The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-01-17 00:00:00

MR. EDWARDS'S DINNER TO THE AGED

POOR.

Great as have been the gatherings of poor old folk
on the annual uocasioos whoa Mr. Fedwards, M.P.,
makes a feast to &hues who cannot recomposes him,
the assembly of this year was as resnerkabli as any
that have preceded it, If net more so. We beard an
old inhabitant state that ia the very early times, before
Mx. Edwards took up the master, about 40 were
sad now the number ties inereesed to as leas
than 400 more than that named, 443 ticket,' having
been actually issued, and the ages of the seallpiente
vested from 64, la, 83, &a, ter 80, that of the youngest
present. So large was the gateeriug expected to be
that the children's gellery at the Nauonal School,
where the dinner is tied, bad to be taken down, sad
the Empties of creature comforts were ample in pre-
poruou to the manila which had to be fitted. No less
than 480 lbs. of beef, outcrop, veal, and pork were pro-
vided, and the quality was so smoothie& that it was
spoken ot with admiration, seen by a leading a
trate, who is an ex.elleut judge of good lare.lt
puddings were also on the beery aide of between 400
and 500 pouted.; in fact, not far short of a round half-
toutuand, and when we say that Mrs. Pal, C oadected
the manufacture, everyone will know the quality was
brat-rate. Two sage of potatoes and an ap,orupriete
quantum of parsnips were the vegetable.; trial, as
the French say, l diserdeon„ and the whole was to be
liquidated by 40 gallons of mild boule-brewed, and
eight closest bottles of ginger beer and gieger els. Ti..
dessert included a gocd supply of apples and oranges,
the latter supplied by the hot Snuff was there for
the old women, and tobacco for the ell meo, and,
alter all, there wa, coffee to wind up the least.
bushel ot coals for sect who attendeu the dinner was
given at Mr. Edwards's espouse also; ii. tact, the
wui thy wed liter .1 mower pea i for all, even to giving
. ittlatlael Of coals en a • is. gi °eery Ucket to the tied-
ridoeu who could soot wine. Yet, in spite of the adapte
provisioo made, two oi the intended recipients could
riot he rescued; au .4.1 man named Maj rand a Mrs.
Roper, whostteuded many per*, and scut the morning
of toe feast teat boom,' whence to traveller
returns," and the kind intone., Mr. W. Page,
maoaged, out of his many eugageineute that day, to
see them both before they MM. He and Mrs. Page,
sod their asecauts, bad an onnieuee deal to do, and
they made tone to do it gracefully. Over the gate of
the school was an evergreen portal, with " Welcome "
duplaye 1 in large, plain, and yet handsome letters,
and the eight inside was really dslightful, not only
from ea..wing how instil kind and loving labour ha 1
been best .wed, but else if au the pleasing effect
produce I. The thauolneom was adores,' with banners,
, flags, and ensigns UI wee), nation* and all colours of
tile rainoow, even the green Irish ensign with E
harp, aril the U aide Jack in the crater bei.,g an
yak:dem thao our Irish iilhabi .ante here are c rushy
in harmony with us; the white and red e .signs, t
Union Jacks, St. George's crams, Scandinavian,
Raton, French, and really secant go through them
all, here served to set off the gay di.p.ay, evergreens
were quite as abundant as needed, and mo&toes and
legends were proton. A handsome monogrein
"11.4." in silver and white on blue was garlanded
with eve, greens on the middle of the main well, and
among the legends we noticed 'Hearty Welcome to
our gunge," •' As thy days so .1141 thy streogth be,"
God is our refug and etren;th," • Emulata the
good and great," ' Heaven help those who heap them.
selves," " In Union is s,trength,, ' "Honour the mod,
, " It. N. H.. Mayor,' deppy Now Year," "Know-
ledge is Power,' "Labour has a ash reward,"
" Wisdom—Her ways are ways of plitaeantnesi, and
all her paths are peace," sod others which we cannot
MIMI. The Mgi be/mead to tee school, and the
decorations were dooe by Mr. and Mrs. Pegs. All
the Town Council, and the Clergy and Ministate of all
Denominations were invited to aid in the carving,
beside other accustomed (reads. Although the
weather was gloomy in the first part of the day, its
mildness was favourable to the old folk, and tee sun
eh iue out before the dinner beget). Tbe number who
actually .at down we. 435, biter about 35 in exotes of
last year. Amoog those preaent and Kindly taking an
interest in the proceedings or actually craving were I
—The Mayor (it. N. Howard, Esq.), the rector, Rev.
J. H. Scott, Rev. Canon Stephenson, Rsv. Si. Boyce,
Mr. B. if. Eliot, Mr. G. K blot, Mr. J. Buck, Rev.
W. S. Shuttleworth, Her, W. Smite, Mr. S. S.
Milledge, Mr. A. Bolt, Mr. A. Denali, Mr. T. S.
Wald., Mr. Nandi, Rev W. Lewis, Mr. Snort, Mr.
Thiseltou, Mr. T. Abbott, Mr. Ciipps, Mr. Lundie,
Mr. Haan., Mr. Rowe, Mr. Ayes, Mr. J. Robertson,
Mr. B. Hooking', Mr. Rowland Thomas, Mr. J. B.
Robins, Rev. J. Kennedy, Mr. Aylesbury, Mr.
Hallett, Mr. C. J. Fretunau,
lhe dinner having been heartily enjoyed, fruit and
coffee, tobacco and snuff, were passed round, and than
the friendly talk with the old bilks commenced.
The Maio' first gave the toast of "The Queen,"
feeling sure they would be delighted to join in hearty
good wishes for the health of Her Majesty, and long
may the reign over us. (Applause.) He continued
that Mr. and Mrs. Page had catered very well; What
they had done had given the greatest of satisfaction.
(Applause.) The Mayor then said he would call upon
one who, thous it he had only been a short time among
us, was no stranger, the Rev. Mr. Scott, whom they
were all pleased to welcome.
The itscrOa could not call them young friends, but
they could say of him that he was a young (H=l,
because that was the first opportunity he bad of
speaking to them here. He woe not going to inflict
upon them a long speech, lecati-e, if he roterpreted
their feelings aright, they wool . other be quiet than
gat and listen to long speeches He wished them a very
happy new year; he gathered that Weymouth is a
very happy lilac., hal learnt it wags very bright place,
and could say it was happy, because so many kind
friends that afternoon, from his Worship downwards,
were doing_all they could to make them nappy. (Ap-
plause.) They met on common ground for that
object, although plenty of people are trying to make
us miserable, yet the object this afternoon is happiness
li, all here. -The office of hLayor of Weymouth, be
sal I, was no sinecure, for he had noticed a large round
of beef before his Worship, and although be himself
had, good leg of mutton before him, the pletes were
cent much oftener to the Mayor than to him. He
, hoped they had enjoyed the dinner, and, as there was
%fluid friend present in the shape of Canon Stephenson,
. and hoping to be spared to meet them on many such
occasions, he concluded by wishing them all "A
Happy New Year." (Applause)
The MATOlt•ho had jocularly at the firet instance
called them his young friends, caused renewed laughter
, by repeating the joke, and declaring they were getting
younger in looks. He called on the Rev. Mr. Stephen-
son. _ _ .

Rev. reNoe STIPRINION said Mr. Scott came fresh
to the work, and if be did not inflict a long speech, he
(the speaker) 0 ight not. (Applause.) He remembered
over 3.)years comiur into that room, and It was
very different from what it is now ; it was a very
shabby-looking room, with a shaky roof, brick floor,
dirty walls, and anything but attractive. The Rev.
Mr. Bi idges did a great deal to improve it, and the
late rotor much more, and the speaker ha I been there
a great many times, but never ssw it to great •r
advantage than now, nor did it, he thought, ever look
so well ail when it had the hose of old friends year by
year. They came for thie delightful Fathering end
wish t make it so, they came with smiling faces, and,
is Mr. Scott said, worthy of happy Weymouth. Our
town is • happy place, happy in the friends it has, and
in the first place among them he named our old friend
Mr. Edwards—(Applatimi)—we are glad to name him,
for he knew whet a place he holds in the hearts of
thoee who are met this evsninsr. People sometimes
laughed at him (the speaker) because of his love for
Weymouth ; hut he ha' happy days berg and had a
great dal of happines.. ( applause.) Let them go
from this rsom determined to make Weymouth happier,
and try to brighten up their old friends. Old people
sometimes do not prove sweet•tempered always or
get sweeter-tempered or more sociable ; they like to sit
in the chimney corner, and do not care about what
happens outside. It was kind of Mr. Edwards that
be brings them all together, and shaker them up, and
they could not go fr ,m that room with any bit of sour
feeling. After this they were going home to be sweat
tempered among the neighbours, so that if Weymouth
has been a happy place, after this it will be happier
than ever. A verse in the Bible says :—" The hoary
head is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of
righteotonem;" that was a beautiful text, and he
should like to ern his grey-haired friends going about
kings, who can teU that the good Lord and Saviour hae
been good to them, and there they are kings and
queens, the hoary-headed men and women. Sometimes
people do not like what is old, but whet iu young,
and he was determined to keep young as long as
he could. He did not like people too soon to com-
plain of the reheumatics, they ought to try, as long
asi they could to have the freshness and brirbtnees of
youth about them. Some bed grandchildren, let
them be good to their grandchildren, for that is God'e
way of keeping us all Young; he hoped they would
have young hearts to the last, and that at eventide
there would be light. But he 1 had old friends, and
the old Bible, there was nothing like them, and one
friend then is there who never grows old—the same
yesterday, to-day, and ler ever—let us keep close to
Him. We do uor dislike all tild thinp—what about
Old Englaed ? We all speak up for it, and all love it, II
and the g xid old meat beef and plum pudding of old I
England, he hoped had gone down with good
appe Hee and good savour—famplitosel—sna they
would go away to be happy and Weymouth happier.
(Applaame.)