The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-06-07 00:00:00

A FLORAL SERVICE.

For the nineteenth Whit-Tuesday since the practice
was began at St. James's, Aldgate. London, by tile
Rev. Dr. W, Moynal Whittemore, that clergyman on
TOl39lillY preached his" flower.sermon in the chum!.
of St. Katherine ('tee. There was as large a congrega•
tion as ever, and the prescri'led custom of bringing
flowers was universally maintained.

The Daily News gives the following interesting ac-
count of the service :

According to old custem the service may be said to be
throughout floral. The charity children of Ablgate Ward,
who regularly attend the church, on tnis occasion occupy
the gallery, rich holding a banquet of flowers : all other
young persons being requested to provide themselves with a
like ornament, vie with each other in the sire and beauty if
their posies. Of course the children's grandmothers an I
mothers, fathers and grandfathers, for once consider them.
selves young persons to, and, though not Invited to do so,
bring with them II swats Si gay as any. Unfortunately, this
has not been hitherto a posy year, although Whitenutide falls
much later than usual. The good old-fashloned flowers out
of which the Maypole garlands were made have but Just made
their appi-arance even in tha heart of the country. Pinks,
roses, stocks, and honeysuckles were hut evening, there-
fore, less plentiful than blossoms from the florist
or private greenhouse A City flower girl outside, sur-
rounded by a dirty crowd of East end children, sald at
double the market-rate small nosestay• to the flowerless
worshippers , these were exceedingly few, and to come with-
out argue floral ornament was to announce orierelf not of the
regular congregation, bet a stranger. The bouquets carried
naturally varied according to the means or opportuni-
ties of the bearers. Some were magnificent floral con-
structions, affixed in beautifully-decorated sheathes,
and rivalling in the rarity if their flowers the cholo.
elk bridal bouquet. One young lady passed in with
as many lilies of the valley as her hand could clasp.
Sometimes • surprising bunch of the finest roses would be
seen. In one instance we caught sight of • bouquet of real
wild flower, and there was no triumph of the greenhouse to
equsl It in beauty. It had been put together with the eye of
all artist the wild hyacinth nodded pleasantly to • sprig of
tuldblossomed Slay the cowslip drooped upon the breast of
a fine orchid the loveable forget-me.nots peepiid out of
vacant spaces, twinkling at the stitchworta and prim-
roses, and declining to be put out of countenance by dead-
nettles, big hatercups, large daisies, or late celandines
while the "pate, cuckoo flower" toned down the fiery shining
of " the wild marsh marigold." Consplcu, ius on the lam p-
stem in the pulpit there was a fine bouquet, presented by •
lady, who for 19 years, and beginning as a little child, has
made a similar contribution.

.... The service, like the church, was old-fashioned; all
the responses were said and the prayers offered in a natural
manner. Several clergymen, including the Archdeacon of
the diocese, assisted, and numbers of clergymen, with larmi
nosegays settrog oil the black of their attire, were sprinkled
amongst the congregation A delicioue scent of southern-
wood and sweetbrier pervaded at least one.hall of the
church. The service wAS made as far as poseible to bevr
upoo the occasion, but the difficulties pointed out during
the recent sittings of Convocation of finding the degree of
elasticity required for special services were very apparent.
The hymns were to the point : breathing of living pastures,
summer skies, fleecy clondlets, dueled sale, balmy air, burst-
ing flower buds, field, and copse, floods of light, hill and
plain and, as a '.queue. to all, of the Happy Land
where spring Is endlees. The sermon wail preached by Dr.
Whittemore, who is pretty well known to the children of
Church of England Sunday-schools In London, for he is in
great request for Children's Sermons everywhere, beside.
being the editor of at least two eerier, for them. The bent
compliment that can be paid to the discourse is to say that
the little folks are not likely to forget it. "Now, my young
friends," lie began, "1 an very glad to see you here once
more." The young friends shuffled, smiled, and pricked
up their ears. The preacher, by this opening sentince,
had enlisted the sympathy of his hearers for the even-
ing. By and by he announced his text, 'goateed of
the briar shall Come up the myrtle tree." This verse he
made the children first repeat alter him, and then
by themselve—au unexpected cad which they responded to
with mach z. st. Dr. Whittemore, for half an hour, chatted
most charmingly about the myrtle, whose virtues he analysed
and ezalted, sod whose general character he held up, a
model for children Its uses he described, especially its
application in more southern end east, rn countries as
• tonic, lie lett stress upon the old-fuldoned character
of the plant, which holds its way while each fresh
gardeners catalogue announces new and wonder-
ful plants that will produce a blaze of flowers.
Although he asked the children to mistruat a blaze of any-
thing, he wished them to blend use with ornament, as the
myrtle does. The Juvenile auditors seemed quite toappreciate
and relish the quaint comparison of those people whom in
spite of their goodness no one can love, with the dark green
leave, of the my rtle, unrellevel by the starry white blossom,.
And there was • general smile when the rev, gentleman
said such people were like Queen Elizsbeth'e portralts—cha
rioters without • background. The enbstitutlon of the
myrtle for the briar was brought forward as an encourage-
mane to eft-et. The sermon was interspersed with appro-
priate aneelotes, and the happy-faced children finally went
cut into dingy Leedenhall-street, no doubt resolving to try
and be the fragrant, cheering, rueful human myrtle trees
th,y h d been Invited to become.