Welsh Journals

OTYSCTLI WmBW EQP^Zip. * No. 27. Vol. III. MARCH, 1895. Price One Penny. On Monday, February 11th, a meeting of the Ruridecanal Chapter of Arwystli was held at LTan- dinam, to discuss the proposals of the Central Church Committee. Present:—Eev. Morgan Jones, R.D., Revs. T. E. Jones, E. Edwardes, Jon. Hughes, .0. K. Williams, W. David Roberts.—Rev. W. David •Roberts was appointed secretary of the Ruridecanal Chapter.—It was agreed to carry out the suggestions of the Central Secretary as far as possible, and a ■Ruridecanal Church Defence Committee was nomi¬ nated, with the Rev. E. Edwardes, Vicar of Trefeglwys, &s secretary. TO THE GENERAL SECRETARY. Dear Str, I am a great admirer of the Arwystli Deanery Magazine, and think it is calculated to do a great deal of good. But I have often wondered why its readers do not now and again offer borne suggestions or hint at some reforms, either in the Magazine itself or in the Church work of the Deanery. We are all of us reformers at heart, and it is only too sadly true that many reforms are needed, but I am afraid the efforts °f most of us in the way of reformation begin and end in dissatisfied grumbling. We vaguely call upon somebody to do something and attempt nothing ourselves. Now I have a Suggestion to offer—it is this—why not have a Sunday School union for the Deanery ! "We have a Choral Union (by the "ye when are the choirs to begin practising for this year's festival ?) and I think it has improved Church singing con - Slderably since its formation. May we not hope that a Sunday School Union would effect a similar improvement in the con¬ duct, and tone, and teaching and results of our Sunday Schools. What could such a Union do—and how would it set to work ? I can only sketch here the barest out-line ; it c°uld organise periodical meetings of teachers, or scholars, or both. It could arrange uniform and consecutive subjects of 8tudy. It could collect accurate and reliable statistics,—and statistics rightly used, are not only a test of progress, but a 8timulus to activity. It could frame a scheme of re wards or Prizes ; and, just think of it ! we might have a joint com¬ petitive meeting or Eisteddfod annually ! Will not that Mysterious body, the Ruridecanal Chapter, condescend to discuss a practical matter of this kind ? TEACHER, LLANIDLOES. We very much regret that through an oversight on the part of our correspondent, Miss Paull's name was omitted from the account of the Parochial Tea on December 24th. It will be remembered that Miss Paull took an important part in one of the dramatic sketches, and her clever acting won universal admiration. Before this issue is in the hands of our readers, the season of Lent will have begun. According to the teaching of our Prayer Book, it is a period of fasting and abstinence set aside with a view of deepening the religious life of those who use it aright and enabling them to tollow more closely in the foot¬ steps of the Master, pondering His precept and copy¬ ing His example. The Church of England lays down no hard and fast rule as to what her members should do or abstain from doing in Lent. In this as in so many other respects, she wisely leaves the ultimate decision to the individual conscience. But this liberty may easily degenerate into license, and it is much to be feared that the observance of Lent is almost a dead letter among many Church people—even among many who are apt to pose as prayer book Christians. We would therefore earnestly press upon our readers the duty and the wisdom of forming for themselves some definite rules to be followed during this solemn season. Not everyone can make it a time of fasting in the strict sense of the word, but there are few who can not give up something for their Master's sake, and who cannot deny themselves in some way. One hint in conclusion—let us aim high, but not too high. Many have failed to keep Lent at all, because they have aimed at too much, and failing to accomplish what they aimed at have sunk back into idle despair. Let us decide on something we really can do for God, and doing that—even if it be a small thing—we shall be more ready to join in the Easter Feast. The Second of the Inter-Class Debates between the members of the Llanidloes Literary and Debating Society and the Young Mens' Friendly Society wiii take place on Monday, March 4th, at the National Schoolroom, and ought to provide an interesting