The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-01-02 00:00:00

OUR 6111P6 AT CHRISTYAS.

Weymouth Harbour was gay on Christmoi Day,
although not many of our seals traders were in port,
in fact it would have looked rather bare, had it not
been for the presence of four of the large steamers
which ply from here across the ChanneL The great
lengths of the South of Ireland and her consort the
Great Western rteamer, the Brirhton, and on the
other side near the Cove, the Cygnus, made the
harbour look quite respectable, and most of the
vessels hoisted a good show of flags, and trimmed
yards and topmast. with everyreons. First, reckon-
ing from the Core, where the Cygnus is under repair,
the William Dyer was all vs dant with boughs and
showed her flags, our " Portland " steamers did not
hoist their busting; but above bridge, Mr. C. W.
Lovell's great liavensworth, wee decked from topmast
to boom end with green boughs. Auroras the harb.ur,
the bluff Dutch form of the Antis Dirks, from Emden,
, flew her name-flag and a rainbow-like lot of signals,
and she had boughs on her yards. The next specially
festive In her loot was the Salads, whom great balk,
showing all the more because she wee light, lay
opposite Mr. Sanders's coal offlos ; the was well
adorned with evergreens, • great Christmas tree
riving from one of her 'pars, and they seem to have
expected a party, for on a rope neer the galley hang
an immense bough of mistletoe. The Marnhull, one
of the few representatives of our once large sailing
fleet, was home for Christmas, and she also hoisted
her name-flag with a lively lot of others, and was gay
with greenery. Odin. of Svendborg, was untrimmed,
perhaps her crew did not like be:ag in • foreign port;
but the Brighton which had pulled home the South of
Ireland was particularly gay, as was also the Great
Western steamer; the Cherbourg vessels bad their
tricolours and the company's flags flying, and the
Brighton her Jersey cross and company's flag.
Boughs and a Christina, tree were among the decking*,
and altogether our Harbour looked the gayer ter
Christmas Day.
Oct BOLDIIMS' CHRISTMAS.

The gallant and well-behaved men of the Royal
Artillery enjoy Christmas as well es any body of men,
and would no doubt have decked up no end of the
rooms whence the great guns peep out, only that for
souse days back they have been hard at work altering
the armament of the Circular Fort at the Breakwater
End. The progress of military science of attack and
defame has necessitated that the Fort, which com-
mands the entrance to Portland Roads, be armed with
if of the heaviest gum that can be placed there, and
the splendid tall fellows of the R.A. have been at
work mounting the giant masses of iron up to within
the shortest time possible before the festive 11011140. Of
course there are no evergreens on the long spit of lime-
stone rocks which f sem the Breskerater, our men did
not get beck in time to cal nOOO their friends to con-
tribute from their shrubberies, and the voluntary fore-
thought of others was little exercised on their behalf,
though a few of most sort. just garnished the abundant
chains and dodges in artificial coloured stuffs. Mistle-
toe was not forgotten, and some boughs were artfully
placed Jost over where visitors were likely to be stand-
ing, whew. we judged that at the afternoon festivities
the softer sex was expezted to furnish the tent part of
the fun. And first among the notes to be made wan
that a dement table warn laid out in each room, such as,
we were told with pride, has not been seen in • soldier.'
barrack before. The blue ribb n has made it, way to
the breasts of these steady men, whether openly
shown or not does not matter, and the beer-barrels
were represented by insignificant kegs compered
to those which used to be bet &broach in the
olden times. But the go d sprinkling of teetotalers
among our Artillery do not fall behind in determin-
atiou to enjoy themselves, awl dainty biscuits, and
tart., oranges, and Runs& fruit, and teetotal drinks,
though wine for its bibbers is there alto, garnish •
space beside each gun. Before all, the greet adornment
of each room is the giant cannon itself, with all its
steel parts polished like silver, and the Wass work so
that you can see your face in the shining metal.
These it sriU be remembered, an intended to cross
fire with the Fort on the Breakwatee Rod, so that any
hostile vessel may get • double pounding from the two
forts, should she dare approach. But the spirit of the
defenders is not arrogant, for we observe the good old
volunteer motto "Defence not defiance" is displayed,
on a Magenta ground in silver letters, near the kg.
stone of the embrasure, though the CUD is pointi..g
straight across the entrace to the Roads. Now for the
special dsckings of Sergeant King', room. In them
piping time, of peace, a bunting curtain, the Union
Jack, is revealed instead of the heavy rope mantlets
that resist splinters of shell ; the partitions between
the rooms, which come down in fighting time, to blow
away the scrim of battle, are now dr sped with the
Union Jack an I other ..f Old Britannia's flags, and
against them leans a trophy of swords crossed in NW*,
but flashing up from the dark ground of the Bags, as
if to may "Ready, aye ready I" The geseliers are all
fringed gaily with varied c dour., of cardinal and grass-
green, of pink and emerald, blue and orange and white,
and chains of equal variety, hang like rainbows
shattered and re-pieced in gay festoons; all of the
piping not only is covered, bat the stream of different
hues stretch away in all directions, and are matched
by stars and rosettes and crosses and kaleidoscopic
devices on the arched roofs of the casemate, and the
whole is so arranged that it shall not be scorched when
the rooms are lighted up for the fun which the
mistletoe foretells. High up and boldly lettered is •
large legend—" Our Beet Mdse. to Capt. Monckton,"
In silver and gold and elaborately shaped letters; a
large coloured lantern depends from the crown of the
Ceiling. and enclosed with holly is "A Merry
CoriEmm," in c nosed triangle, of evergreens,
Wreaths of Georg's/um are carefully disposed where
they would hive the best effe3t, and best wishes to the
various officers are diaplayed. Over the mantelpieoe is
"Happy New Year," with stars and rosettes and other
patterns of varied colours and the windows are
co-tamedwith flags. We wish all our brave defenders
the merry Christmas and the happy New Year that
generally come to work well done, and temperance in
all kood things. while the evil are cast out.—At the
Weymouth Barracks the 2nd Regiment have but a
small force; bat our Queen's Own redcoats have as
capital a Christmas 'Honer of good roasts with the
accompaniments WI the Artillm: In the Fort, and
though they did not adorn their barrack rooms, we
may be sure the WIWOn 01 jollity was enjoyed.

110•T1Tnt.-OHalrneen.
It would tone down the spirit of the maddest
merriment to visit our hospital at the season when the
Great Heller fist came, and yet says the wisest man
that it is better to go to the house of mourning than
t is house of feasting. So we suriPoos thought Mn,.
Griffin, Miss Symonds, Miss Jones, Miss James, Mrs.
Wright. Mr'. Bacon, Captain Fyer, Dr. and Mrs.
Ryan, and they left behind then; substantial and
visible Incentives to comfort and joy, in the adorn-
ments with which they brought Christmas before the
patients' eyes. Wreaths of evergr. ens with ocdound
roses docked the passages, festoons hanging over each
door. In the men's accident lies • young labourer of
24, and he has lain there for six months with two
broksn thighs owing to the fall on him of a mass o'
earth near the Pottery, on the Bth of Jose. An amen
added itself t 3 the compound fracture, yet we learn he
Is doing well, conaloering the greatness of the
injuries. The walls bear texts, as "Worthy is the
Lamb."" Born for our Ssivation." " Pesos on Earth,"
while stars, triangles, and garlands fill the spaces ; the
gaseliers are wreathed with ever•-eses. A Dios selec-
tion of pictures is cis the walls of all the wards, so
that they are as like home as love can make them,
while the kindly and persevering attention of Miss
West is valued, for we see &moil the abundant
legends upstaire—" God bless our Worthy Matron."
In the men's medical ward. some poor fellows are
lying aching with rhrumatism, and another with what
In hirers 'ed the " fashionable Weymouth crmplaint,"
sore logs. Beside Christmas text., hers " Long life
and happiness to H. Edwisi-ds, Esq., lit
life and blindness to Sir Frederic jetutom B
and again Mies West is rernembe.od j., s God bum
our Nuns." The women's medical ward is equally
well ados.nd with festoon', garlands, and pictures,
and among the texts are—" And the Angels said
unto them, lase not, for behold I bring you, load
tidings of great joy." also the plain direction "Jesus
Christ came into the world to save sinners." On the
walls are scam of mountain and flood, of foreign
lands and olden times, and of home and now. Miss
Jackson, with her marl goodness, provided the
patients with rorn beef and plum podding, and,
through the kindness of other friends, road turkey
waked fur other days of the blessed time' some ladies
made a collection "(or the decorations," and the
surplus was devoted to giving the imitates apples,
onoTos, es'idus, and fits.—ln the witiffion-rocue, the
profusion of Polo ciTogt4 the we* flialltOil

hoped carried comfort to the hearts of those sorrowing
for friends. "ru. Lord is my Shepherd." "A Happy
New Year," "Merry Christmas," "God bless our
worthy I) otor," God bless our Queen," are
specimens of the legends, some done by a carter front
Messrs. Devenish's, and of oourse the texts prominent
at the season were abundant. The Religious Tract
Society sent a quantity of presentation cards, and the
pictures and verses were much appreciated, a po
woman especially was pressing in bringing these
kindnesees to our notice. Of the patients we may
note that neither this year nor the last bas any single
case of a accident through drunkenness been brought
to the hospital, though there used to be two or three,
and a few years ago were more plentiful. On the
whole, though a hospital is hardly the place to look
for Christen's joy, ISO inmates at our Weymouth one
had more than they could expect.
UNIONYOUBI CHIIISTMAS.
"The poor ye have always with you, and when ye
will ye may do them good, was the reminder of the
Master, and our Guardians at the Unionhouse did not
forget to do something to brighten the lives of those
who would be destitute but for the Poor Law and the
"great house." Roast beef and plum pudding, with
" etceteras," were provides', and the chairman. Mr.
0. Eliot. and Mr. R. Thomas. amisted by Mr. J.
lee, jun., personally attended, helped to carve for
the poor, an I saw that thee were well feasted. About
• dosen lees dined in the Unionhouse thsn last year,
there being in 1882 only 161, es egeinst 173, we believe,
in 18S1, and the poor enj iyed the well-cooked viands
Immensely. The pastime Anil weels were also
decked by Mr. Stention, industrial trainer, and Mr.
flansom, porter, and the new work was really tasteful,
while the old quaint style of decoration in letters of
all sorts of sizes in the same lines was kept ti the
Interior. Evergreens nordered such texts as "Behold
I bring you glad tidings of great joy, net. you
is born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord,"
and of course " Merry Christmas" and 'A Pro.-
porous New Year," were wished from the
wane. The master and mietrees seem to give much
satisfaction, for we saw "ma compliments of the
semen to Mr. and tire. Bishop and our Christmas
visitors." and prominent was the remarkable legend
"God bless our home." Into the chapel the sermon
had joj fully intruded; "Behold the Lamb a "
was over the cAmounioe table, and" L H.S." in gold
letters on • red ground, amply bordered with roses
and evergreens. The wards had coloured &eine,
" V.R. " owns, and so forth, and the men a pint of
beer ea'ch with an ounce of tobsooo, the women tea and
snuff. They are not ad uncultured who have been
bare, for among the adornments we saw a winged angel
VMS feet in length, and boldly end correctly drawn
with good detail, while he bore • long and appropriate
set of lines on a tablet. This had been oone by •
carver of some talent who had "g me to the bad" near
Bridport. Let us hope for recovery of such, and as
much happiness' as can be for all the poor souls who
have slipped and mina, t rescue themselves from the
last resting-place but one.