CHRISTMAS SERVICES

Evening Star, Issue 18158, 26 December 1922, Page 9

CHRISTMAS SERVICES

Special Christmas services were held m First Church on Sunday. The Rev. G. H. Balfour occupied the pulpit, preaching in the morning on 'Glad Tidings’ and l in the evening on ‘Peace.’ Solos were sung by Miss Phyllis West and Messrs Stewart and M'Kechnle, and, in Dr Galway’s absence, the organ l was played l by Miss P. Westland, A.T.C.L. > Mr Balfour 'expressed the congregations gratification that their organist had been successful in Ida examination for the doctorate of music at the University of Melbourne. After the evening service the Young Women’s Club, under the leadership of bliss G. Thomson, prepared 150 floral sprays for personal distribution to the patients in the hospitals on Christmas morning. On Sunday night about sixty-five of the Dunedin Hospital nurses, led by Miss Nosworthy (acting matron), and the sisters, marched in procession through the different wards, singing, carols and Christmas hymns. Each .'carried a lighted candle,* and the sisters wore bide with red military capes, and as they stood in two lines along the wards the spectacular effect was striking. The singing (unaccompanied) was greatly appreciated by the patients. After singing two pieces in each ward the nurses concluded) by singing in the big entrance hall and to the patients tn isolation.

The four choirs ol the Patients amid Pri- 1 sonera’ Aid Society gave Christmas programmes at the Hospital, at the Seacliff and Waitati Mental Hospitals, the James Powell Pest Home, and) the Wakairi Hospital. In the Sailors’ Rest on Christmas night a meeting was held for the benefit of the crews of the vessels in port. About sixty seamen sat down to a tea provided by the ladies connected with the Rest. After they had enjoyed the meal a season was spent in hymn-singing and speaking. Mrs Inglis (familiarly known as the mother of the Rest) and Mr H. H. Driver (hon. secretary of the local branch of the British and Foreign Sailors’ Society) extended to the men a warm welcome to the Rest, and assured them of the pleasure all the workers felt in entertaining the men and making them feel at home when Guy were so far from their homes. Evangelistic addresses were delivered by the Revs. Guy Thornton and 11. H. Knowles Kempton and Messrs A. H. Heyoock and D. L. K. Walker. Mr W. Buchan, the honorary missionary, conducted the meeting, and interspersed the items with appropriate remarks, which set the seamen at their ease. Solos were rendered by Mr Coppin and Miss Dorothy Row (of Wanganui). Before the meeting closed a Christmas gift was presented to each seaman in the form of a “ditty bag” containing! a Now Testament and various useful articles.