WITH THE AGED AND AFFLICTED.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 153, 27 December 1898, Page 5

WITH THE AGED AND AFFLICTED.

Christmas fare for the inmates of the Home for the Aged Needy was thoughtfully- provided by the Trustees and some beneficent people, gifts of lambs from Mr. Crawford, of Miraniar, and Mr. E. Barber, helpiug materially. Each inmate received a present, and the interior of the Home was prettily and appropriately decorated. The inmates of the Benevolent Home spent Christmas Day very pleasantly, thanks to the thoughtfulness of Mrs. Rhodes and other liberal citizens, and the care and attention of the Trustees and the master and matron (Mr. and Mrs. M'Cleary). At 11 o'clock, a party from the Kent-terrace Presbyterian Churoh attended and sang a number of carols. At 1 o'clock, a very fine dinner was served, and was heartily relished by all. Each man who smoked received a cake of tobacco. Three of the Trustees — Mr. G. H. Baylis (Chairman), and the Revs. J. K. Eliiott and W. A. Evans — and Mrs. Dudfield (the Board's Female Visitor) were present during the dinner, and did all in their power to contribute to the happiness of the company. Two religious services were held — one at 11 a.m. \>y Mr. D. Hall, the City

Missionary, and the other at 6.30 p.m. by Mr. Robertson, of the Kent-terrace Presbyterian Church. The Home was prettily decorated fcr the occasion. Last night, Mr. Simeon, of Maraama-crescent, and a party of friends, visited the Home, and gave a concert until 10 o'clock. Refreshments were liberally served out to the inmates. The decorations at the Hospital were much the same as in previous years, the ferns and nikau palms sent down from Levin by Mr. Bartholomew giving the corridor a beautifully cool appearance. So tastefully decorated were all the wards/ that it was difficult to say which was the prettiest. They were all different in designs, mottoes, etc.— each the idea and work of the respective sisters in charge with the ward staffs. A sumptuous dinner — well prepared by Mr. Moore and neatly served by the nurses — was thoroughly enjoyed by those sufficiently convalescent to partake of it, and was followed by wine, cordials, etc., and a plentiful supply of the fragranit weed for the smokers. All arrangements were in the capable hands of Mr. Rountree, the steward. The institution and grounds were open to the public to go where they pleased, and the patients were allowed to visit each other. On Christmas Eve the nurses sang carols through the wards, and at 6 o'clock on Christmas morning Mr. F. H. Fraser was director of a chorus of 32 girls and boys who did the same. On waking on Christmas Day each patient found on his locker a present of considerable value — more valuable perhaps thaa in any previous year, thanks to the liberality of the .contributors. In fact, the proceedings throughout the day were of the most enjoyable yet held. The Hospital authorities acknowledge with thanks the following further contributions to the Patients' Dinner Fund :— ■ New Zealand Times Company, £1 Is ; P. Coveney, muscatels and lollies ; Finn and Chisholm, three gallons of cream ; R. Martin, 10s 6dj "Anonymous*" 10s; Dr. Anson, £1 Is. They also acknowledge the following gifts: — Illustrated papers, A. H. Turnbull ; children's toys, Winton and M'Lachlan ; socks and ties, Mr. A. Corrigan ; pocket-books, etc. , Mrs Banks ; > walking sticks, Mr. J. E. Evans trated papers and cards, Miss Pearce; 1 cards, etc, Government House ; knives, .combs, etc., Wilkins and Field and Mr. Higginbofctom ; "cards, Mrs. Haywood ; scrapbook, etc.; Miss Evans; cut flowers Mrs. Harris; cut flowers and illustrated papers, Mrs. Russes ; 'purse and knives, Mr. DentQß. ; tiesj Davis and Clater ; illustrated papers, books, etc., Whittaker Bros. ; cut flowers, Mrs. John Barr, Lower Hutt ; toys, " A Friend " ; flowers, Mrs. Alexander ; dolls, St. John's Junior Endeavour Society ; toys, Mr. Winder; papers, etc., Mr. Dutton ; flowers Miss Turnbull ; handkerchiefs and toys, Veitch and Allen ; cutlery, Cameron and Christie ; flowers, Lady Stout ; Christmas number New Zealand Mail, papers, etc., Mr. A. Curtis; toys, dolls, etc. , Miss Maudsley^s sckool children ; fancy bags, Miss Palmer; dolls, Mrs. Phillips; scrap album, Kent-terrace Junior Endeavour; flowers, Mrs. Firth, Wadestown,, and Mrs. Barron ; scrap books, Mrs. Bennett, Woolcombe-street ; china, E. Anderson,, Willis-street ; special cake for children's ■ward, Rev. Father Ainsworth ; cakes, MessrsGodber, Skinner, Mawson, and M'Ewen and Churchill; Thomson and Lewis, eight dozen zerade ; John Jack, two bottles of wine ; truckload of ferns and nikau palms, Mr Bartholomew, Levin, and the Manawatu Railway Company for carrying the same free ; the New Zealand Times, Evening Post, and Observer for regular supplies of their papers. The authorities further tender their thanks to Miss Jennings, of the Hutt, who delivers a small bouquet to every patient in the Hospital once a week, to Mrs. C. Smith, of Hill-street, and her, band of lady friends, who have" sung in the corridor on one Saturday in every month for the last fifteen years; and ta all who have in any way helped to reliev6 the monotony of the patients' existence while in. the institution. i