The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-22 00:00:00

3tourliriby 00eruer.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, Din
A WORD IN SEASON,

As the gradually darkening days more and
more forcibly remind us of a time when
Winter shall have asserted his sway over
the frost-bound earth, the high prices of
fuel act in a double-handed way, one of
which has hitherto occupied bat little at-
tention. The inconvenience and suffering
caused by an absence of proper warmth are,
after all, but comparativ;Ay superficial ef-
fects, and to some extent can he guarded
against by the healthy and the strong. But
it is the aged and infirm inthe ranks of the
poor( .a. classes who fell victims in the un-
equal btrjo. Already, before the close of
Noveniber, and when, judging from exper-
ience, we have three months of the winter
sea au yet before its, we see the Registrar-
General drawieg the notice of the pubLe to
the results of the coal-famine in increasing
the rate of mortality amongst persons af-
flicted with diseases caused by a low tem-
perature. Last year, it will be remembered,
ti'' was unusually wet, and as a
.!unsequ, it was correspondingly mild.
From the beginning of October until the
middle of January—a period of fourteen
weeks—there was scarcely a dry day; and
although it interfered with the tillage opera-
tions of the agriculturalist, to the people at
large the long spell of wet weather proved
a blessing in disguise, for it effectually
cleansed our streets, and the mortality from
bronchitis was far below the average. We
cannot expect such a mild winter again,
however, and should it be one of any de-
gree of severity, the sufferings of the poor
will be extreme, and the death-rate from in-
flammation oCthe lungs and kindred dis-
eases;cannot fail to be abnormally high. Dr.
Whitmore. the medieal officer of health for
Marylebone—a district which comprises a
large portion of north-west London—has
lately visited the abodes of some of the most
destitute classes, and the account which he
gives is certainly deplorable, He states
that in many rooms he found no vestige of
a fire in the grate, whilst in others there
were a few cinders purchasedat the wharves,
and which it was hardly possible to keep in
a state of ignition. liow could a comfort-
able amount of heat be obtained from such
indifferent materials? The means to be
employed for the prevention of contagions
epidemies_are often a suhject of controversy
in the scientific world, but there can be no
two opinions ui t the efficacy of warmth in
resisting a class of complaints which are but
little thought of. These are, however, more
destracti of human life than•the fierce

Tee service was opened hy.a performance on
the organ of the " Hailelujaii Cborus." whidi
w.s given in a magnificent manner by Mr. ..S.
Simms. The Magnificat and N111:10 Dimittis,
from Hopkins's Service in F ; were beautifully
rendered by the choir. The Anthem—" The
Wilderness," by Dr. John Goss (organist at St.
Paul's Cathedral, Lenilied, was also very credit-
icily rendered; eSpOelany wiicn it is borne in
wind that the piece is comparatively new to the
towu, having only been performed here once be'
fore. Au appropriate hymn—the one for hos-
pitals—was also sung by the choir aud congre-
gation during the first portion of the service.
The prayers were intoned by tee Rev. Evan
Williams, and the sermon preached by the Rev.
H. Suerrard.
The latter gentleman took for his text a por-
tion of the sth chapter of the Gospel of St.
John, describing the cure of the man who had
" had an infirmity thirty and eight years," by
Jesus Christ, near the pool, Bethesda, on the
Sabbath day. The rev. gentleman said there
was in the City of Jerusalem as they read, at
that day, a certain pool which was believed to
have the power of healing all descriptions of
diseases and infirmities. Some persons might
think, perhaps, it was one of those springs or
wells, similar to those of the present day, which
are eupposed to posseas peculiar properties for
healing diseases. They -ould 'Ps
popular belief. They were familiar with those
springs or wells to which were ascribed peculiar
medicinal qualities. These, however, related
to special diseases. This 'VAS not tha case with
the pool of Bethesda, to which persons with all
manner of infirmities resorted. It was only at
certain times, when the waters were troubled by
an angel, that cares were effected by it; and
those persons who first stepped into it, or were
carried to it by their friends, directly after this
I had happened, were the only ones tuat were
' healed of their infirmities. They could hardly
believe that the healing power of the pool could
have been exhauaued by the stepping into it.
There was something supernatural Lout the
healing power of the peel of Butheeda. It was
In the coy of Jerasalioti, that tavuured city of
God, that by far the greater number of Christ's
miracles were prfOrIIISLI ; and it was evident
that the cures effected at the puul uf Bethesda
were wrought through the special intervention
of God. There did all those who were bowed
down by the various maladies which afflict the
human frame resort for health and strength.
There did they lie down in tueso five porches,
which either had been built by the authorities
of the place, in order that those who heeded
cure might be ready at the appointed time, or
else by the afflicteu Ours theeiselvea. Thither
did Jesus ohne ou the oceasiou spoken of in
toe Gospel, and it being one of the festivals of
the Jews, there was a great concourse of people
assembled there. it might be that the fame of
his miracles had not yet reached that great
I city of Jerusalem. Or it might be that he was
personally unknown to the inhabitants. Freau
whatever cause, it was uppercut that he passed
through the crowd comparatively speaking, un-
noticed, atei looking around him with that leant
which always yearned with compassiou for poor
suffering humanity, descried the poor man who
hail an iefiribity thirty cud eight, years, lying
there. Something in the aspect of the man,
whose form wasted with disease, and dejected
pale features showed that hope had tied from his
breast, attracted Christ's attention to him. Or,
perhaps, it was something connected with his
past life —fur Jesus could see below the surface
of thin,;s—which caused him to feel tolerated
in him. He could read the history of that ini•
potent sufferer who had lain there for thirty and
sight long years, and who during that tune had
not been able either to down to the heating
waters himself, or to obtain assistance to carry
him thither at the appointed time. He tried
often to reach the pool, but on every occasion
either some one less helpless than himself
stepped into it before Ida], or were carried in
by their friends. They might read upon the
countenance of that man, iu whose breast the I
rising hope had been so often disappointed, the
look of hopeless dejection. Jesus looking upon '
with a desire for rousing him out of that
staue of lethargic apiithy into which he had
--
WOLVERRAMPTOV, W•Anesday. fallen, said to him, " Wilt thou be male whole?"
The poor sufferer, :epee hearing these words,
The iron trait, has not improved since looked up with a wistful and anxious expression
Oa r 11114
t report, the state of the money of countenance, wondering what the speak i r
morkot leitviitg a tendency t.o restrict bus- meant to do It WAS customary for Christ, be-
nes. to immediate requirements, For the itwe he performed a miracle, to awaken the
present, (imitations are. as /I rnle, upheld by interest of those in whose behalf it was to be
the groat oust taf prodnetion. notwithstand- worked to a sense of the importance of what he
ing the it ively nominal state of the was about to do for them. In like manner, ia
demand s mine instances are reported of the symptoms
J,sus having thus aroused in
mi h
toms Of expectation, then spoke
prices having given way in the commoner to the snfferer the words of power, " Arise, take
qualities of pig and finished iron. Cinder up thy bed and walk ;" end he arose and took up
pig had changed hands at Z•t 15s per ton, his bed, and walked. Then did Christ show his
which shows a reduction in the rate ruling Divine power, and mercy, and compaision ; and
three weeks up, but for best brands of all- he had bequeathed te Chriatians through ail
mine pig thiu market is firm at 10s per generations a love for works of charity and
ton. Finished iron remains on the basis of mercy, and they hail ever since tried to tread iu
£l4 for marked bars, sheets, hoops, plates, his footsteps iu tide respect. And this he (the
preacher) contended was the case, notwithstend-
sad angles of the better quality being quoted jug what might lie said to the contrary. Thus
in proportion to this standard, but second did Jesus impart a ueculiar signification to this
ilMdity. hors are irregular, and sales have, in Bethesda," the meaning of which word was
tithe, s, been reported at Pts per " The house of Mercy," aud thus did he show
t ni bekw the rates ruling a few weeks ago . that the time was beginning to come when works
These were, however, forced sales, made of mercy should he more general amongst loan,
wider special circumstances. As a rule the kind. That same spirit which Jesus manifested
ironinasters who c count sell without lower- ab
et oh empaonoilf eosftePdebtheCsdhariisstisaann: ems I) ill ttimes.w c ht,hoars
ing their price are adopting the other alter- let the opponents of u hristianity depreciate it
native of redwing their yield and on the as they would, there was no doubt that the spirit
average the mills and forges ~f the district et the great Founder had entered that religion
are not running more than feur days per which he had planted upon the earth. They
week, some being put upon half time, kilew that when Jeans himself had left the earth
There ia no change at present in the price , and gone up to heaven, one of the particular
of best coal, but the market for common kits of heavenly influences which descended
qualities is woitkor, price having given earn t,hede
with this
was the gift of healing, and it was
this gift that the apostles weet ea
way in many institnees tls per ton, and thoir mis.tioo thr'euall the world, and which had
a farther redaction is expto.ed shortly to I enabled them at last to place Chriatianity upon
take place. the throue of the Cause It was this spirit of

epidemic which suddenly invades oar shores,
and strikes down a host of unsuspecting
victims who stand
.in its path. At such
times, when people become aroused to the
urgency of the danger, every precaution is
taken to grapple with it. But a sudden fall
in the temperature is such an exceedingly
common occurrence during the winter
months, that we forget how even a drop of
one deitr...e in the thermometor increases the
mortality from disease of the lungs and res-
piratory organs. Consequently these insid-
ious enemies are allowed to do their work
uncheeki dby th t amount of care which
would be bestowed upon an attack of cholera
or fever. A severe frost sets in, and while
the young and the healthy daily study the
newspapels containing any information
ander the familiar heading, "The Weather
and th Parks," it is to often forgotten
a Litt havoc the biting atmosphere is playing
iii the homes of those with delicate constitu-
tions. A south-west wind comes up from
the sew, loosens the ponds and the orna-
mental waters from the icy grasp in which
they have been hound, to the great chagrin
of large numbers of active skaters, but to
the intense relief of those to whom the
" bracing " weather is anything but an en-
joyment. In view of the festive season
which is approaching, it has been suggested
that efforts might well be made to give the
law that degree of warmth which they can-
not the inselves obtain, owing to the pro-
hibitory price of coal ; and charity organiza-
tions are urged to do all they can in the way
of supplying those smitten in poverty with
such necessaries of life as coal and blankets.
Undoubtedly, there is ample scope for any
panther of these exertions.

mark

benevolent sympathy with those in affliction
which animated the whole Christian Church in
all ages. It was the manifeststion of this spirit
amongst its members that made the Pagans of
the early Christian era say, " See how these
, Christians love one another." He would call
their attention to the fact that Christianity had
set in motion a particular kind of benevolence
which had never been set on foot before. They
were told that a great pestilence broke out dur-
ing the reign of tho Emperor GalllatHlS, and
• that the Pagans everywhere fled from the plague
I stricken in terror, lost they themselves should
I fall victims to it. The Christians, however,l
patting their trust in God, did everything in ,
their power to alleviate the sufferings of those
afflicted, by tending rind nursing them when ;
their own friends and relations had deserted
them and left them to perish. At a later period
duriug the reigo of the Emperor Gullies, the
great city of Carthage was afflicted by a similar
visitation. The great Cyprian was at thatitime
Bishop of Carthage, and he called the Christians
together, and they devoted themselves totally to
the work of tending the sick. And when at
' another time, it was found out that several of
! the Christians had been carried off as slaves,
Cypriau again called together the members of
' the church in the wealthy city of Carthage, and
..£Boo—a large sum in those days—was collected
and sent to the enslaved Christians, accompa-
nied by words of affection and comfort. In all
times the care of the widow and the orphan had
devolved upon Christians. The Christian Church
had been a husband to the widow and a father to
the fatherless. There it had come forward and
shown that the spirit of the great Founder still
existed in it, and would do so until the end of
the world. And the same spirit ha-I been Lauded
down from generation to generation, and
wherever Christians have erected their temples
of worship there also have they ereoted their
Bethesdas foe suffering humanity, in thee° the
noblest works of our ewe age and our own couu-
try--iu our hospitals, infirmaries, and other re-
fuges for the sick poor. These are the true
works of charity of our day and time. It was
to support one of these temples of mercy—
these Betliesdas—that this voluntary movement
amongst the Foresters had taken place; and he
hoped it was in that spirit they had come there
that day, to join in that voluntary movement.
But more particularly it was the spirit of Jesus
in the Christian churn which animated them
in this movement. Tire rev, gentleman then
went on to say that the institution they had
ceme there on behalf of —the Stourbridge Die-
peusary—was iu every way worthy of support.
It had done and was doing a great amount of
good amongst the sick poor in this neighbour-
hood, and its capability f. ir doing good might be
largely augmented. It was lack of feuds that
crippled its efforts. He was very =Oil pleased
to see them there that day for the purpose of
assisting in teat charitable object, and he hoped
that they would all give as liberally as their
means would allow there. He hoped, too, that ,
they would not allow this to be a solitary burst
of generosity, and concluded his eloquent dis-
course by urging upon them that now they had
begun so well they would continue to accord it
their generous support.
A collection was then made, and the sum
realised is over £2O. The amount would, doubt,
less, have been considerably more, but that
through some ilfflcienly in the arrangements
a great many of those in the church were not
visited by the collectors. As a ease in proof of
this we may state that one lady, who went pur-
posely to give, and from the above cause was
unable to do so, has since sent half •a-sovereign
towards the amount subscribed. It is believed,
&No, that several Foresters who, from various
causes were unable to be present, will send in
their donations, and thereby considerably aug-
ment the sum collected.

At the final meeting of the Managina Com-
mittee held itt the Old King's Head, High-street,
on Thursday evening last, when it was unani-
mously resolved that, the total expenses connec-
ted with the Foresters' Dispensary Sunday,
should be defrayed out of the District Benevo-
lent Fund, BO as to enable them to present the
amount subscribed intact to the Dispensary.
Votes of thanks were nuanimously accorded to
i,he Rev. H. Sherrard, Mr. Simms and the choir;
to the collectors; and to Superintendent Free-
man and the officers under his charge.