The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-06-03 00:00:00

GRAND ODDTELLOWW FICTE.

Many ware the anxious fears that looked out of
cottage casements; in country and town, and from
mere expanaively fitted windows, on Monday last.
for W ha-Monday might be expected to be
Miami the first holiday for the year, considering
how tia.kward has been the mason. Fl ivrery June
had suoceeded May, but the Los of esch month as it
come was clouded, the flowers blooming six weeks
later than the same did last year,
'and, "'dumb in
1878 they bloomed • fortnight before the avenge, yet,
allowing for that., it will be seen the present NUM] is
• clear month behindhand. We have not forgotten
the primroses and cowslips are still km bloom along the
railway banks in seclude I spots, while the blushing
lilac seems to have a teak to burst into its wealth of
colour. The white variety of lilac bloom had, how-
ever, been plentifully used in Holy Trinity Church,
Dorchester, for decoration on "White" Sunday; on
the commotion table was a beautiful cross of pure
white flowers, with a bouquet on either side, The
lectern was adorned with a few Bowers and sprigs,
and the font had a large and handsome white Hotel
cross, tieing from what might have represented the

" Green hill, tar away
Outaide &city wall."
But in this Instance the round mound was besuteous
with the snow of white blooms. Perhaps these
deoreationi were increased in anticipation of the
Odd&flows coming. so we mention them hero.
Won reokaning'Whit Monday to have arrived about
the eaneoc ot .1.1. y 2, instead of June 2, it was rather
disappointing, on looking out sally that morning, to
see the rain oomiug down as if a Scotch mist and
frequent drizzles were suitable for a holiday. But the
lads and lasses donned their finery, for you know the
old proverb—
" gain before elven, clear before liven."

And with tide we consoled ourselves, putting on stout
boots, for even if it cleared 'twit, mire to be muddy
underfolt. Considerable numbers of visitors came in
from the early forenoon train., and the frequency of
Weymouth faces seemed to tell u. that not much was
going on at the seaside. A very pretty sight they had
in our tun irageowi walks, of which the 3.,w.h Wclka
are the envy of the county, while the teat clump at
the Baggers' Knap stretched out their arms am
if imploring to be allowed to remain, and
'twee vcry difficult to make the Weym uth p °As
believe those were the trees some of which it as,
cont.mplated to cut down. "Oh ! send them down
to Weymouth, if they want to get rid 44 them here,"
was the response, "we'd give almost any money for
such a clomp as that on, the shoves of the Backwater,
beside the Botha, or on the Chkkerel-road." Clearly
the Dorchester people don't know what L. good tor the
town, if they allow that clump to be attenuated or cot
. .

—iiranwhile the Oddfellows have been gathering In
our capacious Fair-field, and a very spacious and
commodious piece it proved, for the ground was clean
after any amount of rain, in this respect far enquiring
even Weymouth &planed., after it had been mended
with what: an aldermen there o mpared to Was-
- /ravel" from Poole. Toe Fear-livid was a capital
plane of assembly, although the rein, alas I continued
to fall.
In spite of the rain the scene was fairly gay, for the
hateful "black coat," the absurd badge of respect-
ability, and the still more ridiculous chimney-pot
that, were only the setting for a goodly number of
blue and white sashes, gold and silver stars, gayer
and red ribbons of offioe, varied with crimson
LiPcri °;:i.di—we suppose of superior officers, among the
throng mingled a fair proportion of the scarlet
uniforms of our brave defenders, and the Mee and
white jackets and cape of our sailor boys of the
Boscswen made further variety, while the gallant and
talented band of the 3rd Dorset Rifle Volunteers were
playing on the eve -trimmed stage. The ladies,
who are always ready to honour and grace with their
charming presence these festive scenes were not absent,
though there were but few wreath-decked bonnets and
Princess robes in that soda lug crowd; but we must
not forget the plucky "juveniles," who at early age'
are taudlat by prudent man to lay by for the" rainy day,"
were doing their best, with little wham and " juven-
ile " liveliness to put a better face up ni things,
though eventually their fetters sei4 them to the
shelter of the largo shed. The procession was to have
formed about half-past nine; but it wee clearly of no
use to pad about in the rain, so a few tunes beguiled
the time, while the banneis were kept wrapped round
the top cross poles.
At length the hour of eleven approached, when the
promise to go to Holy Trinity Church, and fittingly
open the day' must be praiseworthily redeemed, and
Mr. Secretary W. J. W. Pike, with a rather anxious
face (for the rain still continued), took part in the
marshalling of the procession, which, as far as we
could make out in the rain, was in the
order:—

P.G. Wills and P.C. F. Jeans', with wands and whit'
rosettes.
_ . . .

Bellows' Band (11 sad ter. o irutumere) under Bandmaitar
_3. Trances 8r...0ka. . .

---
Banner of "Bud of Rope Lodge, hearing as its device
the sick brother visited by tle Officer o. the I,(lge.
Members of "Bud of Hope an.l " Baud-Au-Hand "
L-xlges. about 100.
Members of various lodgve, including brethren from
Limey. Wer mouth, Be.
Banner of the Weymouth United Lodges, of bins silk,

edged with saffron.
Daviaw.
The Oddfellows Arms and the Good Samaritan.
Bro..thren with iiiver
. . .

Banner of tb."W;;;;:ouii‘-lf;il;:i'f:lg7i. of blue Yid
attlLoll, with appropriate device&
Pr.t*l"!.. . . .

&UMW of the tie and hit,
w.
crigild-74.761
Britannia and the British lion, with ship in full sail. and
0 ldrellows'i
Bend of the 3rd D.R.V. (a), Mish.Bandinaster
iprlo
Juvenile Brethren.

Butner, with. vrldo;;;;l—nep-17an--;i71; 01Hallows' tonal,
Juvenile brethrun.

Even at that hour, the sight-seers had assembled in
sufficient force to tread the raised footpaths on
either aide of the road into mud; but they lined
the road determined to see the sight, and it
was really a very pretty one. "Old England's mini
for ever" was among the tunes with which Mr.
Wellspring cheered up the assembly. sad we must
congratulate the experienced drummers on "doing
their spiriting gently," instead of deafening no as we
have been in a certain exchange. Through South-
street and up High-street the procession marched to
the church, whose bell was quaintly calling, and a
courteous churchwarden was ready and welcomed a
large congregation, to whom Mr. Morgan played a
beautiful voluntary he had improvued. n• Odd.
fellows were accompanied into church by a large
number of friend*, and the two bands, of course, soon
entered into the clean and freah.looking building,
the choristers, in long procession, some of the foremost
looking quite Elizibethian in their collar frills, the
Rector, in surplice, kc., bringing up the rear. SOOla
of the prayers were musically Intoned by the choir, and
the Rev. H. Everett took for his text, 1 Our., xii.. 23.
28, and spoke of the great want of such Nocieties in
England. The pauperism in this country was some-
thing dreadful, in some towns and villages, one out of
every 10 being recipients of parochial relief.

- .
We take it for granted the militia authorities did not
know that Divine servioe was going on, or they would
hardly have marched the regiment down Highstreet.
with blare and din of martial not.; but so it was, and
non-Church-going Dorchester turned out in a hurry,
supposing the Odclfellovrs had had an extra shortened
service, and the very perfection of shortened sermons.
They were not kept vary long in church, ail it was,
and were soon free to promenade the stasis; but
you could not expect much of that to be done. We
ourselves COOllOl to retiring under • roof, wondering
who had the wont of it, the Oddfellows with their
dripping banners, or the militia, who had carried their
rifles in the rain, and had the prospect of half-an-hoar
or so with wish -leather sad Rangoon oil.
The fair field, the plane appointed for the Mt., pre-
sented • most miserable spectacle. Torrents of rain
fell, and only • few persons had the courage to indulge
in anything like out-door apostle. The dinner of the
members and friends was held in • LIM marquee.
There were present Mr. Stainer, Mr. T. Walden, Mr.
Bryer, Mr. Sly, Mr. Webber (vice-chairman). Mr.
Rhergold, Mr. Roger., Mr. Brown, Mr. Basil (sc.
Juvenile Lodge), Mr. Id. Goring., Mr. Pike, ;tr..
' The inside of the tent looked very inviting, and
the shelter wag most acceptable to those who bad
been plodding about in the mud and rain. About 200
pv.es sat down under the presidency of the Mayor
ops, Esq.), and among those present were the
H. Everett, Dr. Morris, Dr. Aldridge, Mr. Tilley,
Mr. Chick, Mr, Gregory, Mr. Holland, Mr. Marsh,
jun., Au
The dinner, which was an excellent one, was
pmvided by Bro. T. Randall.
Inside the tent they seemed all jolly enough, keeping
up their spirit& in spite of the weather; but those boys
who swallowed all the heel taps from the glasses
would perhaps be heels uppermost before the day was
out. The Bost:swan boys tried to examine into the
milk In the 0000snut, by penny throws of a ball, or
three sticks a peony, when the best often brought
down the prise. °there had rifle shots at targets, and
gallant marksmen hit the bullb eye, to UI. admiration
of the fair sex, who rewarded them by casting sheep's
eyes back. Tbe girls and boys were out at play,
while the elder brethren and their patron, foamed and
drank, and, though it hadn't left raining, they had
a jovial time.