Page 2 Advertisements Column 3

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 280, 19 December 1877, Page 2

OPENING! OF RT. ANDREWS’ PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WAVEMIiEY. The handsome new Presbyterian Church at Wavorley, is now finished, and was opened on Sabbath last, according to intimation, by the Rev 1). Bruce, ot Auckland, who preached morning and evening good and practical sermons to crowded audiences. In the afternoon there was a childrens’ service, when the Rev R. J Ailsworth (the Pastor of the congregation) addressed the Sabbath scholars in a way that thoroughly rivetted their attention. The text chosen I Timothy, iv, 8. The collections on the Sabbath amounted to T2O. On Monday evening a soiree was held, when tea was dispensed in the open air, as the evening was tine at tea time, though lain fell afterwards. This system was adopted in order not to disarrange the seats in the church for the public meeting which was to take place after tea, and, with the exception of a little annoyance to the fair dispensers caused by dust blowing about, the system answered admirably. The several tables seemed scarcely able to support the loads of good things heaped upon them for supplying the physical wants of the crowds who thronged thorn. Rich and rare fruits and flowers were tastefully and profusely arranged on the tables, calculated to gratify to the utmost the senses of both taste and sight, but those rare and good things were quite*, insignificant when surrounded by the galaxy of beauty present in the ladies who dispensed them. The tables were presided over by the following ladies: No. I—Mrs .James Dickie and Mrs W i!sou Milne. No. 2— Mrs Winchcombc and Mrs James Bowie. No. 3—Mrs Nerving and Mrs Fleming. No. 4 —Mrs John McLean and Mrs J. B. Taylor. No. o —Mrs Collins. No. G—Mrs and Miss Ailsworth. No. 7 —Mrs Howie, Mrs John Dickie, and Mrs Mathicson. The tea was artistically prepared, to the entire satisfaction of everyone present, by Messrs Wilson Milne, and James Cheyne. A number of willing young gentlemen acted as stewards. Between two and three hundred persons sat down to tea. After tea a public mooting was bold in the church, which was quite tilled in every oart. The platform was occupied by the Rev R. J. Ailsworth (Waverley), Rev J. Tony (Ilawera), and Rev D. Bruce (Auckland}-. • The meeting commenced by the singing of the 100 th Psalm, and prayer by the Rev D. Bruce. The mooting was ably presided over by the Rev R. J. Ailsworth (Pastor of the congregation) who delivered the opening