The Aberdare Leader

"Go," not "Come." Gadlys Parents and Church Attendance. 1 At Bethel Welsh Congregational j Chapel, Trecynon, on Sunday even- ing, a service of song, the last of the season, was held. There was a fair- 1 ly large congregation, and the pas- ] tor, Rev. E. J. Gruffydd, occupied < the pulpit. He based a striking dis- ] course on Jeremiah 31, 29, In i those days they shall say no more, the fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge." There were hosts of people, he remarked, trying to shirk their | own personal responsibilities, and excusing themselves by saying they had inherited an insurmountable weakness from their parents, and ( their parents' parents. One man would say he was born with a dry ) throat, which cold water could not moisten, and consequently he was obliged to drink fire and brimstone. Another would say he was a born j thief-that the instinct of theft was in his blood and that he must keep up j the family tradition. We would be judged according to our deeds, and i the last judgment would be just and fair. Our advantages and disad- vantages would receive every con- sideration. But it should be remem- bered that however much we were governed by the law of heredity, and however much sin was in our blood, ¡ the grace of God was abundant and I could be had for the asking. The proverb which formed the text was as true to-day as ever it had be- come a philosophy of life. The sin of the father was an obstacle to the success of the child. On the other- hand we owed a great deal to the generations who had gone before. We enjoyed religious liberty and took pride in our Nonconformity. We had a Bible in our own tongue, and many things had been won by the blood of our forefathers. Let us see to it that those blessings were preserved and handed down unsul- lied to the coming generations. Continuing. Mr. Gruffydd said he wished to confine the remainder cf his observations to the responsibili- ties of parents. What help did they give their children towards equip- ping them for the battle of life ? .To ) live aright.,in the best sense of the I word "live" was a most difficult thing. To live was not merely to exist. We should cultivate worthy ideals and make them facts in our life that was life, and we should teach our children in that spirit. People waxed eloquent on liberty, but they should read John Stuart Mill and learn that real liberty had its limits. The State had a right to come to our homes, and see how our children were fed, clothed and kept, and see whether they were sent to school. God looked 'after the body. mind and spirit. Children I were given us as a trust, and parents were trustees, as it were, and they I were responsible to God for the pro- per upbringing of those in their charge. Were the parents alive to the best interests of their children ? Some people thought that a good banking account was the best thing to leave their children. That was rubbish. A good education was the best equipment to fight the battle of I. life. There was need of cultivating a spiritual atmosphere in order to develop the best in the child. Two things were essential to create such an atmosphere, and that was the Bible and the church. Unfortunate- Bible and the church. Unfortunate- ly many parents were in the habit of sending their' children to Sunday School and chapel, instead of taking them there. It was "go and not "come." Such children, when they reached about 17 years of age, ceased to go altogether. "Vhyt Because I they did not have an example set be- fore them. He knew local families i who lived in sorrow and ate sour I grapes simply because they had iie- j I gJected to lead their children with I them to divine service, instead of sending them there and staying at home themselves. In the course of the service Madam Eynon gave a superb rendering of "Just as I am," Mr. T. Jenkin John. Hirwain, sang" Y r hen gerddor Miss Winnie Jones, Cwm- dare, Rest in the Lord," and Mr Maldwyn Jones, Hirwain. The Toilers." Mr. Dan Edwards was at the organ.

I.L.P. Meeting at Aberaman. Under the auspices of the I.L.P. a meeting was held at the Grand Theatre, Aberaman, on Sunday even- ing. Mr. J. T. Norman, who pre- sided, read a telegram received from the cells Cardiff Barracks, from four comrades in which they said that they were in good health and spirits. They were four men from the Aberdare valley who had gone to prson for conscience sake. It was signed Emry Hughes, B. W. Morgan, Gwilym I. Smith, and Percy J. Kendall. Guardian Noah Trornans, Moun- tain Ash, held that the miners of the South Wales Coalfield were working for 11 per cent. less than they were entitled to. because they desired to be patriotic. ■ Mr. John Thomas, B.A., Trecynon. referred to the message received from their comrades in prison. Per- sonally he should be pleased to share the torture which these men endured for the sa.ke of conscience. Mr. Thomas protested against the Prus- sianisation of British liberties. What were the causes of this world-war ? Not the murder of Duke Ferdinand in Serbia. If the murder of one man justified going to war why did we not go to war with France when Jaures was murdered ? Not the violation of the treaty with Belgium was the cause of it. What about the string of treaties torn up by British mili- tarists ? It was secret diplomacy and armaments that led to the war. ——— ——-

Idleness is costly without being a luxury. It is hard work for those who are not used to it, and dull work for tho--o who ar.-Horace Smith. j

Induction Service. I STEW PASTOR OF HEN DY CWRDD, TRECYNON. The annual meetings of the South East SYales Unitarian Society were held at Sen Dy Cwrdd, Trecynon, on Monday, j Committee meetings were held in the j morning, the president, Rev. Simon j Jones, B.A., Swansea, occupying the chair. Mr. Jones is home for a few weeks from France, where he has been doing service with the R.A.M.C. Rev.. W. J. Phillips, Nottage, was re-elected secretary; Mr. Gomer Ll. Thomas, J.P., Merthyr, treasurer, and Mr. D. R. Llew- elyn, M.E., Aberdare, was elected presi- dent for the ensuing year. The afternoon service took the form of a welcome meeting to the Rev. E. R. Dennis, who has taken over the pastor- ate of Hen Dy Cwrdd, and who started on his new duties on the previous day. There was a large attendance, presided over by Rev. R. J. ones, M.A.. who ministered at the church for over 40 years. During the last three years the congregation has been without a pastor. The service was opened with reading and prayer by Rev. D. G. Rees, Tre- banos. In the course of an interesting j and reminiscent address the chairman 'I' said it was about 65 years since he first opened his mouth in that pulpit. Hen Dy Cwrdd was the third daughter of the old I church of Cwmyglo. The firet was Cefn, 1747; the second Ynysgau, 1749, and the j third Trecynon, 1751. The first minister j at Hen Dy Cwrdd was Owen Ree6, some of whose descendants made a mark in II the world. A great-grandson of his be- came physician to Queen Victoria, while another, Sir Josiah Rees, was governor of a British Colony. Continuing, Mr. Jones said that to- day they were welcoming a new minister, and he begged the congregation to con- sider how they treated him. Peace I ought to reign between minister and I congregation. Let them say nothing but good of their minister, and if they had nothing good to say let them hold their tongues. (Hear, hear.) He also appealed to them not to compare the old minister and the new. The latter j ) would have his own ideas. < At this juncture the secretary. Mr. Gwilym Griffiths, read a letter from the Rev. J. Grawys Jones (Cong.), Tre- cynon, who was at Mumbles recupera- ¡ ting, wishing success to the meetings. The welcome to Mr. Dennis on behalf ¡ of the South East Wales Society was extended by the Rev. W. J. Phillips, I who testified to the earnest work per- formed by Mr, Dennis as his co-secretary of the Society/ Mjr. Dennis had (lone excellent work al Pentre and Clydach Vale. He (Mr. Phillips) hoped the Hen Dy Cwrdd congregation would support Mr. Dennis in every possible way. Rev. T. Arthur Thomas, B.A., J.P., | Lla.nd.yssul, extended a welcome* to ^he new minister on behalf of the South Wales Unitarian Association. He re- I marked that Mr. Dennis was a great. favourite in Cardiganshire, and if Hen Dy Cwrdd people were not careful the I Cardiganshire people would take him away.. Mr. John Stanley Evans spoke on j behalf of the Sunday School, and re- marked that they had already had some J experiences of Mr. Dennis' qualities as a Sunday School teacher. I Mr. Gwilym Griffiths, on behalf of the church, spoke of its unanimity in ex- tending a call to Mr. Dennis. The congregation had had an opportunity I or Hearing tne new minister preach on j occasional Sundays during the last three j years, and they were strengthened in the j belief that under his ministry the cause f at Hen Dy Cwrdd would flourish. Mr. George Payne, Treherbert, a mem- ber of Mr. Dennis' old church, re- marked that they-, in the Rhondda were j losing an excellent man, and they were very grieved that Hen Dy Cwrdd were taking him away. However, he wished. the new union every success. Rev. Rudolf Davies, B.A., Gloucester, was introduced by the chairman as the great-grandson of David Davies Castell Hywel, who ministered in Cardiganshire for over 60 years. Mr. Davies gave excellent advice to the congregation, and asked them to be prepared for changes in their institutional life. He extended on behalf of the British and Foreign Unitarian Association -a warm welcome to Mr. Dennis. In conclusioh, he re- marked that he was most pleased that the chairman of the meeting was the Rev. R. J.» Jones, one of the best known Welshmen, and who was spoken of as the Grand Old Man of South Wales. Rev. John Morgan (C.M.), Trecynon, remarked that he had been a co-worker of Mr. Jones' for 23 years. It was not always easy to co-operate even with a I minister, but he honoured Mr..Jones I very much, and was ready to say «0 I king, live for ever." He had a favour- able impression of the new minister, and he was confident that that im- pression would be strengthened. Rev. D. Bassett (B.), Gadlys, wel- corned Mr. Dennis to the district.. and observed that he would be glad to co- operate with him in killing the evil spirits which prevailed in their midst, and help religion, virtue and morality to find their proper place. Rev. E. J. Gruffydd (Cong.), Trecynon, offered to Mr. Dennis the right hand of fellowship.. He had not had the pleasure of being one of Mr. Jones' colleagues, but he trusted to be able to unite with Mr. Dennis in any good work which might be required to be done at any time. .Mr. John Griffiths, Brynhyfryd, said that Aberdare was well-known as a place where ministers made a long stay., A man once told him, "Once you come to Aberdare you won't leave it till you are carried from here. He hoped that would be the experience of Mr. Dennis. Rev. E. T. Evans (U.), Aberdare, Te- marked that he was a co-student of their new minister, and he had every con- fidence that Mr. Dennis was destined to do great work in their midst. The chief work of a minister was to develop the spiritual life of a church. I Rev. E. R. Dennis' acknowledgment was brief. He referred to a period of his life when he was under the chargfe of j Mr. John Griffiths at Ysgol Comin. He j had had a very successful and happy I time at Treorchy for eight years, and he hoped his ministry at Hen Dy Cwrdd would be equally happy and fruitful. j ADDRESS BY MR. J. F. L. BRUNNER, M.P. I A public meeting was held in the evening, presided over by Mr. D. R. Llewelyn. In introducing Mr. Brunner to the meeting, Mr. Llewelyn remarked that Mr. Brunner'e father, Sir John Brunner, was not unknown to the people of Wales. He it was who be- friended and brought out the late Tom Ellis. Their visitor was at the head of one of the greatest industrial concerns in the country, and it was gratifying that he could find time to come down to a little Nonconformist chapel in South Wales to address them. The Hen Dy Cwrdd was one of the oldest Noncon- formist churches in Wales. Mr. Brunner, who had a cordial re- ception, said Mr. Llewelyn had just men- tioned the name of Tom Ellis. It was quite true that his (the speaker's; father had befriended the late lamented Tom Ellis. The latter was a graduate at Oxford, and was very uncertain about his career, when Sir John Brunner asked him to become his private secre- tary. He did so, and they carried on a political campaign together during 1885. In the following year his father I thought it would be a good thing if his I private secretary were elected to Parlia- ment, and receiving an invitation from Merionethshire in 1886 Tom Ellis was I elected. The irony of the situation was, I' however, that his father was rejected at that General Election, so the private secretary was in and his patron was out. (Laughter). In the following year, how- ever, Sir John Brunner was elected at a bye-election. Mr. Brunner went on to speak of the principles of Unitarianism, of the. mag- nificent work performed by Unitarian Societies in -helping the Allies' cause, especially with regard to the Belgian ("Hospital Fund, and passed on to deal with the war. Rev. E. O. Jenkins, Llwynrhydowen. and Mr. John Lewis, Pontypridd. inr- ther spoke. Luncheon and tea were provided bv, the ladies of Hen Dy Cwrdd at the schoolroom.

Aberdare Company of Girl Guides. Some oi the newly formed Com- pauy of Girl Guides, under th"ir Captain. Miss B. M. Richard-, t,, gether with Miss Jennie Richards, n III had a niost enjoyable outing to P.uu- sarn on Thursday last, it being pan of the G.G. movement, to keep in touch with its members during holi- day seasons. The Guides left Abei- nant Station at 12.45, and walked I from Merthyr to Pontsai-ii. I leI tune was spent there visiting the places ot' historic interest, viz., The { Sanatorium — where the inmate;- seemed to be really enjoying the f fresh breezes and brilliant sunshine jVaynor- Churchyard — \vh<>re girls ) noted the more ancient tomb stones, being particularly interested in the one of the woman who died at lire age of 106, having lived under II reigns. The burial place of 1'1\' "Iron King" was also pointed our. A walk was then taken to the mrr and the viaduct, where flowers were seen in ahundanee- primroses al- ready being in their glory. The dis- tance was too great to pay a visit Lu Morlais Castle. At this juncture the Girls met the Park Girl Guides, Mei tliyr, and together spent a very happy time, when friendships were- exchanged and chats about the work indulged in. After a game or two both companies with their respective oificers had tea in the tea- rooms neai the Church. The newly met Guide* accompanied the Aberdare contin-. gent as far as the Aberglais Hot«>i. from whence the latter walked to ('dn to meet the car. Home was reached soon after eight o'clock, n most delightful day having been spent in the open-air.

Shortage of Paper. I I To hvoid waste in unsolds our reader'- j are asked to give orders to their j agents for regular delivery ot th» Aberdare Leader." Very sh(\rt!v we shall be able to print copies to order only, owing to the high price and «crio»ic shortage of paper. The price !;<• v no* increased by almost 100 per cent. since the beginning of the war, and the sup- ply of paper, due to the embargo on p¡;1f. from foreign countries, has been cut down as from March 1st by one-third. The new spa per owners of ,1 Wales, in view of the increasing heavy cost of production, have realised the necessity of charging for certain matter which hitherto has been inserted free of charge. In future the "Le,icier" will have to charge for all appeals, scriptian lists, balance sheets, aoki<ow- ledgments of gifts, etc., according to space occupied, with the exception f appeals from soldiers at the front. V

Review. South Wales Coal and Iron Co.'s. This is a very useful little booklet, designed to be of service to investors and would-be investors. It is com- piled by Mr. Ernest Sully, of Messrs Ernest Sully & Co., stock and share brokers. Mount Stuart Square, Car- diff, from whom copies may be ob- tained free on application. Particu- lars of dividends paid by the various colliery companies during the last 16 years or so are given, and the reader may see what profits have been earned and how they have been dis- tributed. There is also a list of the approximate highest and lowest prices of Ordinary Shares during each year for the past 16 years.

i My lord," said the foreman of an Irish jury, when giving in the verdict, "we find the man who stole the mare not guilty/' "What is the difference between a married man and a widower?" "The one kisses his missus and the other misses his kisses/'

Tabernacle, Aberdare. The Shakespearian Celebration. On Sunday, at Tabernacle English Cong. Church, there was a celebra- tion of the Shakespear Tercenten- ary. At the afternoon service the Rev. T. M. Jeffreys, who presided, regretted that we had excluded Shakespear from our religious ac- tivity and devotion. His was not only a national voice, but a uni- versal voice. Mr. L. M. Thomas, B.A., Aberdare County School, gave an address on "The Value of Shakespeare for Re- ligion." The bard of Avon, he urged, had, as a dramatic artist, a message to us. Mr. Thomas then dealt with the supernatural element in the plays of Shakespear. He had written of fairies, witches and ghosts. Did these really exist ? The speaker believed that they did. Shakespear had no sympathy with the cloisteral ideal. He taught that spiritual life. must show itself in activity. Shakespear also detested the ultra-Puritan. He declared that it was no sin to love the beautiful wherever it was found. He was op- posed to intolerance and bigotry. Nowhere did we find a better ex- ample of the redemptive and sacri- ficial power of love than in the son- nets of the master poet. How finely the attributes of mercy and recon- ciliation were set forth in Portia's speech in "The Merchant of Ven- ice." At-the back of his conception of tragedy lay the theory of the puri- fication of the soul through fire. Some had complained of Shakes- pear's reticence concerning the im- mortality of the soul, but the idea was strikingly evident throughout the whole of his works. Miss Teggie Williams gave several recitations and readings from the works of our national poet, and Olive George recited Blow, blow thou winter wind." Appropriate hymns were sung, including Kipling's Recessional. Miss Alice S. Williams was the organist. In the evening, by special request, the afternoon programme was re- peated, with supplementary items by Miss Alice S. Williams' Girls Choir. 0'

Mountain Ash Easter Vestry. The Rev. J. Ll. Croft, Vicar, pre- sided over his second annual vestry, held in the Parish Room last Thurs- day. Mr. D. W. Howell supported him as secretary. The Vicar an nounced that he had re-appointed Col. Morgan Morgan, J.P., as his warden. Mr. M. P. Rees proposed, and Mr. W. H. Thomas seconded. that Mr. D. W. Howell be appointed people's warden. The name of Mr. R. G. Shaw was also proposed, but was not pressed to a vote. Mr. Howell was therefore elected nem. con. The Vicar in his address re- ferred to the flourishing condition of the Sunday Schools, especially in Darran Las. At the annual chil- dren's service there were over 1.000 present. The attendance at the ser- vices held in the Parish Room was increasing by leaps and bounds. He had great hopes for the new Church in Darran Las, for they had a defin- ite promise of the ground when they were ready to proceed. The assess- ment of the Diocesan Fund had been reduced by £ 15. He was pleased to say that St. Margaret's offertories had increased. The following were elected sides- men, etc. St. Margaret's Vicar's—M. P. Rees, J. K. Brooks, Ralph Powell. M. Edmunds, T. Early, W. Jenkins, A. Weekes, T. Newton, J. Lewis. J. W. Grant, S. R. P. Netherway, W. Probert, J. Lloyd, Geo. Jefferies, J. Gillard, A. Alder. People's- A. Broom, J. C. Bluett, R. Bartlett, I j John Powell, W. Sellick, W. J. Wil- liams, W. Smith, W. Woodward, W. Almrott, F. Stock, Stanley Rees, C. Cook, T. H. Smith, JI Gibson. Choir—Geo. Shaw and C. Morris. Choirmaster, Mr. R. P. Dowling. St. Dyfrigs Vicar's M. Shep- pard, L. Gough, Martin Jones. A. Hooper, C. Archer, N. Rogers. People's: W. Gough, F. Keene, T. Francis, C. Notley, D. Lewis, G. Nutt. Choir, Stanley Bishop. Choir- master, S. Fidler. Chapel Wardens Vicar's, Geo. Ponting. People's, S. Fidler. St. Illtyd's :-Vicar's: T. Morris, Samuel Carhart, James Sayer, A. Moore, Regd. King. People's: T. Evans, J. Evans, T. Carhart, C. Ellery. Choir, C. Flook. Choir- master, C. Ellery. Chapel Wardens Vicar's, J. Savin. People's. Thos. Bebb. Parish Rooms, Children's Ser- vices.—Sidesmen: W. Bartlett, W. Daley, C. Saxty, A. Morgan. The following resolution was pro- posed by Mr. Geo. Shaw, seconded by Mr. Porter, and carried: The Parishioners of St. Margaret's, Mountain Ash, in Vestry Meeting assembled, enter their renewed pro- test against property consecrated to the service of God being confiscated to secular uses, and urge all Christ- ian people to demand from the Government, on the conclusion of war, a repeal of the Welsh Church Act."

at VICTOR FREED, Mountain Ash, [VICTOR FREED, Mountain Ash, Invites you to apply for his PIANd catalogue: J Before purchasing elsewhere. VERY LIBERAL DISCOUNT TO | ■ CASH BUYERS. 1 Free Lessons. | ■-

Let us do our duty in our shop or our kitchen, the market, the street, the office, the school, the home, just as faithfully as if we stood in the front rank of some great battle, and we knew that victory for mankind depended on our bravery, strength, and skill. When we do that, the humblest of us will be serving in that great army which achieves the wel- fare of the world.-Theodore Parker.

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