Hartlip Parish Magazine - October, 1919.

Dear Friends,

The Annual Sale for Funds connected with the War, on Oct. 1st, will be a past event ere you can possibly receive this.

Sunday, Oct. 12th, is fixed for our Harvest Thanksgiving, by which date we ought to be able to sing "All is safely gathered in." By fixing this date, I was fortunately able to secure, as the evening preacher, that highly gifted Canon-Residentiary of Rochester Cathedral, Canon Denham, who has most kindly helped me before. At 11 a.m. the Rev. J. A. Finch will preach.

Our offertories will be given, as usual, to St. Bart's Hospital, Rochester, a very well-ordered Institution whose doors are ever open; and certainly Hartlip has benefited thereby. Therefore I trust we shall do our utmost on the 12th for St. Bart's, which is indeed "a friend in need," to Hartlip and the wide district around.

Now, picture the Foreign Mission Field, where Hospitals were and are unknown until the advent of the MEDICAL Missionary, who soon gets hosts of patients; and the little Hospital he, or she, starts (by means of British donations) is very soon crowded out by folk who travel fabulous distances. So each year our children collect "Thank-offerings for Health," on or about St. Luke the Physician's Day, Oct. 18, which are in aid of MEDICAL Missions abroad. Let your gratitude extend to such, when the little folks call upon you, by giving a token of how you value health.

Europe is still far from being a place of peace especially is this so in Russia; but there are signs that the Bolshevists - the murderers and women sellers and opponents of religion - are waning; and that the best Russians together with their Church will yet be saved, and rebuilt on a broad and sound Christian basis; for this every one of us should daily pray.

To come nearer home, what of Ireland, that land of inherited discontent, and perchance misrule? So UNLIKE the rest of these islands; so apt to rejoice in a row; very impressionable, easily led in the wrong direction, hence the apparent culpability of the Roman Church and Sinn Fein, especially in not condemning, with no uncertain voice, the atrocious

murders, which they might have checked. The Irish people, as also Our King and his Councillors should be included in our daily prayers, that a right judgment may be granted to them, and a solution found for a just settlement.

A word about the cost of our magazine. The Printers notified me that the rise in price actually means £3 extra by December. A few of you paid 2d. for August and September. Well, the price is 2d. now to all, but if every cottage had paid this extra ½d. from July, as you will do on to December, that would realise 3s. 4d. monthly, or £1 extra by December. But the extra cost is £3. May I ask each reader to do what they can to help to meet this extra cost, as I have stated the plain facts of the case to you? For I am sure many of you are quite prepared to help when you know the necessity.

As regards the War Memorials, I trust the "Parish Cross" is securing the support it requires. The "Church Porch" Fund receives occasional half-crowns, quite unsolicited.

A small plan of the scheme will soon be ready and hung up, probably in the porch, after which it may be well to invite subscriptions towards the work to be done, for fear prices of materials and labour rise further; and any delay in this respect would be a penalty in the shape of higher cost for the undertaking.

Your faithful friend,

J. SMEDLEY McMILLAN.

CALENDAR.
Oct.1-Sale of Work in Vicarage garden at 2.30 p.m.
"11-Decorating the Church, 10 a.m.
"12-Harvest Thanksgiving:
8 and 12 - Holy Communion.
11 - Preacher, Rev. J. A. Finch, Vicar of Bredhurst.
3 - Children's Thanksgiving.
6.30 - Preacher, Rev. Canon Denham, Canon of Rochester Cathedral.
"13-Day Schools re-open 9 a.m.
"18-St. Luke E. 10.30, Holy Communion.
"28-St. Simon, A.M., and St. Jude, A.M. 10.30, - Holy Communion.
"31-Vigil of All Saints.