Welsh Journals

*■ TOYSTM D^ip^Y EQ^Gpip. * No. 74. Vol. VII. FEBRUARY, 1899. Price One Penny. LLANIDLOES. We regret that through an unfortunate mistake? the name of the Rev. D. Parry, Vicar of Llanwnog, was omitted from the cover of the Magazine last month. The omission has been rectified in the present issue, and the list of clergy is now correct and complete. A meeting of the Sunday School Association wil1 be held at Caersws, in St. Mary's Church, on Friday March 3rd, at 2-45 p.m., when a paper will be read by the Rev. E. 0 Jones, Vicar of Llanidloes It is hopeo that all Sunday School Teachers, and others interested in Sunday School work will make an effort to attend. A meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 15th, at 4 p.m. at the National School, when all chnrchpeople are invited to attend. The dirty and neglected condition of the church is becoming a crying scandal and the meeting will be asked to come to some decision as to what shall be done. At the same time it will be asked to consider whether some organised effort cannot be made to improve the appearance of the chancel. No special appeal has been made to chnrchpeople for some time past, and many think that this year something may well be attempted. But nothing can be done without united co-operation and so, it is earnestly hoped that members of the congrega¬ tion will take the matter up and that we may have a really representative meeting. Lent will commence on February 15tb, when there will be the usual services appropriate to Ash Wednes¬ day. In the ensuing weeks there will be special sermons on Thursday evenings and the following clergy have kindly promised to preach :—February 23rd, Rev. J. Parry Morgan, Vicar of Llandyssil; March 2nd, Rev. J. Owen Evans, Vicar of Tretower ; March 9th, Rev. J. S. Lewis, Rector of Newtown ; March 16th, Rev. Howard A. Crosbie, Vicar of Builth ; March 23rd, Rev. L. H. Evans, Viear of Rhayader; March 30th, Rev. J. E. Lloyd, Vicar of Newbridge-on-Wye. Most of the above will be new to our congregation and it is much to be hoped that the Vicar's efforts to get strangers to come and speak to us will be appreciated. It is very discouraging for the parish clergy to have only a handful of people to speak to, but it is much more so to go to some trouble and expense to get outside preachers and then have an empty church to bring them to. Lent is a time set apart for more earnest devotion and preparation for Eastertide—may not we expect to see the Daily Service and the weekly Communion more numerously attended ? There will be brief readings at tho evening service every day. We regret to record the death of Ann Davies, widow of the late, and mother of our present parish clerk. Mrs. Davies was little known to the newer generation of church goers as she rarely went out of late years. She suffered much, and apart from our personal grief, it may truly be said that death to her was a release. She had been an exceptionally good wife and mother and it could be nothing but joy to her to rejoin the husband whom she never had ceased to mourn. Archdeacon Williams has just found the Vestry book used while he was Vicar which gives details of collections, sermons and communicants. It begins in 1880 just 20 years ago and we propose giving the collections for each month during those years. This month it happens that the comparison is favourable to the present generation of church-people, but lest they grow too proud we must remind them that the Curate's Fund is far less than what it was, that no special call has be n made on them for two or three years, and that Canon Williams raised some £4,000 for Church Restoration. Moreover this is but one month out of twelve. The first column gives the year, the second the number of Sundays in January that year* the third the total collected in January, and the last the average collection per Sunday. £ s. d. £ 8 d. 1880 9 11 average 2 7 10 1881 8 17 av 1 15 5 1882 8 15 av 1 15 1 1883 8 19 av 2 4 10 1884 9 1 av 2 5 3