ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

A MEMORIAL SERVICE St. Mary's Church was filled to the doors at yesterday morning's service, when the Bishop of the Diocese unveiled a beautiful windoAV erected to the memory of. the late Edward Elworthy, and preached a sermon appropriate to the occasion. The window is a multiple one, filling the large rose m the western gable, m about a score of separate settings m the stone work. These numerous lights constitute a single design, for a description of which we are indebted to the Yen. Arhdeacon Harper. It is usual m the old churches of Europe to place representations of the Crucifixion m the eastern and representations of Christ m glory m the western window. This practice has been followed m this instance, the design representing Our Lord m glory. The central idea is that the spectator glances through the window into heaven, and therefore the prevailing hues are blue and gold, with some green. The central and largest light contains a figure of Christ seated on his rainbow throne. The pose of the seated figure is majestic, the arms are extended m the attitude, of benediction, and the figure wears a brilliant crown, and is clad m a rich golden robe. Next surrounding the circular central light are six large trefoils, and m each of these is an angel m an attitude of adoration ; each robed and winged m different colours, and wearing a brilliant crown. Considerable ingenuity had to be exercised to get these figures well fitted into the trefoils, but it has been quite successfuly achieved. Beyond these are eight small circles, m which brilliant stars appear on a ground of green. Lastly are three rosette lights defining a triangle, and "these show the words and letters, "I am, Alpha and Omega," with the "I am" as a monogram surmounted by a brilliant crown. The work is as beautiful m detail as m mass, but one needs an opera glass to see the details properly. The ground lights are nowhere plain, but full of fine gradations, broken up into a multitude of fine shades. The faces of the figures are delicately coloured, and the hair even is well marked by fine lines of framing. The colours are all deep, m the style of the 13th Century (as is the architecture of the church) and the effect is exceedingly rich at any time of day, but when the afternoon sun shines upon the window it is splendid ; and the whole, as one gentleman remarked, looked like a large collection of fine jewellery. Beneath the window on the right hand of the doorway a brass tablet 27 x 18inches is let into the wall, bearing the following inscription: — " To the glory of God and m loving memory of Edward Elworthy, of Pareora, Canterbury, New Zealand. At rest January 22nd, 1899. The west window of this church was erected by his wife and children. Grant us Thy Peace." The tablet is a fine piece of incised work, and shows besides the inscription the family coat of arms and a marginal decoration of conventional foliage. The window was manufactured and tho tablet supplied by the well-known London firm of W. Powell and Sons, who supplied the memorial windows previously erected. The window was inserted by Mr Foster, and the tablet by Mr Mcßride, under the supervision of Mr Turnbull. At the close of the ordinary morning service (for which special lessons and psalms ! were used), the Bishop, the churchwardens, incumbent, curate, and choir, moved m procession to the west door beneath the window, the congregation turning to face the west. His Lofdship read a petition to himself for a faculty (or permission) to erect the window and tablet, and his reply granting the request. A special dedication service was then gone through, and a screen which had hidden the window was lowered by Mr Turnbull, while the Bishop declared the unveiling to be performed to the glory and praise of the Eternal fio'ct, After the return to the chancel, His Lordship preached from I. John, 1.5, "God is light, and m him is no darkness at all." His real text was the window, and the lessons deducible from it. He spoke first of the value of such memorials, to future generations, as they give a broad human interest to the places m which they aje found. He then drew an interesting and instructive parallel between the phenomenon of light and the manifestations of God. Both are mysteries, unknowable m their essence, but

known m their manifestations. As puri light is intolerable, so full knowledge o God is impossible; but as the light whei diffused amongst objects, reflected and re fracted and transmitted becomes the beauty of the world, so we recognise the attribute! of God as they are mamiested m the worl( about us, and as they have been manifestei m the past; and chiefest m the manifes tations of himself m his Son. Every lif< transmits something to the Divine glory and the best life is that through which tin light can shine most clearly and with thi utmost variety, and as even the smaller frag ment of the window just displayed had it! part m the whole, so the smallest bit o goodness m a man made the world so mucl the better. His Lordship concluded with i tribute to the personal worth of Mr El worthy, and a recognition of his services t( services to St. Mary's Church ,from th< early days to his death. The church was again filled for th( evening service. The Bishop pieachec from Zechariah IV., 6, an appeal to th< Churchmen of Timaru to lend a willing hand to the completion of the Cathedral of the diocese. He drew a likeness — at times quite amusing — between the rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem after the return from the Exile, and the building oi the Christchurch Cathedral, saying that there were just the same difficulties m the way, just the same excuses made for inaction, just the same sarcastic comments on the slow progress made m connection with the building of the Temple of Jerusalem, as have been found and heard m connection with the Cathedral at Christchurch. The Temple was finished, however, m spite of these, and the Cathedral will be finished. He spoke eloquently of the plans of the original Canterbury settlers, though, as is so generally the case, they were led by an illusion, they laid the foundation of the best province m New Zealand, if not such a province as they had proposed to establish — a little England m the South. Nothing had been done to the Cathedral for 17 years, and now they had turned again to the work, intending to complete it. He answered the numerous objections that have been made to this determination. Hard times : the times were always hard m Canterbury, at all events, had been during the years he had been m the colony. The heavy demands upon the people's purses by the recent subscription lists, especially the war funds ; it had been calculated that Canterbury's contribution to the war funds was about 5 per cent, of the advantage enjoyed this year through fair prices and good harvests, a mere trifle m proportion to the year's prosperity. The people of the city, it was said, did not care about it, and the people of the country knew nothing about it : £12,000 was wanted, and about £7000 had been raised already m the city, and the country had not been touched yet. To Haggai people shook their heads over his Temple — it would never be like the old one — so some people now offered discouragements ; the Cathedral would be nothing like those they had known at Home. Perhaps not ; but these were not what they now are when they were built. He quoted a remark by the Premier, that the Salvation Army and the Roman Catholics nave far greater weight m the determination of social legislation than the Church of England, and admitted its truth. The explanation was that this church does The explanation was that this church does not say to men " you must," but " you ought." Yet it was the way of Englishmen, how- { ever much they differed m opinion about what ought to be done, that whenever it had .been decided to do a thing, they ceased differing and joined hands to get it done. And it had been determined to finish the Cathedral. Some said there were many other things more pressingly needed. They could afford these as well if they would, but at any rate here was a thing determined upon, and therefore it should be done first. It should be completed, as a symbol of diocesan unity, which, and not parochial unity, is the spirit of the Church. It should be completed as a memorial of the founders of Canterbury, and as a thank-offering to God for the rich inheritance those founders had left. He disliked begging above all things, but he would mention that m a small country parish last week he obtained £400 ; would not Timaru try to hold its own against that? He asked them to come forward with their gifts, not wait to be asked; it would be impossible to canvass a place like Timaru. A feature of both services was a beautiful anthem by the late Dr Alvie, founded on the 122 nd Psalm.