The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-09-28 00:00:00

i 20. i 26 £155 2 5 f.. 300 410

FORMNOTON Si. Gr.oacr..-Collections were made in
this church on Sunday, in aid of the Dorset County
Hospital, to the amount of LS 124. ; a sum which bespeaks
(from a poor swish like Fordington) a real feeling of
, thankfulness for the benefit+ of the Hospital and for the
' blessings of the harvest. The preacher in the morning
and evening was Rev. Handley Monte. in the afternoon
the 'chair. The morning's text was put of the Lith verse
of St. Matthew v,-" Re natketh Ili+ min to rice," itc. Mr.
lloule spoke of the Hospital as having special claims on
the attachment and gratitude of the parish ; but rusted
the appeal on the wider ground that a hospital toes even-
tially a work of unselfish kindness, and that hospitals for
the sick are smiqently an ineeefioa q Christianity. Dili.
fond, and loving lltre for the sick awl suffering spring in
the first instance from the example of the Divine Saviour
insert( ; and though His followers could not imitate Him
in suffering for sin as an atonement, they did Mani to
follow Him in "bearing the siekness" of others in sympathy
and aid. And this Christian ilevotednes awoke pnblie
opinion far beyond its own rink, and so crested a
sense id the necessity and blessedness of works of charity.
Ay an illustration of the growth of public opinion from
Christian devotion Mr. Mamie instanced the suppression
of the bloodthirsty spots in the amphitheatre at Rome
(the "Menahury Rings" of the rreat city), brought about
by the courage of a Christian (Telemachus) who sacrificed
his own life in the effort to stop the gladiatorial show.
Speaking of the harvest, the preacher entreated the con-
gregation to aim at real spiritual thankfulness, and to
that end to remember God as present in his works; in
field, shower, and sun. And if they know God in Christ
they wriuhl lee sure of God in Nature ; for Christ had said
of the Eternal, " Ile maketh Mason to rise." In conclu-
sion, reference was made to recent deaths and the pnvs-
pect of the great Harvest of the Lord's wheat. Mr. F. L.
Tether was, we believe, specially referred to as having
very lately passed away in the peace of saving faith.-In
the afternoon the Rev. Henry Moute preached from
',elm este., IS-huh, "The eyce of all wait !trot Thee,
and Thou 'Meet their meat in doe seneon," ere. Mr.
Mottle dwelt on a subject which ho has long
delighted to bring before his people - the glory of
of God as • present and ever-working Father, in His
works. The world was not a machine left alone by its
maker. The very uncertainties of the seasons in the midst
of general remilaritv indicated-or at least reminded us of
-• present Will: the will of Him who so wonderfully
adapted grain, soil, and air, to the porpoise of feeding His
ci cature man. The need of the 'ours food, and the method
of is snetentnce, yore drawn out and illustrated by the
phenomena of the wheat 6614.-In the evening the text
was St. John xii., : " Kiev a corn of whiat fall into
the pmeind and it,,, it abidetk alone," ,is, Mr. 11. C. G.
Mould pointed out the context of the verse. The Lord
Jesus had just seen, in the vivit of "the Greeks" • sign
of the great gathering from all nations to Him. But this
very thought brought also before Him the untold and
unknown agony of that death which was to be the life of
the redeemed. In the text then he spoke first of Himself,
as about to die that He might not "abide alone,' i.e., that
In His eternel glory he might be surrounded by the "numbers
numberless" of raneomed sinners. The preacher dwelt in
passing on the immense importance, as a matter of
Christian doctrine, of observing how to the Lord Jesus
His own death was the work Its had come to do. Nothing
could explain this but the ancient blessed truth, that it
was through that death and for its sake alone that souls
were to be saved for ever. But it WAS not only with
reference to Himself that the Lord spoke the words of
the text, they bore upon his disciples also, as the follow•
lug verses showed. And here was • inanifeat and com-
forting truth. The "dying life" of • true Christian-a
life, that is, lived in readiness to live or die to his Lord -
was not only • blessed discipline for Himself, but "fruit-
ful" in blowing for others. The tried and tempted
!volleyer was being trained to be the specially wise and
sympathising friend, the specially helpful example. And,
lastly, death itself would be overruled to fruitfulness for
God's people in eternity. He would not only bring them
up again from death, hut give them cause to bless Him for
having brought them through It aa the chosen path to the
energies and Joys of a holy eternity. $o that the very
bitterness of decay and bereavement had in it the
pledge to the Christian of the "everlasting spring"
and the morning-time of Heaven. "Only • few
days ago I watched the leaves showering from
the trees which shade my beloved home - trees,
every stein and limb of which one looks on as almost a
familiar friend-and the first thought was, what a parable
of death ! But the fresh wind which shook down the
leaves, the wind of a bright pure morning, made me see in
what I saw a filmed parable of resurrection. That wind
was butpart of the movement of the machinery (as it were)
of air and light and rain, which is hastening on another
spring. And even so the power which calls, one after
another, the holy and beloved ones from the church on
earth is the power of Him who is preparing the spring
after the winter of death • not • fading and earthly home
but 'the inheritance that fadeth not away.'" After
sermon the noble hymn Was sung "I'll praise my Maker
with my broath,"-the organ leading the congregation
with great solemnity and beauty, and the glorious words
pointing upward to an endless life of power and gissineas.
noiota Pni wrrr Miasmas, Monday.-Ilefore the Slayer (Mr
E. Burnett), Mr J. F. Hodges, soil Lir. Aldridge.
Barriet Coombe, of Fonlington, and Rester Thorne, of
Charminster, appeared to an adjourned summons for drunken-
noes at the George inn on Horsley, September IS.
Me Barry Read, the landlord ws summoned for permitting
di unkennem.
I' C. Dunn was called In by the landlord, to stop lighting
between the two women. Both were the wm-se for liquor.
Sir Read was from home at the time, and this was now
defence, but he waa toll this did not relieve him of responsl-
Willy -he most take measures for the good conduct of his house
hi his absence. .

—ltca.l was flood 1011 anal costs; license not to Is: cn,lorsol.
42..00tbs was lined 7s Gland costs, anal Thorne, who had Won
bun, ha-no for &bush's hangings, 100 and cos.

DORCIIESTER MIDDLE-CLASS—NDITOATION
AND rrs GRAMMAR SCHOOL

The people of this try have, during the last few
weeks, enjoyed the privilege of reading some of the
n,,,,5t weighty utterances which of late have been
delivered by our leading statesmen on the question of
education. To say nothing of some of the lesser lights
of the political firmament, we have had such names as
Mr. Gladstone, Mr. CPAS, incidentally Mr. Fonder,
Earl Fortescue, and others ; and the burden of their
varied but valuable utterances seems to have been to
carry home to the minds of the people of this country
the earnest conviction, that if they are to hold their
place in the race of nations they must attend to the
education of the people, from the primary school up
to the highest culture of the Universities themselves.
It is one of the most hopeful signs of the times,
educationally considered, when such statesmen as Mr.
Crow, speaking of our ',primary education, gives ex-
pression to doctrines which, as the new remarked,
" not long ago would have ss lel more natural in
the mouth of an Advanced Liberal than of a steely
Conservative ;" of which speech also Mr. Forster, at
1".44, mid that he had not for a long time read a sqPivelt
which gave him SO much pleasure. We may presume,
therefore, that the question of elementary elucation is
rapidly passing Into its final stage, when the din of
our harsh controversies shall and when the
adv,„.ates of empubsory Melissa Board education shall
no Lnger be ileeaned the slangensus foes of religious
education. But it is not our put-I.ft to wander into
this hide issue of compulsory education. Our object is
a mach more slirect and practical one. We wish to
rail the attention of the friends of middle-clam educa-
tion hi Dorohesta to some of the most weighty Gad

thoughtful utterances on this question of the most
earrnet and cultural"( statesmen of the age. Amongst
other things, Mr. Gladstone said at Chester, speaking
of the relative peition of the middle-classe4 of this
country, "Now? I venture to submit to you that this
lea time in which all those who are connected with
the commercial and trading (Amines of this country--
all thee who, in a large sense of the term, may be
paid to constitute the niiddle-clanses I.f the country
should bestir themselves if thoy intend to maintain
their position." Having pointed out the effect of
primary education on the mamas, as bringing them up
to the position which the middle-classes may all be
said to have attained, the ex-Preinier points ont the
necessity of increasing their efforts so WI to be
able to compete successfully with the large mane
of the ordinary population, who will necessarily,
through their prevent education, seek to compete in
the intellectual labour market. The race will in
in the future be of necessity much harder for the
middle-classes than it has ever been; and if, therefore,
they would hold their position in the social system
they must give more attention to the education of their
children. Speaking of the ranks of the people—the
lower community he means- -as likely to be the for-
midable competitors of the middle-classes, Mr. Glad-
stone says, "Therefore it is high time that the middle.
classes of this country, who may consider themselves
as having in a great degree attained that which the
others are only beginning to seek—it in high time that
they for themselves and their children should consider
that much exertion, as in all departments of life, so
especially in the attainment of knowledge and in
realising all the benefits of education, is needful on
their part in order to fit themselves, I will cot say for
the higher class of duty, which it is more for others
than me to dwell upon, but even in regard to the social
necessity of their maintaining their relsAive position
in the community to which they belong." Now, in
reading such won& as these, which the middle-classes
may well lay to heart, most people will naturally
think of their own community; and, when we think
of Dorchester, we are sadly impressed with the great
deficiency in the facilities for middle-class education
which the town affords. Without saying a disparesp
;: • word of the private commercial seminaries, which
are doing their beet to supply the lack of public educa-
tion, and to whom, therefore, we are greatly indebted;
it cannot but be regretted, painfully regretted, that
there is no efficient public middle-class school in our
ancient borough; and the regret is all the more pain-
ful when we have in our midst a foundation originated
by the educational zeal and foresight of our forefathers,
who felt the importance of providing a good education
for the people, and who made a provision more or less
ample for the purpose. The condition of the Dor-
chester Grammar School is certainly no credit to the
town; the fact that a good endowment, which is
capable of supporting a well-ordered school, that
might amply meet the wants of the people, should be
employed for the advantage of a teacher with scarcely
half a-dozen scholars, need,' but to be mentioned to lead
the townsfolk to look into the matter, and renew such
steps as have already been taken to effect an alteration.
There is no time to Lee; and if the people would see
to their just rights, and to their doing right by the
middle-class children of the town, they will cordially
support the renewal of their former application to the
Endowed Schools Commissioners, with a view to
putting the Grammar School on a satisfactory footing,
by which its endowment may be made a public benefit
instead of being, as it must be designated meantime,
little else than an educational sinecure.