VICAR'S LETTER.

My Dear People,

Our sincere sympathy will go out to our good friend the Organist in the loss he has sustained by the death of Mrs. Grensted. Her call was sudden and unexpected, and those who mourn her will be thankful she was spared lingering pain and a long invalidism. "Mors janua vitæ" - death is the gate of life. - R.I.P.

My wife and I have had a short holiday on the Continent. We visited the famous battlefields of Belgium and Northern France. Time has softened personal grief, yet it was a sad sight to see the thousands and thousands of graves, and to think of the awful slaughter of the best of the nation's manhood cut down in the prime of life. And for what? The Canadian Memorial on Vimy Ridge is a grand and striking memorial, so is the Menin Gate at Ypres, where thousands of names are inscribed of those whose graves will never be known. It is wonderful to see the town of Ypres all rebuilt on the old lines. The glorious Cloth Hall is erected much as it was before it was shelled into ruin. The great Church of St. Martin is finished. Near it stands the English Church of St. George, built chiefly by old Etonians. Anyone visiting Ypres should not fail to visit this building.

You will be pleased to know that Mr and Mrs. Denson are better. They have both had much illness these last few months. Mrs. Woodcock also is slowly progressing. We wish them all a speedy return to health and strength.

There is little parochial news to chronicle this month.

Your sincerely,

CECIL G. MUTTER

SUNDAY SCHOOL OUTING.

This will be on Thursday, July 1st, at Sheerness. The charabanc will leave the Church gate at 3.30 a.m., and we look forward to a long day at the seaside. All are to bring their own lunches. Tea will be provided in the Memorial Hall at 4 p.m.

DAY SCHOOL.

School re-opens on July 5th, and we expect one or two new scholars. The Inspector in Religious Knowledge comes the following week for the annual examination. Mrs. Hales had to be away at the end of last term, as her husband had a serious relapse and was very ill. At the time of writing he is making progress again, and we hope improvement will be well maintained. He has had a very long and trying illness.

DISTRICT NURSE.

Miss Ashley has returned from a holiday of convalescing from her recent operation. She recovered and starts duty again on July 1st. Nurse Norman has made a good deputy. One of the good points of the County Nursing Association is that it does not let a district down if a Nurse falls ill. Our district has had a little car presented to take the Nurse on her travels. This is due, we believe, to our good friends, the Misses Kemp and Pughe, at Stockbury. It will be a great boon carrying the Nurse up and down the Stockbury and Bredhurst hills, as well as a great time-saver, thus making for greater efficiency.

SALE.

On May 29th we had a Sale in the Parish Hall. The Women's Fellowship had a stall to assist their own funds, whilst the Jumble Sale and G.F.S. stall was for the Nursing Fund. The girls had to deduct their expenses for materials bought last year for making up. This left a balance of £10/4/10, handed to Mrs. Boyall, the local Treasurer.