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

AT THE Ii.EIOH.

The above arither;iiC-a-ne;;;* naturally brings us
to the Union-(All right, Mr. Sarcastic, you may
smile, but you know what we mean.)- Ile white-
washed walls of a Wurkhouseare not, perhaps, • cheery
eight, and the stern arrangement of its interior may
'1,4 be calculated to be the more te-assurring to those
waifs and strays who periodically avail themselves of
its hospitality. Bat, it you look in at the Poole Union
r•oi will see from the-almost without exce pt :oh-happy
facee sad neat and clean appearance of the inmates
that there may be in my a leas inviting establishment
'to be diacovered. Christmas Day is a great day at
the Union. The respected muter, Mr. Clarks' the
matron, Mies Clarke, and the schoohnistrese, Mies
Power, do all they can to bring home the
festive nature of the occasion to the inmates. Miss
Power has decorated the diningehall, and the different
wards with scripture texts, mottoes, flags, and ever.
greens lopaitilig a very pleasing appearance to them,
and ahe hi', as. trained the children to sing a number
of "carols," the len..th of which did credit to their
memo, lea and the" time" kept, to the paha bestowed
upon them. 're. inmates now number about 110, of
whom some 67 are males. Their ages as a tide are not
co great as may be met within, perhaps, some unions,
a few of the men have just passtd the allotted three
score and ten ; but the "Ideao of the women want
sceeiat years yet t reach that. Divine service was
held in the chapel in the m ruing, when the
Rev. Mr. Burroughs preached an appropriate
sem and one suited to the intelligens*, of hie
hearers from the words of st. Luke, "And the Angewl
sung." Afterwards there Lame the dinner, which con-
sisted of an unlimited supply of roast beef, baked
po awes, and good oil English plum-pudding,
accompanied-oh, horror blue ri b ho nitres! -wit ri a num t
of firat claw ale for each of the men and a pint aud •
bail of ditin for the women. Various kind friend,
supplemented this treat with other gilt.. The
guardiano added for the men one ounce of tobacci
each, for the women one ounce of snuff, and for the
lunatic" and sick and children • plentiful supply of
"rapers. Mrs. Dugdele, the wife of the chat, man of
the Board, sent Christmas letters and Ohrtstinas
card, of pretty design to each of the inmates.
Mi.s Muire, of SCA View Howie, Bourne-
mouth, gei.t • loan-pie for the children, which
it is needle.' to say made the youngsters open their
eyes with wonder and expectation. or were they
disappointed, for there were four preeenta f..r each
child. She also enclosed • ills:suns. letter for each of
hie inmates; tobacco and snuff tor the old men. •nd
boxes of aweete for the w-ruen and the rack. bliss
CUlrie. of 11-esey House, ii 'unpin wit, kindly for-
warded that very useful article--at Mid particular
season-a porket-lienderchief, each to all the able •
bodied men and women, accompanied in the one case
with tobacco, and in the other with sweet.. 'the
sick men also received handkerchiefs and tobacoo
from her, and there were sweets in plenty fur the
imbeciles. Miss C. Nixon, residing also at our
sister town, remembered the children, and plenty
of tots helped to make thair little hearts glad.
Mr. Budge, the clerk to the guardians,. and Mr.
Slisniton, • guardian, visited the house doting the
day and gave away lob .CCO 1111,1 snuff to tic' men
and women and sweets to the children. Mr. Marti.,.
of Denmark, also gave each child • bag of sweets
awl a Clirp tines card, idea Mr. Militia forwarded a
capital supply of that healthy fruit, orange& Al ter
the above is is needle." to say a happy day wee spent
by the inmates and they showsd their appreciaton of
it by hearty cheer, for the muter, matron, school.
mistress, the guardians, and the donor.' of the gifts.
•

AT 111, CUUILCHEIL

The local chtuche* have forib most part been very
effectivly dee .rated. tit. James'. wag p.rticularly
ornate, while S. Penni was tastefully trimmed, and,
am uanal, a great deal of c re and artisticll was
shown in the adornment of St. Mary's, L•mgfleet, and
the Parkstone church.