The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-01-04 00:00:00

DINNER TO THE AGED POOR.

The excellent idea of Mr. Page, to provide a good
dinner for the poor people of the town who had
arrived at the age of 60, WAY again carried out this
year, and on Thursday afternoon last, the Working
Men's Club rooms were filled with an expectant
assembly. The room bad been tastefully decorated
for the occasion with evergreens, lee., and the
mottoes "Welcome," "A Hapry New Year," La,
were exhibited on the walls. -The number of those
between 60 and and 75 was fifty-nine ; between
GS and 70, thirty-seven; 70 to 75, thirty-eight; 75
to SO, eight, and eight above SO. The oldest man,
(Vye) was 90 years old, and the oldest womyn (Mrs.
Hunter) sS ; the total number present being 153.
The provision supplied was, 1631 b. meat, S bushels
potatoes, two bushels of which were given by Mr.
Dodson, cwt. parsnips, and the second course con-
sisted of 150Ib. of pudding, while an abundant
supply of beer was preseated by Messrs. Devenish.
Mr. Tigwell kindly gave a quantity of bread.
Among the gentlemen present were G. Eliot, Esq.,
the president of the Working Men's Club. H. tE
Eliot, Esq., Rev. Canon Whately, Rev. V. F.
Ransom., Ate, and the following carved for the poor
peoplo—Nlessre Croaker, Robertson, Sperling, W.
Paul, W. Page, Roberts, G. R. Crick m y
Plowman, Warberton, and Rev. W. Howes. Mew-
ing was invoked by U. E. Eliot, Esq., after which
the guests fell to with a will, and did ample
justice to the provisions. keeping the carvers fully
employed. Beef, mutton, potatoes, bread, etc.,
Ac., being dispatched, the puddings were brought
on the board smoking hot, as had been all the rest
of the good food, and soon the most hungry con-
fessed, that they could not take any more. The Rev.
V. F. Ransoms then said grace.
G. E. ELIOT, Esq., said he was very glad and thank-
ful that they were permitted once more to meet and
enjoy themselves on this happy and festive occasion.
A I ibougb such an occasion should be happy and joy fel,
and they had sunshine in their faces and joy in their
hearts, he thought this annual dinner should suggest
Belem thoughts. When he saw so many there who
had arrived nearly at the and of their lives—and
be did not suppose there were many present but
must feel they were drawing near the termination of
this life—he did not think it out of place to suggest
that their annual dinner was • solemn ocaseine.
They should look beck to the past, and forward to
the future. They could not help heir g reminded—as-
sembled as they were at the close of another year—
that when they were assembled last year, some faces
were amongst them whom they saw there no longer.
When they looked back to that and thought of the
post, they could not help looking forward to the
future, aud feeling that when the coning bear had
run its course, threw then living would had some
empty seats amongst them. They knew not who it
would be ; but at the end of each year they ought
to have, not only joyful and heppy, but also solemn
thought'''. They need not, however, be sad thoughts,
for it ought not to cause sadness in their hearts
when they thought that perhaps they might not be
here at the close of another year. If, indeed, such a
thought did occasion sadness, if they were terrified
and horrified at the thought that they might not be
here miller year, it was surely their own faults,
because, although the end of life and the departure
from this world WAS &solemn thing, it need not, and
Might not, to be a fearful thing to any. There is
one way in which the sting and fear of death can be
taken away, and God greet that each one of them,
when they heard the summons of Almighty God to
lie down on the deathbed, might be found pre-
pared by the blood of their only Saviour to meet
and welcome the summon.. He was very glad that