CHURCH OF ENGLAND TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12588, 24 August 1901, Page 3

CHURCH OF ENGLAND TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

The monthly meeting of the Band! of Hops in connection with Sb 'Matthew’s Parish, St Albans, was held -mi Monday evening in the schoolroom!. Mr, Gordon, honorary- secretary, in the absence of the President (the Rev H. Williams) took the chair, and the room was fairly filled with adults and juveniles;" ‘

The proceedings ‘having been opened by singing 'and) the usual office, the Chairman exhibited to the audience a silver' sixpence. He said his address this evening will be about a sixpence, a coin that we all halve seen and handled, and know at least something of its worth. It is a silver coin, and not only represents the value of sixpence, but in itself is worth that amount. A bank note may represent the value of five pound's, but the piece of paper constituting the bank note is not worth a penny. The note is of value only I>:cause the bank has promised to pay that sum) when the note is presented to them. Good Com. —There is a wonderful history attaching to this coin. . The silver ore was perhaps dug out of some Mexican silver mine with great labour and difficulty. The ore was then crushed and smelted, and the purified metal shipped, to England in bars of silver. These may have lain for years in the Bank of England, but by-anid-bya their turn came, and they were sent on to the mint. Here many wonderful .processes had 1 to be gone through. The silver was melted, and a small proportion of another metal added to randier it hard; next it is rolled, and the impression on both sides stamped; then it was cut, the edges milled, and last of all it was tested to see!if it was sound and up to weight. Then once more again It went to the bank, where;, in exchange for gold, it was' issued th thei public, and here we have it to-night. Not only is its history wonderful, hut its power is also wonderful. In the hands of those who use it wisely pt becomes a power cf good. What blessings it may convey. It can save a mam from starvation; it can alleviate the sufferings of the poor and sick, and da many other ways.. In the hands of others it may become a curse, bringing bo th evil and misery. Spent in strong drink, instead of good food, it often becomes a curse instead of a blessing. Counterfeit coin.—This coin I have in my hand happens to be a good, honest, silver coin, although it is only worth sixpence. Yet it is all that it represents itself to be. It has a genuine ring about it. There are coins, looking just as nice as this one,' having the same reading and the same imprint of the late Queen’s head, etc., but when sounded they are dull and ■ flat, and when tested by the chemist they are found not to be silver at all, but are counterfeit coin. They are worthless, and only fit to be thrown aside. Now, I think you all can see 'the difference between ‘the real thing and the counterfeit coin. Let us be genuine like the silver coin, and not professing to be something that we are not, like the had sixpence. Sixpence a Day.—That is not much, you may say, and so a great many people seem to think, for they part with thqr sixpences very easily. An old proverb says, “ A fool and his money are soon parted.” Do not let ns be avaricious and greedy, hut let us see that what wo spend is_ wisely epent. Sixpence a day in beer, 36t> days in the year, how much is that?—£9 2s 6,1. Is the money well spent? I thank not, for in return for it no equivalent value has been received. The beer has been drunk. Its effects have been bad, or at least certainly of no benefit, even if no harm has been dome. It is all gone —beer and money, too. Think of what comforts and blessings this money might have brought. _ Sixpence a day for ten years, how much is that?— £9l ss, or nearly £IOO. And yet many men, and I am sorry to say women too, think nothing of spending that amount on strong drink. And) in conclusion let me urge you all 1° ieam lesson ono sixpence would teach us, to rather spend it on food and clothing than on strong drink. This instructive address was attentively listened to and appreciated Wall present. During the evening the lollowmg programme was gone through-Pianoforte solo Nessio Bower; club ; exhibition, ill-

bert Roland;. Recitation, Charles Smith; song, Maggie Port-eons; pianoforte solo, Issie Nome; recitation, Elsie Butterfield; club exhibition, Issie Nome; recitation, bliss Cooper; »ouig, Maggie Port-eons.. During the evening 8s 6d was collected from the children in pence. The proceedings terminated by singing a hymn. PAPANUI TEMPERANCE BRASS BAND. An entertainment will be held in St Paul’s Schoolroom, Papanui, on Thursday, August 29, at 8 p.m., in -aid of the instrumental fund. A splendid programme will be , provided. Admission, one shilling; children, sixpence.