COMMUNICATED.

Dear Mr. Editor,- As a recent visitor to your charming village, and having a flare for archaeological research, I at once began making scientific enquiries from the old residents to add to my store of knowledge. I am delighted with the result and wish to make it known to a larger circle than my immediate one.

Imagine my entranced delight to find the true meaning of Hartlip was really "Kiss and be friends." In the days preceding your famous benefactress, Mary Gibbon, words were not spelt with that meticulous care that County Council Education Committees now insist upon as being correct. Hence, Heart could be spelt as Harte, Heort or Hart - seat of affection, and Lyp, Lyppe, or Lip - the impulse to demonstrate it. ("Giving at piece of lip" was the Old English equivalent to the modern French, tete-a-tete.) Plainly you see the derivation of your delightful village name. Further, I learnt that even to-day the children in school show marked traces of a desire to indulge in phonetic or free spelling, a trait, no doubt, inherited front distant ancestors and which should be given free rein. Why should they no spell Pharaoh, Fro, or Chrysanthemum Krisanthem? It was nice to find the modern word Carditis had been changed to Heart-right-is. The word possesses local affinity and leaves no doubt as to what it is meant to convey.

Then your charming cottages! "Golden Cot," next to the Post Office is an artist'sdream. The Post Office itself, with its Dutch clipped box hedges! Why take a trip to Holland when such artistry is at your very door? Pope's Hall I found had no Papistical leanings. It was little short of a horticultural college reminding one forcibly of that popular work, "Elizabeth and her Germane Garden." "Petty Place" was distinctly baffling. Petty I knew came from the Norman "Petite," but somehow this seemed incongruous. I asked who resided in this evidently Tudor Villa. My informant promptly told me, and added, "and they are such pets." In a flash I had the clue.

Your "Parsonage," also. A home of clerics? No! The nest of birds of another feather. Acquatic. (Cross-word fans will approve this note.)

"Queendown Warren" is an Elizabethan Mansion. Here it is traditional that Good Queen Bess hawked rabbits and tumbled, so the name was changed from Burning Beeches.

The new house, "Ridgeway" is so named because of the ancient Roman strata or road lying between the Church and Schools, leading to Cuckoo Orchard, a favourite promenade of Hartlip residents in olden days. Prehistoric remains have been unearthed here, and much excavation has recently been carried on in the neighbourhood, but no finds of any consequence have been discovered.

"Paradise" was beyond my informant's knowledge. True there is an exotic garden here and a "lodge of cucumbers." Paradise is an ancient Babylonian word. Yet it sounds anticipative rather than retrospective. I was told of a lady who bowed when the devil's name was mentioned, and when asked why, replied, "I have an eye to the future. You lose nothing by respect and you never know."

Perhaps your readers could supply me, through your valuable and widely circulated medium, with further details pertaining to the village. I desire to collect

additional illuminating matter which I should wish to publish in the doings of the Kent Archmaeological Society, and thus perpetuate the research began by Hasted two centuries ago.

Yours faithfully,

ANGELA TROTTER, A.F.R.A.S.

Note.- The Editor does not take responsibility for the accuracy of Miss Trotter's conclusions.

THE DAY SCHOOLS.

We publish the Inspector's annual report of his examination on religions instruction in our school: - "At the inspection of July 6th the reverence and devotion that marked the opening of school were most pleasing. The Infants' and Standard I. displayed a very good knowledge of simple Bible stories and knew their memory work well. Division I. had a good understanding of the first half of the Catechism which they had taken, and their repetition was accuaccurate. The answers that they gave to questions on both Old and New Testaments, and on the Church, made it quite clear that the religious instruction is being given conscientiously and with good results. The tone of the school is evidently excellent. - W. J. V. STEAD, Diocesan Inspector."

GIRLS' FRIENDLY SOCIETY.

The Girls' Friendly Society held a very successful sale of work and jumble, in the Vicarage garden, on Saturday, June 30th. The girls had made and got together a very creditable display of their work in pretty and useful articles, manufactured chiefly during the winter season. The girls themselves helped at the stalls and dispensed refreshments. The villagers well patronised the young people's effort. At the conclusion Scotch Reels were danced out the lawn, those taking part in this being Irene Ward, Vera Harris, Kathleen Read, Betty Twort, Winifred Kitchingham, Edith Botting, Mary Stevens, Joan Goodhew, and Lily Dixon. A collection was taken up afterwards to show the appreciation of the spectators, and this, added to the day's takings, brought the amount up to over £12. The Society has just obtained a very handsome banner worked at the Embroidery School of the Sisters of the Church at the Convent at Kilburn, and the money now raised, together with the proceeds of the very successful concert, helped by the Women's Fellowship last winter, enabled this to be paid for. It is worked on shot silk with velvet cross and lilies, with the name "Hartlip," and the G.F.S. monoogram in gold. On Sunday night it was blessed by the Vicar at the altar, the members having brought it to the church in procession. The banner was borne by Miss Alice Woodcock, and at the conclusion of evensong the Vicar preached upon the ideals and work of the Society to a large congregation.

MOTHERS' UNION.

The Quarterly Service was held in the Church on Wednesday, July 18th, when the Vicar admitted two new members - Mrs. Hope and Mrs. Styles. Afterwards the members adjourned to the Vicarage Garden for tea and cherries, following which our Hon. Secretary, Mrs. R. G. E. Locke, gave a delightful talk upon her recent stay in Malta. It was a great pleasure to admit Mrs. Hope as a new member, and many find it hard to think of her otherwise than as Miss Barbara. Owing to the rush of cherry picking many of the regular members were unable to be present. Loving messages were sent to Mrs. W. H. Luck and Mrs. Ongley in their illness.

SUNDAY SCHOOL.

A holiday will be given the scholars from July 29th to Sunday, August 26th, on which data the Sunday Catechism will be resumed.