The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-10-05 00:00:00

S9LIIERS SOCIETY.

The annual meeting on behalf of the Army Scripture
Readers and Soldiers' Friend Society took place last
Tu,lay, at the Town hall. Colonel Mensal presided,
and there were with him on the platform Colonel
Will..ughby and Colonel Sandwith, and the Rev. W. C.
Oltorp. Incumbent of Christ church, Fordington, and
chaplain of the force, at Dorchester. The attendance was

The meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. W. 0.
Osborn.
• • • • • - . .

Thu CH A IRII N said he had great pleasure in taking the
chair at a meeting of this noble sonety. He had always
taken an interest in it, and was made a collector. At
first be was enabled to obtain about LEI) a year, but now
he was sorry to say it had dwindled down to £24 or .C 25.
Until the Crimean war, nobody seemed to think of the
soldier except as "food for powder." but then t cry CAMS
from the ranks "No man meth for my soul, awl this
society was started. He remarked on the difficulties in
ordinary circumstances a soldier has in leading • religious
life, and of the help it was for them to have the advice
and encouragement of a Scripture reader in the regiment,
and he hoped that by this means sufficient religious
leaven would be introduced into the regiments to leaven
the whole army. He combated the notion that •
religious soldier could not be a good one, and that the
work of this society was subversive of discipline. He
expressed his regret that regimental readers were done
away by the Commander in Chief. He related an incident
In his experience as an army officer in Canadivitiowing the
good effect of a Bible clams on the sobriety of the soldiers
of the regiment. If they could do anything for the
eternal welfare of the soUien, they were doing • good
work.
. _ _ .

Colonel Ssmowrrn then addressed the meetin He
statedthat the receipts of the past year amounted to
£l3 tie. &L ; it was • few pounds short of the receipts last
year, but that might arise from the fact of Miss Robinson
having been here, and gathered about .f 25 towards her
work. Ile cordially approved the work of Miss Robinson,
and said they could not do without the help of her and
other ladies. On behalf of the committee he thanked
Col. Hansel for what he had done for the society for many
years, and also gratefully acknowledged the good help of
Colonel and Mrs Iling.ham. who, he felt sure, although
their connection with the Dorset militia had ceased, would
still continue to be soldiers' friends. The speaker went on
to describe the work of the society. They had now 70
readers in various places, and he urged the importance of
their labours in this time of peace. At the meeting at
Weymouth, on Monday, they wereassured that the reader
engaged in this district was doing thoroughly welL Of
the work at Aldershot he gave varied testimony to show
that the Scripture readers were doing useful service, and
having • good effect upon the lives of the soldiers.
Between (our o'clock and roll-call, about 10, infantry
soldiers bad nothing to do, and thus often got
Into trouble: it was this that led Miss Robinson
to start the Soldiers' Institute at Portsmouth. He went
on to speak of the readers in Devonshire, and the
satisfaction they gave to garrison chaplains and officers.
At Canterbury the society's reader had done a great
work. In Woolwich the reader has from 70 to 100 of
a night at his Bible class. At Brighton the reader was
having much meows, especially among theipensioners. In
Ireland, Scotland, Jersey, Gibraltar, and India, God was
bleating the society's work. For the future Colonel
Willoughby would be the association secretary for this
district, and he asked them to receive him with ell the
kindness and Christian affection they had shown to him-
self, and to strengthen the society's hands more and more.
The Rev. W. C. Osamu thought no body of men
had greater claims on them than the soldiers, for they
were placed in circumstances of peculiar difficulty and
temptation, and, as they were so placed by the laws of
the land, it was their duty to care for them the more.
They were engaged to defend the country at the risk of
their lives, and we ought by every possible means to seek
their spiritual welfare, This society afforded the means
of doing it. He agreed with Colonel Sandwith that the
twisty should appoint the readers. He recollected 40
rears air, v, hen the question of lay reeders proposed by the
Church Pastor,' Aid Society stirred the country, but now
It WY done by all sections of the church. Reference had
been made to the Dorchester Scripture reader' and he
must (maid!), say that he was not altogether satisfied
with present arrangements. The reader was • good man
—he loved him, and the oftener he came to the barracks
the bettor he was pleased ; the fault Wall he did not come
often enough. lie feared that the last six months had
been very discouraging, but he hoped bTtght., days were
dawning. It would, however, be MAW satisfactory to
have a reader for Weymouth and Portland, and moth.
for Dorchester. He should be very glad to have the
reader's help entirely at Dorchester, and ho was sure the
reader would be glad to conio, lie had been talking to
Colonels Sandwith and Willoughby on the subject, and he
as lob'om it would be arranged If it were they must
Wake tit, their minds to waist the society more than they
had at done. In conclusion ho referred to the difficulties
of ta h reader's work, and commended the society to
hicreased lekriPert
Colonel ILLOVOIMT mentioned that the society's
income Was WWI than .01,000 a Year. They had 70 readers,
and they were constantly asked (or more, but were unable
to provide them. He reftrred to the for the better
that have been made in that army dm= past 40 years;
and commended the system of the society in sanding
Scripture readers to garrisons, on thielgromuir thato4.l3::
" get et " soldiers better than the tea
Ile onlargeci on the usefulness of • readers the
hospitals, especially in foreign parte, giving illustrations.
In conclusion he urged it 111 • national duty to do all we
can for tho soldiers.
'rho meeting was closed with the doxology and benedle-
thni.
The collection amounted to f:9 194.6 d., and Mrs. Colonel
Bi.ghain has been enabled to send up to the society from
botcheater this year £849.,

DORSET BUTTER. _
Al the great cheese and Natter exhibition at FropS on
Wodnescler, there were 161 entries of cheeks and 61 of
butter. In the loaf cheese competition Mr. Jabots
hill, of Piranha', took second prise, £5, and first prise in
a sweepstakes open to all the world for the beet four
chews of any in or she. For cared butter, not less
than 261 h. (open to the United Kingdoml—That Kr* wenn Hallett. Fmk Dusienir;ms.polinuld Fe, Dorchester,
second, Cl. Mr. nouns Norris Minn _Dor-
chesser I third. CS. Mr. Edwin X Itamplaham. MIN
cheerer fourths Cl, Yr. IL Harding.
wirritotrra.
ring A UN Tb. patients of this Institution hare
ustained the loss of a friend in the death of We
crissgssll, the courteous and sae-sehte, wiesne. who
died on Sunda, lank altar
a ulnas,. re. Founder
other °gum or this ral e home will no daub. e,Tch regret the loss of Mrs. OritchelL 8116 was • number
of thin Bank buildings Mows church.