VICAR'S LETTER.

My Dear People,-

This month brings with it the Easter Feast, and, as you all know, the Church regards Easter as the chief of her festivals. She bids all her children be present on that day at the Sacrament of the Holy Communion, and loyal churchpeople will be glad and thankful to avail themselves of the privilege. On Easter Day there will be celebrations at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 11 a.m.

But before Easter there comes Lent and Passiontide. This year the Rev. Ronald V. Bristow, a very old friend of mine is preaching on Thursdays, and I go to his parish of St. Augustine's, at Gillingham. In Holy Week I shall be conducting the Thursday service myself, and that night there will be a special preparation service for Easter Communion.

On Good Friday, the morning service will be at 10.30 a.m., not at 11 a.m. I have to make this alteration because I have promised to conduct the three-hours' devotion at Gillingham.

At night here there will be a Lantern Service in the Church if I can get the necessary slides. The subject will be "The Way of the Cross."

I have re-introduced the Stamp system in the Sunday School. Every scholar at the beginning of the year was given an album, and they get a stamp for attendance each Sunday. These stamps, which they gum in, are beautiful little pictures illustrating the Gospel for the week. The children are very keen on getting their stamp, and thus they keep a record of their attendances. The vacant spaces in the album will show how often a child has missed. If a scholar is ill, then a stamp is given.

The sympathy of all the residents of Hartlip will have gone out to Mr. and Mrs Baxter in the loss of their youngest son, Frank. His illness was very brief, and the sudden shock of loss is a very heavy burden. Frank was a high-spirited boy who was attached to his work as a gardener. Some take up work simply to earn wages. Others find their wages a secondary consideration. Frank was one of these. He was interested in horticulture, discovering in the study of plant life an engrossing pursuit. Had be been spared he would have become an efficient man at his profession, because his heart was in it.

The large number of floral tributes and letters of condolence which the parents received was a witness to the true sorrow felt in this bereavement.

Is this goes to the printer the news comes that Mr. Herbert Hales has lost his wife. They had been married for forty years. Mr. Hales has been a benefactor in numerous ways to this parish, and we express our sincere sympathy to him and his family.

Yours sincerely,

CECIL G. MUTTER.

BAPTISM.

Feb. 28th - Joan Lilian, daughter of Thomas Edwin and Lilian Edith Clout.

MARRIAGE.

Feb. 6th - Charles Medhurst to Joan Fisher Cooper.

BURIALS.

Feb. 6th - William Black, aged 85 years.

  "  10th - Frank Eric Baxter, aged 18 years.

THE CHURCHYARD.

During the winter several improvements have been carried out. Fresh shrubs have been planted and additional roses put in. These have been provided by Mr. W. H. Luck and the Vicar. The entrance to the Vicar's garden beyond the Churchyard has been closed up, and the path will be grassed over. A new plan of the graves available has been made. This will be framed and hung up in the Vestry so that a complete record may be seen at any time. Hartlip residents are proud of their Churchyard, and its fame has gone out into the county. Not many churches have such well-kept surroundings and when one knows that the total expense for 1931 was only £11/17/8, and we think of the amount of labour involved in keeping the grass mown, etc., it is evident we owe Mr. Luck a deep debt of gratitude for his supervisition and care, also to Mr. Akhurst and P. Whitehead.

Collectors will becalling on the residents soon for subscriptions for the upkeep in 1932.

MOTHERS' UNION.

A meeting was held on February 18th, and an address given by a trained worker who came over from Teynham. The speaker proved most interesting and spoke from a wide experience. A good number were present.

Tuesday, April 5th, is transferred Lady Day, because Good Friday this year falls on March 25th. So April 5th will be observed as the world-wide Mothers' Union Festival. In Hartlip there will be corporate Communion at 6.30 a.m. and at 10, a.m. Members please note the time and date. On this Tuesday there will be a big M.U. gathering in Sittingbourne, when Canon Sopwith, of Maidstone, will be the speaker.

Our own Branch will have their next meeting on the Thursday following, that is April 7th. It will be in the Church; tea afterwards in the Vicarage.

G.F.S.

The menbers and candidates meet regularly at Roseneath. The G.F.S. is a Society of grown-ups, and we want the older ones to continue their membership. Then the younger ones and candidates might meet separately. Miss E. Donaldson is the Hartlip Secretary, and would give further information.

An entertainment is being arranged for Friday, April 15th, in the Schoolroom. Mrs. Cook is training schoolchildren for this, and the Hartlip Band are contributing items. Fuller details will be published next month.

The Upchurch Bellringers visited our belfry on March 27th and gave us an exhibition of change-ringing.

The Hartlip sub-Branch of the British Legion have issued their balance sheet. They started the year with £11/10/1 in hand, and have closed with a balance of £12/16/6. £21/7/5 hays been expended in various ways in 1931.

We hope it may be possible to have the Annual Parish Meeting on Monday, April 4th, at 7.30 p.m.

".... every parishioner shall communicate at the least three times in the year, of which Easter to be one." - Prayer Book Rubric.'