ST. STEPHEN'S, ASHBURTON.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7296, 29 April 1889, Page 3

ST. STEPHEN'S, ASHBURTON.

The annual harvest thanksgiving ser* vice was held in St. Stephen's Church* Ashburton, on Friday evening. The church was most tastefully decorated with mottoes, wreaths of flowers, evergreens, sheaves of wheat and oats, a quantity of fruit, &c, the whole presenting a most pleasing effect. Mr Twentyman presided at the organ, while there was also a number of string and brass instruments. This, with a strong choir of male and female voices, helped to make the musical portion of the festival very enjoyable. The service was conducted by the Incumbent, the Rev. E. A. Scott, assisted by the Rev. Jasper Smythe, of Pleasant Point. The Rev. Mr Smythe delivered a practical and appropriate discourse, appealing directly to the farmers, and dwelling at some length on the bountiful harvest that they had this year been blessed with. He handled his discourse first of all from a practical and commonsense point of view, and then, leading up to the spiritual side of life, pointed out ths duty that was incumbent on man to render back to the Giver of good things a certain portion *or the benefit of the less fortunate portion of mankind. He pointed out that the agricultural statistics as published this year by the newspapers were misleading, and stated that he knew of many instances in the Geraldine district where the returns from the threshing machines were considerably higher than the official statistics indicated. An offertory was taken at the close of the service, the proceeds to be devoted to the sick and needy of the parish.