The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-12-26 00:00:00

OHURCH DEOORATION.

Our churches have, even more so than usual, been
beautifully dooorated in honour of the glad season of
Chrlstrou. Fresh evergreen*, aril all the still remain.
ing oolonred prodoots of the garden have been utilised
by willing hands, and talc fingers have worked them
into forms of beauty to give their own lovelioess addi-
tional charms. It is astonishing waist beautiful effects
eon be produeed even at this anadon by industry and
skill, sad the great and 8 snrishinig adornment of our
churches coupled with the glad message proclaimed from
every pulpit may well remind Els of that land.
"Where everlasting spring abides, and never withering
flowers."
At the old eetranee to our town from the
Doroheeter road stands the pretty sheiroh of St.
John's, and the ladies of ita congregation always take
delight in haishterllog the graceful affect of its
architectural lines by appropriate borders, lima, curves,
spirals, and festoons. So they did this year. In the
schoolroom not far off was a yery pleasant party of
ladiee, as early as Friday afternoon, surrounded by the
raw material, in evergreens, immortelles, textures of all
colours, and graceful forms. Other ladies worked with
signal seal at home, and brought their finished products
to be planed in the church. Among the lady workers
were—Miss Younghusbartd, the Kisses Miller, Miss
Peony, Miss Frampton, Mrs. Oakley, Miss Bower
Miss Gardner, Miu Mien, the Musts Colterell,
lliss Day, Miss Thompson, Miss Marriott, Mrs. Scads-
more, the Misses Roper, Miss Minett, he. The adore-
meet coommenosd even at the church entranen, which
bore the text " Pease be within Thy walls," worked in
holly berries, and fir. The pillars are wreathed with
graceful spirisis of ivy, showing oat well on the light
stone work; Umbrellas bore alternate wreaths of holly,
yew, and boa, and the east and west windows are
decorated in • corresponding style, with holly, laurel,
and boa. The legion is 'domed with fine wreaths and
borders, with the text, "Thy word is truth' in holly
berries, and the organ bears lovely lines of laurustines
and holly, lighted up with yellow immorialles. The
test "Praise the name of the Lord, 'Amen," and
" Alleluia" appear over the bookstand, cunningly
worked In arLor vita and yellow immortalises, The
foregoeug exhortation is responded to by the declare.
tams" We praise the name of the Lord," in red holly
berriea alternating with the peeollar yellow ones. The
vergers' and choir booths, an wreathed In holly,
berries and leaves. We pan on to the ohaneel, and
mem the rendes observe • large wreath riehly
decorated by mune of holly kerns, end yew, and in
each of the tablet, are monograms of everlastings and
evergreens on green and crimson grounds, while each
division of the reredos is markedswith delicate lines of
Ivy. The gas standards ere gracefully wreathed
with twininp wonted with mimeos berries and
white everlassinp alternated with evergreens. The
effect of the delimit* tracery of the pulpit is heightened
by lovely wreaths leo:responding with the lines of the
serving, with moo in the pangs: Returning to the
doer, we node* that the front woe artistieslly adorned
in serreepoadeses with the beantiful dodos lath, reel
91 Ow shard. The whole seml was mod flaming.