these ladies
tried very hard to resist the incubus, but we failed, so to their scholars, there had been no reign of terror when
you must pay. Doubtless you'll charge it on, for you the Tier, Flat came tothe top. Among those who were
occasion
Present on this asion were—Miss Dickinson, Misses
are young men from the country, and we can't get Stone (3), Miss P. Morant, Miss Stephenson, Miss T.
over you.
Stephenson. Mrs. Stone, Mies Younghusbaud, Mr. and
After all, village neighbours, in spite of the small- Mrs R. Oakley, Miss Grimstone. Mr. Stone, Miss East,
Miss— Ceucher, Miss Thompson, Mrs. Pooley, Miss Rugg,
ness of your earnings and ours in spite of the taxes on Mist Marriott, Miss Slade, Bliss Arledge. Mr. Arledge,
both of us, we have a pleasant of it, in comparison Miss Kemp, Miss Smith, Mrs. Lundie (Mayoress), Miss
with some of the places that the Rev. 'l'. F. Dale told Notlev, Mrs. Abbott, Rev. F. Fisher, Mrs. Dansey, Mrs.
about on Monday night Fancy a town, the sheets C. Coles, Miss Church, Miss Plowman, Miss Ravenhill,
covered with inches of cinders and the fields in the Misses Carfaendale, Mrs. Everett, Mr. and Mrs. Crinps,
same plight for miles around ! Fancy parks where no Mils Venour, ate., ic. The scholars are plentifully
thieing too he noble
v,
slugs grandly stalking round and not
tree grows higher than a yard, and where the only proud gulp an occasional hunch of cake tossed
fruit discoverable in the curates' garden was a goose- into their mouths. The elder scholarsseated at a
berry hard and black as a lady's bog-oak bead ! Yet table with more deference than the juveniles, and soon
this was the state of things in a town to which pr le all have erailually come to • full stop. Grace is again
rushed 40 fast for the sake of wages that they filled sung, and then the ladies produce boxes labelled "Four
the houses before the sashes were put in the frames or Pounds of coker-nut ice, from which they draw maw,'
the doors on the jambs. Such towns as these are they varieties of sweets and rapidly find gratis customers. The
fun becomes livelier than ever, until the sun seems to
where man in Christian England forget to retain OK'd sink below the railway embankment, but still his rays
in their knowledge, and where the effects of that ed th...mft of the hip, azarsoind the dee. th
. e
nature teaching so vaunted by Deists, who believe that schools gather, and, after Yieniant journey

Whether Mr. Siddons and his Sons be ma.sters of
the divine art of music, or whether they flavoured
their street performances with songs smacking of a
dmthic cntendrt, it is quite clear that we cannot submit
to have our gratis contributions obtrusively solicited.
Nothing, hardly, is more likely to drive away visitors
than their being subject to frequent and not easily
avoided demands—" Give, give,' and the Bench have
wisely supported Supt. Vickery in showing musicians
that when they take to the streets they are, spite of
their rights as Englishmen, amenable to regulation,
and even removal, by the police. Vangucci and
Weymouthians are sufficiently supplemented by the
military band, and in the streets we have music and to