The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-01-02 00:00:00

'II DECORATION:4.

While the weather outside, is, at lea.st, .lonbtfnl,
MA !de:some-seekers are uncertain whether to enjoy
the fresh keen air, or he .Iriven in, to the fireside awl
the pleasures of the drawing.rwan, then, is no doubt
at all alsoit what ro.lllo of the Christina..-keepers have
Issm doing. The insides 1,1 or churches have been
wade a.i.litionclly beautiful bv the forethought. of
Wring hearts, and the lalssurs of busy hands. -
St. Mary's parish elnirch W:1,1 deswatol wider the
auperintendetwe of Mrs. .%11,1rews, Mrs. 1k44 Andrews,
the Misses Andrews, Mrs. W. B. Barrett, Misses
Dinolry, Misses Itandall, Mises Doswell,
l'argeter, 3liss Luckliata, 'Miss Willis, ..Ntiss and
l•flaster Kendall, and other friends. Entering from
St. Mary-street, we find that the font is beautiful
with a border I dr white artificial flower,, resting
dark green ivy leaves, awl arranged on a ground of
crimson ch,th. all round the brim; the bowl filled
with laurel leaves, and oniside was a border of Is .a,
laurnstions, awl holly ; the base being als enwreathed
with evergreens. All the pillars of the church wore
snirally wreathed with light trailing ivy. Sir .ff .
I,k-ture was bordered with evergreens, awl
over the picture Was MI very lar4e "St Bethlehem."
On the front of the side galleries were the words
" Wonderful, Coeinsellor, Mighty (.l, Everlasting
Father, Prince, of Pefae," Mol these titles .1 the
Messiah were sin miewente.l I,y ff
Alpha :iu,.i
sinega- ni the fr.nt of the ..rgan gallery. These
words were foriwsl in white " Swatial.w.l" letters on
crinisei ground, find where the front would have Iswir
vacant, the spaces were filled with light stems of
evergreen erwmill,f, awl dividing the apace into !
triangles. this diaper-work having a pretty effeet.
The windows were all h nlered with holly, laurel, awl ,
other evergreens. The communion out, were lightly
trimmed wita ivy, an.l the pulpit rails more thickly
with evergreens. In feat of the readingolesk was
the uson.grans " I. ILS." in white Swansdown" on
erinismt.d.th, I, ,rdered with holly have.. The whole
effeet we, lighter tlnni that of Loa year; and very
agreeable for a elm.. ge.
Christ's Church is not without a bawl ~f worker's
who c .-operate without respect 'f persons, for there
" rich and poor meet together in the same line of
seat., equally near to the minister, and Oa. distiag.
' ti"IIS are not thought .4. This is as it diould
and while perhaps We 3ro 11111101 e to nlllllO all the
dmesrators, .4 this eltureli, iiiii mg them were Mrs.
Curphey and Alias Daws, el, Mrs. Colonel Scott,
the Misses l'neker, Misses Baugh, Mrs. Hughes.
Ntiss urphy, Mrs. I ielye, Mrs. Brown, Mrs.
Me•siter. Mrs. Kyle; Mr. 'Bailee awl Mr. F. W.
Aching were very active and i ersevering, awl Itlr.
Whethatn kindly male a• large quantity of trellis
work, from the design of the minister, Her. I- N.
Belye. •I'he font was the work .4 .11.11e1 Als"tt
the bowl was wisriied with a Large quantity of hay,
yew, box, and I turel, reliesed with large white
arlitisdal lilies, 00l there were fesosms of evergreens
around the outside. Passing inside the church we
see that ivy trails in light sprays from the cress
girrierl, the capital• of the pillars b .re aoughs vew
arranged iii the form of l'rincemf-Wales• plusnes,-and
trailing ivory hung down the coinnma. The pulpit
lc* was eiwreathed with evergreens and bright red
tarries, the panels with red berries and yew, and
pretty designs of green leaves with white fillies in the
centres. At the end of the chnrch the wall facing the
chancel was gracefully relieved with a large onantity of
evergreens, arranged on trellis-work, the intersections
marked with white roses. Turning now to the
ehancel itself we observe on the crown • if the reredos the
teat "The lewd is our refuge " formed in large white
capital letters empearlel with tapioaa and ls,niered
with evergreens. The reredos itself was divided with
wreaths, no as to imitate the tables of the Command-
ments, the middle partition having the mow-gram
I.H.S. in red letters on white ground, and a large star
appeared on either side. In the open circle at the
crown of the great double chancel arch hung, a
very fine Star .4 Bethlehem, the centre being of
n white, and the points of radiant •ilver ; this
snowy
tY7aie work of the Misses Crocker, of Park-street.
The lines of the arelt were marked out with wreaths
of •••• ergreens ; • the chaiwel piers hung fn. nograno,
in c swaja,down ,in crimson cloth, one ••
done in avirell tent, and,the r in antique Greek.
The reading desk was a* prettily adorned. Festweo,
were hung on the great atet wall. Th,. result of the
vi,,'e wi a very great improvement in the internal
apf wan, e of the church
St. John's church seer.', a. usual,
elaborate, the principal of the lades who laboured at
them hem., miss younghusband, Miss A. Ylol9l_,
huslcuol, Miss Armstr mg. Miss Wilding
Weathenstone, Miss htwe.., Mrs. Nangle, Nli•S'Payne,
Mrs. Vandrey, Mies Mein, Mrs. Hopldns, 3liss
Frampton, Misses Cotterell, Mrs. Oakley, Miss
&c. The reredos was crossed with St.,
Andrew's crosses in light evergreens awl ivy was grace-

fully adjusted on the columns so se to appear se If
spirally entwined. It was trimmed; mom and
sorraounted by A cross of ev !th white
i The chancel chapel was decorated with
wreath. .if yew, and the organ with criumn and
%viva''', of evergreens, the work of Mrs. Nangle, AU
the architerturat features of the church were marked
! oat with wreaths of ivy and holly. The gas standards
were prettily trimmed with everlaatings and holly,
the lectern encircled with bright flowers and learns-
tines: in front of the pulpit were pretty crimson ever-
lastlngs and rhristmas roses on a ground of box, the
di, Hions of the panels marked out with small onlunum
of ,yores., yew, and other fine evergreens. The pulpit
wit.. the work of Mrs. Nangle. AU through the church
the pill irs were ?rally wreathed with ivy, and the
ar .he. lined with sinters of evergreens. The font was
the ft...irk of Nliss Cotterell ; the inside of the bowl
, was or bred with moss, mignonette, primula.,
ehriiitinati roses, and fuchsias; moss filled the recesses
in the carved work I,f the panels, and a mixed wreath
of Laurustiuus and other evergreens surrounded the
base. There were appropriate decorations in various
other parts of the church.

Hof), Trinity church galleries were lightly trimmed,
at least in comparison with some other years' but a
good deal of skilled labour had been expended on the
pulpit, choir stalls, rea•ling desk, and chancel. The
south gallery was divided by light wreaths, leaving
diamond-shaped spaces, borders of the same were at
the top and bottom, and in the Routh window was
the great name " Job." The niches on each side of the
church were covered with crimson cloth on which were
displayed in large white letters : —" lam the root and
offspring of David" "Bright and morning ear,"
"There shall come a star out of Jacob," " A septre
shall rise out of Israel ; " these were the work of Miss
Dmves and the Misses Snook, Miss Dowding and Miss
Heiden had also contributed largely to the decorations,
they place.' the exhortation " Behold your God" in
large white letters on the sill of the great west window'
and on the sill of the chancel window—" I am Alphas
and Omega, the first and the last," both these texts
were laid on coloured grounds. The tables of the
reredos were wreathed all round, and an abundanee of
light wreaths set off all the architectural lines. The
pulpit wax the work of Misses nooks, a rich wreath
of ever.:reens ran rood the top, the font was adorned
with pretty designs f red and white everlastings
backed by yew, the centre design being a Latin crone
the base was also •leeply enreathed. The choir stalls
, were the care of Mrs. Pidgeon ; they were net off
with yew and evergreens, relieved with yellow ever-
lastinge. The reading desk afforded scope for the dis-
play of Miss Dowding and Mies Holden's taste, and
was lightly bordered with evergreens, the front
bearing' white Christmas roses, ' • with ferns
beautifully frost., Spiral went:- ••t eyprese with
white awl yell,. • ...tines., were turned round the
gas etandanls, and beautiful monograms in gold and
colours were seen on many parts of the walls. Sonic
of the decorations were done by Mr. Jesty and his
men and the officials I,f the church, the Rev. W. F.
Berry alw, helping everywhere ; but one clef era erre
was the font, the decoration of which Was carried out
by Miss Alai-sin and Missll.•Addime. From it arose
a lovely cress formed of white camellias contra:W..l
with their own glossy leaves, ar.nm.l the brim were
white carnations, jessandne, gad primula., white
chrysanthemums and geraniums with Christmas rises.
colt set in ivy. Owes, holly, and ferns, the whole
having a most charming effect. -The service,' 1.1 the
church were also made joyful with beautiful manic,
Mr. Dem Thorne presblimt at the orzan, and a well-
traineel choir ren•lerieg the whole harm. [[ i ~,,,,,,, The
following were the orders of merviee : —H. before
service, ell, new book ; venite, 52; pn.per ;maims., 19,
tr. ; chant, 22 39, Sl, each playell over ; Te Deum,
Mkblieelor ; BeLedietas, 103, Atli:mean Creel,
Penis : Holy communion. Anthem, " For unto us;"
Kyrie, before and after gospel, Tonr, ; offertory hymn
311: to 2n.1 tune of tie new book.