The Barmouth and County Advertiser and District Weekly News

DIOCESAN MISSIONARY SALE OF WORK. I INTERESTING FUNCTION AT j BARMOUTH. A large, representative and fashion- able gathering assembled on Wednesday afternoon last for the opening of the missionary sale at Barmouth. The Church Hall is admirably adapted for a bazaar. Besides being spacious enough to comfortably contain all the stalls, it ij bad further accommodation in the excel- i lent committee rooms and kitchens with J which the hall is equipped. i The proceedings commenced with the congregational hymn, I Thou, whose Almighty Word," &0.. The Rev. R. Lloyd Roberts, M.A., R.D. (Rector of Barmoutb), after offer- ing appropriate intercessions, welcomed the diocesan friends of the missionary societies to Barmouth, and added that any success in connection with the sale must be attributed in a very large mea. sure to Mrs Williams, Glyngarth, who, with the Bishop, had been the prime mover in the diocesan missionary move- ment. VALUE OF MISSIONARY WORK. I Rev. G. Matthew, Vicar of Penmaen- mawr, was the invited speaker, and gave an excellent address on missions. There was no need, be said, now to ap- ologise for missionary work. It was now generally agreed that the first duty of 1 the Church was to evangelise the world. Besides, they bad the highest official authorities to testify to the value of missionary work. A Governor of Cape Colony had said that he relied more upon the labours of missionaries for the peaceful government of the natives than upon the presence of British Troops. Sir Charles Warren held that for the preservation of peace between the Col- onists and natives one missionary was worth a battalion of soldiers (cheers). Sir Augustus Rivers Thompson, Gov- ernor of Bengal, said that in his judge- ment Christian missionaries had done more real and lasting good to the people than all other agencies combined (hear, hear). They had been the salt of the country and the saviours of the Empire. As Sir Andrew Frazer bad said, it was no sentiment with men, who bad spent their lives among Eastern peoples that God bad made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth. Human hearts, human needs, human sentiments were much the same in the East as in the West. Human hearts came together in the East, just as they would in the West. In- conclusion, the speaker said it made his blood boil to bear disparagiug remarks from ignorant people about those splendid men and women who had left this country to obey Christ's last command in the mis- sion field, where they served their God like true soldiers with their lives in their hand (applause). Lady Williams, Deudraeth Castle, in opening the sale, said that, when first I asked' to open the sale, her inclination was to refuse, feeling all unworthy of the honour, but the request from the Bishop's Lady amounted almost to a command (hear hear). If they could contemplate the 'Liltin.-Yate aims of the bazaar, so many channels of thought opened before them. The immediate object, however, was quite simple, name- ly, the extracting of money from the pockets of all present to transfer to the coffers of the missions. Looking in the dictionary she found the word mission defield as Duty-on which one is sent (cheers), They could truly admire the men and women, who, feeling themselves called to mission work were willing to face the hard work, discomfort, isola- tion, and even danger of their calling (hear, hear). To be fully equipped for such work meant having a thorough knowledge, not only of creeds, but of languages, medicine, and schools, for it was with such knowledge that they got into touch with the nation, and preached Christ to people not unprepared (cheers). The great power of the strong and wise white man was his capacity of exercis- ing an almost inestimable influence upon the native races (bear, hear). That power of influence counted all the world ) over. The younger ones present with their good health, good looks, high spir- I its, and attractive personality, influenced the men and women around them far more than they ever realised, and therein was their great responsibil- ity (cheers). That the stallholders in that room cared very much what happened to people less fortunate than themselves was shown by the loaded stalls, representing the expenditure of much thought, time, and money (hear, hear). As the Americans say, it was now up to them to second their efforts by spending all they could spare (loud cheers). "THE VERY LIFE OF THE CHURCH." The Bishop of Bangor, in briefly thanking Lady William s, said how grateful they all were, not only for Lady Wiiliams's presence that afternoon, bnt also for her well chosen words. The value of the sale of work that day was not to be measured by financial results, but by the increased missionary interest likely to be kindled (hear, hear). Missionary work was the very life of the church (cheers). With resources al- ready too inadequate their responsibility was a heavy one. And they were threa- tened with a still further crippling of their means. But however poor they might become, be hoped they would always be able to spare out of their poverty their dues to missionary work (loud cheer). Undermanned as they were in the diocese, they bad neverthe- less sent one of their clergy to South America to minister to their own fellow countrymen and others in the Chupu t Valley (cheers). But be felt quite convinced that the more they spent in that cause, the more would be given to them (hear, bear). The Bishop of "London bad testified that though some of his best curates bad left his diocese for the mission field, they were none the worse for the sacrifice, but on the contrary dioceses, parishes and in- dividuals bad gained and would always gain by such noble and unselfish service (loud cheers). Captain Richards, Caerynwch, secon- ded the vote of thanks to Lady Williams. As wife of the Lord Lieutenant of the county they all knew bow many calls there must be on her time and gene- rosity, By her kindness in coming to help them she considerably enhanced the attractiveness and the value of that sale of work. After which there was a brisk sale, the proceeds the firs day amounting to over one hundred pounds. j The sale on Thursday was opened by Colonel the Hon. Francis Bridgeman. j The duties of local secretary and treasurer were effectiently carried out, by tho Ilev, H. Lloyd Roberts, M.A.,R.D, The following were the stall-holders 1. S.P.G. (Society for the Propagation of the Gospel). Mrs. J. P. Lewis, Llanystumdwy, Mrs. Trevor Hughes, Coedhelen, Mrs. Heath, Tynycoed, Barmoutb, Miss Scott, Penroaenucha, Rev. & Mrs. E. H. Griffith, Llaugad. Rev. Basil Jones, [waladr, .Miss Lewis Lloyd. 2. C.M.S. (Church Missionary Society). Mrs. Jones Morris, Gwrncbynys, Tal- Miss Patchett, Barmoutb, [sarnau, Miss Astley, Carno, [Barmouth, Mrs. J. H. Davies, Glasfor Terrace, Rev. & Mrs. Morris Roberts, Rhosybol, Mrs. & Miss Thomas, 2, S. Peter's Ter- race, Pwllheli, Rev. & Mrs. H. J. Manley, Llanbedrog 3. U. M. C. A. (Universities Mission to Central Africa). Mrs. Holland, Caerdeon, Miss, Bulkeley Baron Hill, Mrs. Lloyd Jones, Criccieth, Mrs. Davies, The Canonry, Bangor, Mrs. Jones, Aber House, Barmouth, Miss Grant, Llanidloes, Rev. & Mrs. J. D. Jones, Bangor. 4. S A M S. (South American Missionary Society). Bangor Mission at Chubut. The Hon. Mrs. Mostyn, Mrs. Richards, Caerynwcb, Mrs. Basil Jones, Mrs. R. T. Jones, Glanogwen, Miss Jones, Maesitan, Barmoutb, Rev. & Mrs. James Jones. C.E.Z M S. (Church of England Zena- na Missionary Society). Miss Vaughan Roberts,Penmaenmawr 5 Refreshment Stall. Mrs D. E. Davies. 6 Provision and Produce. The Rector of Barmouth.