Welsh Journals

♦ POIYSTLI DPI)E^Y Iip^ZIIJE ♦ No. 130. Vol. XI. OCTOBER, 1903. Price One Penny. GENERAL. Advantage was taken of at the Mothers' Union Meeting reported in our last number, to present to the retiring Rural Dean a testimonial subscribed for by the present and some of the past clergy of the Deanery. The gift took the form of a silver eggboiler, and there was added a pearl star pendant for Mrs. Jones. The presentation was made in a brief speech by the Vicar of Llanidloes, and the Rural Dean who responded in feeling terms dwelt on the happy and cordial relations which during the 27 years for which he had held office existed between the clergy and himself. The subscribers to the testi¬ monial included the present clergy of the Deanery, with the Revs. A. E. C. Adams, Vicar of Farland, W. Gower Jones, Curate of Hodnet, C. P. Price, Rector of Maentwrog, W. D. Roberts, Rector of Llanddyfnan, J. E. Sheppard-Jones, Vicar of Llannor, 0. Kyffin Williams, Rector of Coedana, and D. Williams, Vicar of St. Harmons. The foregoing paragraph, sent in for our last issue and held over owing to lack of space, gives rise now to melancholy reflection. For with the keenest possible regret we have this month to record the death of the Rev. Morgan Jones, our late Rural Dean, to whom less than six weeks ago we were endeavouring to show our regard on his departure from the Deanery, little dreaming then that we should see his face no more. He had been suffering for some years from an affection of the heart, and there is no doubt that the wrench caused by his leaving the Deanery in which he had passed ail his ministerial life seriously aggravated the disease, though the end came quite unexpectedly, from a sudden shock, on Satur¬ day evening, October 3rd. Born on October 6th, 1842, he was ordained in 1868 to the Curacy of Llanidloes, appointed to the Vicarage of Carno in 1871, and after eleven years residence there removed by the Bishop, who had appointed him Rural Dean in 1876, to Llandinam in 1882. He left that parish on Wednesday, August 26th to succeed Chancellor Silvan Evans in the Rectory of Llanwrin, and there six weeks later he was laid to rest in the quiet Churchyard. The funeral was a private one, but nearly all the clergy of his old Deanery attended and Llandinam was represented by Messrs. Evan Kinsey, Hamer (Llandinam Hall), Rees, The Lion, and Jonathan Griffiths. The opening sentences were recited by the Clergy in procession, and the old Welsh favourite " 0 Fryniau Caersalem " was sung as the body was carried in to the Church. The psalm and lesson was read by the Rev. Edin. 0. Jones, Llanidloes, and the closing prayers were impressively taken by the Rev. W. Richards, Rector of Cemmaes. "Sun of my Soul " was sung as we proceeded from the Church to the grave, where the sentences ana the committal were solemnly recited by the Bishop, who had travelled from Bangor to pay his last tribute of respect, and who after the singing of " Bydd myrdd o ryfeddodau " closed the brief but very touching service with the ' Grace.' Mr. Jones married in 1883, Susan, daughter of Captain Adams of Carno, with whom the utmost sympathy will be felt in her bereavement. We have so recently spoken of our late Rural Dean in these columns that we will only add now that those who knew him best—and he was a man who needed knowing—loved him best. To the present writer his memory will remain fragrant while life lasts as of one who in a changing world was an unchanging friend. LLANIDLOES. Tuesday. October 6th, was not an auspicious day for a Harvest Festival, being signalised by almost the severest storms of rain we have experienced even in this most rain ridden year. However, it did not affect the Church—in fact the Welsh service that evening was the best attended, and altogether the brightest we have seen for many a long year, and the Rev. J. S. Jones of the Elan Valley Mission, gave us an excellent sermon on S. Luke v. 6. The early service on Wednesday was very poorly attended—perhaps because it rained the previous day [—women oddly enough being con¬ spicuous by their absence, and the congregation beating tha record—in the wrong direction. At 11 o'clock, the congre¬ gation was normal, and we had again a good sermon from the Elan Valley Missioner. In the evening, a large congregation heard the new Rector of Machynlleth for the first time. The singing was characterised by ita usual brightness, and the rendering of the anthems " Fear not 0 Land " and " He shall dwell in the Land," showed that the Choir has not lost its cunning ; the solo in the latter anthem was well taken by Mr. Chas. Owen. A certain indefinable feeling of something wanting about Wednesday's services may be due to the absence of the Vicar, who as will be seen in another column was at Llanwrin, taking part in the funeral of a very dear old friend. The Church was decorated with if anything more than usual beauty, and considering the season there was a remark¬ able display of flowers for many of which we must thank—be¬ sides the decorators whose names are as follows :—Mrs. Lewis Andrews of Dolforwyn, Mrs. Halford, Mrs. LeaJones, and Mrs Kerr. The Font was undertaken by Miss Marshall, with the help of Miss Bush. North Windows, Misses Griffiths, Miss A. Davies, The School, Mrs. Herbert Roberts, and Miss J Phillips. South Windows, Miss Lloyd Kinsey and Miss Jones-, The Close. Pulpit and Window, Miss Webb and Mr. H. D. Webb. Lectern, Miss Davies, Bryndwr, and the Misses Edwards, Dylife. Choir and Clergy Stalls, Miss Grant, who had as assistants Miss Alty and Mr. Tom Grant. East