County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

Births, Marriages, & Deaths. Announcements of Births, Marriages and Deaths are i r serted at a uniform charge of Is each, unless such words as No cards, No flowers' are added, when the the charge will be 2s 6d. All announcements must be authenticated. Postage stamps may be sent in payment. Lists of Wedding Presents are inserted at the rate of Is 6d perinch in depth.

I API'ONTHFATS, &c., FOR WEEK Ending Nov. 24th, 1900. Nov. Sat 17—Pontypool Petty Sessions, 11 a.m. Football—Usk v. Monmouth Grammar School, at Usk. Sun. 18—Twenty-third Snnday after Trinity. Mon. 19—Usk Cattle Market. Sale of Farming Stock at Estavarney Farm by Messrs. Marfell and Poole (See Advt.) Tues. 20—Abergavenny Market. Primrose League Dauce. Wed. 21—Newport Cattle, Cheese, & Cora Mkts. Abergavenny Petty Sessions. Thur. 22—Usk Petty Sessions. Monmouthshire Assizes.. Fri. 23.— Sat. 24-Pontypool Petty Sessions, 11 a.m. —

The fiew Under-Secretary for War, Perhaps not the least popular of Lord Salis- bury's appointments in the new Ministry is that of Lord Raglan as Under-Secretary for War —an office rendered vacant by the elevation of Mr. George Wyndham to the Chief- Secretaryship for Ireland. In Monmouthshire, where the family residence is Cefntilla Court, near Usk, aud where the present peer, his father, and his illustrious grandfather—a race of warriors—have ever been held in the highest esteem, the appointment naturally affords the liveliest satisfaction. The first Lord Raglan, a son of the fifth Duke of Beaufort, distinguished himself in the Peninsular War, and enjoyed a greater amount of the Duke of Wellington's confidence than any officer in the Army. At the close of hostilities he received a cross and five clasps for distinguished services. He was preseut at Quatre Bras, and lost an arm at Waterloo. He married a niece of the Great Duke, to whom he acted for many years as military secretary, and on the Duke's decease Lord JFitzroy Somerset was I RAISED TO THE PEERAGE I I by the title of Lord Raglan, became a privy- councillor, and was appointed Master-General of the Ordnance. In 1854 he was made Com- mander-in-Chief of the British expedition to the Crimea, and for eminent services in connection with the victories of Alma and Inkermaun was appointed Field-Marshal — a distinction that since the death of the Marquis of Anglesea no officer in the British Army bad enjoyed as a reward for actual services-our only Field- Marshals having been H.R.H. Prince Albert., and His Majesty the Kincjof the Belgians. His lordship died in the Crimea on June 28th, 1855, and his remains were interred in the family vault at Badminton, the funeral pro- cession extending for nearly two miles. His eldest son having died of wounds received at the battle,of Ferozeshah, 1845, he was succeeded by his second sou, the Honourable Richard Henry Fitzroy Somerset, father of the present earl, who, at the United Service Institution, White- hall, was presented with the title deeds of Cefutilla, or Fairfax Estate, as au ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE ESTEEM in which his lamented father was heJD by his country. The second Lord Raglan was private secretary to the King of Hanover, tord-In-wait- ing to the Queen, and Captain of the Gloucester Yeomanry Hussars. He died suddenly in London, and was succeeded by his eldest son, the new Under-Secretary, who was born in 1857, was page of Honour to the Queen, joined the Grenadier Guards in 1876. served in the Afghan War in 1879 and 1880 as orderly officer to Major General Sir R. Phayre, and was mentioned in despatches for valuable services in the relief of Kaudahar. In 1883 he acted as A.D.C. to Sir James Fergusson, Governor of Bombay, and after leaving the Army served with the Militia as Major and Hon. Lieut. Col. of the Royal Monmouthshire Eugineers. His lordship has always been 1. DEVOTED TO THE ARMY, and has hitherto shown great ability in military matters, and we may therefore safely look fotward to his furthering those urgent reforms which experience has proved desirable in the system of the War Office department. We heartily congratulate his lordship upon his new appointment.

Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, at Dundee. In opening the new Liberal Club room at Dundee on Thursday, Sir Henry said it was the merest calumny to say Liberals were indifferent to Imperial interests, but those who had drunk recently of the sparkling wine of 1900 Imperialism appeared to him to lose their heads. As to the leadership, they would all welcome Lord Rosebery back. He (Sir Henry) did not know why he ever left the party, but he was sure that if Lord Rosebery ever did again assume the Liberal leadership the party must be a whole party. According to the London correspondent of the Scotsman, Lord Rosebery has determined to resume a responsible role in politics. He is, it is stated, to strike out an original line, and will be unencumbered by anything in the nature of Newcastle or other faddist programmes.

The Restoration of Usk I Church. I Opening of the Organ. I ELOQUENT SERMON BY THE VEN". W. CONYBEARE BRUCE. I ORGAN RECITAL BY MR. G. G. BE ALE, MUS. B. HISTORICAL SKETCH. I To those who delight in antiquarian research the Usk district offers many attractions. If the ancient stones of Usk Castle, Church, Priory, and Religious Houses could hut have tongues aud speak what a story th?y could unfold All of these monuments left of our forefathers' faith and work have offered themselves and been accepted as absorbing subjects for the pen of the student of archaaology there is, therefore, little or nothing new to add, perhaps. But the temptation to again allude to the history, known and implied, of the Church at this time of its restoration is irresistible. To treat of the Church and leave the Priory unmentioned, would be to endeavour to separate the inseparable, and pleasant it is to find that. in these latter days the connection is, as of old, maintained, although in a manuer differing. All authorities seem to unite in the opinion-and it is borue out by structural appearances even now —that the Church, dedicated to St. Mary, was originally an early Norman Church (built soon after the Conquest), of cruciform shape, the tower being central and carried on four arches of the crossing. Choir and transepts have long since been demolished. but there remain the south wall of the nave, with massive south-western buttresses of early type, a portion of the west wall of the north transept, and the very fine central tower-one of the few early Norman examples remaining in the diocese-with its circular, angle stair turret, approached from the north tr -.sept. The groining over what is now the ehancel, is carried upon angle corbels, and is of distinctly early Norman type. From documentary evidence it appears that the Priory of Benedictine Nuns was founded about 1135, and that subsequently considerable alterations were made to accommo- date the parishioners as well as the conventual establishment. Then it was, presumably, that the north aisle was built for use as the Parish Church, while the original building was reserved for the nuus. The arcade was introduced at the same time, the eastern pier differing from the rest, and forming the line of demarcation between the Conventual and Parochial Churches, Abutting against this pier is the rood screen of carved probably taking the place of ail burlier structure. Ttie arcade is of transitional Norman, or very early English type, and consists of four obtusely pointed arches carried on circular piers and responds, with moulded ctps and plain splayed bases. During the latter part of the 15th century-in the Perpendicu- lar period-the general appearance of the Church was again changed. It was then that the two beautiful porches, with their groined roofs, niches, and carved bosses were added, with the three south nave and three north aisle windows. It has been conjectured that the arms on the north porch, surmounted with an Earl's crown, belonged to Richard Strongbow, Earl of Striguil (Chepstow) aud Lord of Pembroke, the founder of the Priory. At this period the floor of the Church was raised, or there were two steps down from the inner porch doors to the nave level, tie the bases of the Norman I and 13th centnry piers are 12 inches below the present floor. In 1844 the nave was considerably lengthened, and accommodation for 344 additional seats obtained. Biick groining, supported by cement corbels, was introduced above the Norman arches of the crossing cement bases were placed round the arcade and tower piers, and probably at this time the square-cut sound holes were pierced on either side of the belfry windows. The disfiguring embattled white-brick parapet' was added to turret and tower at a later date. From an architectural point of view it was unfortunate that the transepts and choir were not re-built instead of the nave being lengthened west- wards, which destroyed the original proportions of the fine old edifice. It was then that a gallery extending along the north side of the church was taken down, and that a wall at the east end was demolished, disclosing to view the Norman arches, to which reference already be<m made, and which now form thêëhance1 It was ih 1875 that the organ was removed from the gallery formed in 1814, at the western end of the Dave, to the position now occupied by its unique successor. In a circular asking for support for the Restora- tion Fusd, the OJmmittee-who have worked so succe,isfully for the past 18 months or more- pointed out that the tower is fast falling into decay, in fact, so much so, that should its reparation be deferred, the necessity of introducing new masonry will, in a great measure, detract from the feeling of the old work, which is now practically in its entirety. It is their intention to remove the brick groin, cement corbels, and brick parapets, thereby leaving the tower in its original form. The Committee have retained the valuable services of Mr G. E. Halliday, F.R.I. B. A., the well-known architect and diocesan surveyor for Llandaff, under whose personal supervision the work already doue has been carried out. With regard to the future restoration of the Choir and Transepts, Mr Halliday says I have no doubt, that if careful investigations are made, sufficient data will be fortheoininx to enable the choir, and, at any rate, the North Transept, to be restored on their original ground plan, and I sincerely trust that those who have the guidance of this section of the restoration will adopt a simple Early Norman treatment in lieu of any elaborate adaptation of a later style." THE WORK DONE. The proposal of Mr. Rickards to purchase the old cathedral organ led to practical steps being taken, some 18 months ago, to restore the Church. A portion-the inner portion-of the work has been practically completed, and a gratifying transforma- tion effected. The Church is now as near as possible as it was in the 15th century. The ceilings of lath and plaster have been removed and panelled oak substituted (with carved and gilded bosses in the case of the north aisle) the walls have also been stripped of their coating of plaster (revealing beautiful Norman stone work) and pointed by local workmen in a highly creditable manner. The arcade has been similarly freed from plaster and cement and sham moulding. Several of the windows have also been seen to, four new ones having been put in, one cn the north, two on the south side, and one at the west end of the north aisle. All are of cathedral glass. The west window was previously in a dangerous condition and had to he propped up. It has now been totally restored. The armonial bearings (stained glass) in it are, with the exception of those of the See of Llandaff and of the Town of Usk, taken from the carved frieze which formerly surrounded the Refectory of the Priory, whence it was removed to Cefn Tilla, where it no w is. They were borne by various benefactors to the Order to whom, up to the time of the Dissolu- tion, in the reign of Henry VIII, the Church and Priory belonged. They are as follow (viewed from the interior, left to right):— Upper row: 1, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancas- ter, from whom the Beaufort family spring 2, Troutbeck; 3, See of Llandaff 4, Fleur de Lis of France, borne by the Tudor Kings; 5, The Percy. Lower row: Jocelyn de Louvaine; 2, Clare, Earls of Gloucester and Lords of Usk, founders of the Priory; 3, Town of Uek 4, Somerset; 5, borne by Henry V. [The other stained glass windows in the Church are the presentation window to the late Vicar (Rev S. C. Baker), dedicated on the 18th Dec., 1889; the commemorative window of the Portreeve and Bur- gesses, 1880 the family memorial window given by Mr H. W. R. Greatwood; and the small east end window.] New choir stalls have also been erected at the expense of Mr. Rickards. In removing the old ones, an old atone to the memory of WATTE R IONES DECEASED THE 14TH DAY UF FEBRVARY 1656" was totally uncovered, of which before only the Tudor rose and five lines were visible. The lighting arrangements have been altered, and call for further improvement. An old doorway at the east end of the north aisle has been re-opened, and is now used by clergy and choir to enter the Church from the vestry. Con- siderable work was necessitated to properly accom- modate the orgau in its present position, and this was done after its arrival from Llandaff on Aug. 20th: DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGAN. I It is now generally known that the instrument erected in Usk Church was the grand old organ which for so many years did excellent service in the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Llandaff, and that it was acquired by Mr. R. Rickards, of the Priory, Usk, for E250, for presentation to the Parish Church of St. Mary, Usk, in connection with the restoration of that sacred edifice. The work of taking down and re-erecting the organ was entrusted to Messrs. W. G. Vowles and Co., organ builders, of 3, St. James's-square, Bristol, and occupied about three months. The instrument was thoroughly over- hauled, and had to be adapted to its new position at the east end of the north aisle of St. Mary's. The old mechanism of the pedals has been thrown out and tubular pneumatic action has been substituted, which is a great improvement. The following is a description of the really grand specimen of the ''king of instruments." Double C to F (54 notes) is the range of the key boards, of which there are three. The Great Organ contains the following stops :— Bourdon, 16ft.; Open Diapason, 8ft.; Gamba, 8ft. Stop Diapason, 8ft. Principal, 4ft. Flute Harmonic, 4ft.; Twelfth; Fifteenth; Mixture, 4 ranks trumpet, 8ft. Swell Organ :—Double Diapason, 16ft. Open Diapason, 8ft.: Keraulophon, 8ft. Stop Diapason, 8ft.; Principal, 4ft.; Fifteenth, 2ft.; Mixture, two ranks Cornopean, 8ft.; Oboe, 8ft.; Clarion, 4ft. Choir Organ :—Double Diaoason, 16ft. Spitz Flute, 8ft. Dulciana, 8ft.; Clarinet Flute, 8ft.; Gemshorn, 4ft.; Flute, wood, 4ft.; Piccolo, 2ft. Clarinet, 8ft. Stop Diapason Bass, 8ft. Pedal Organ :—CCC to F (30 notes) :-Open Diapason, 16ft.; Bourdon, 16ft.; Principal, 8ft.; Trombone, 16ft. Accessories -Gi-ent to pedals, Swell to pedals, Choir to pedals, Choir to Great, Swell to Choir, Swell to Great, Blower signal. Composition Pedals:—Two pedals Great to pedal, on and off: four combination pedals to Great, and two combination pedals to Swell. It was at first thought that the organ would be too powerful for the Church, but as the acoustic properties of the building are not of the best, this has not been found to be the case. The people of Usk have every reason to be grateful for and to be proud of the organ, of which,without fear of contradiction, it may be said that it is better now thau wheu it was last heard within the sacred precincts of the principal Church of the Diocese. The organ builders and their staff fire to be congratulated on the successful results of their work, and the parishioners on possessing an instrument of such magnificeufe range, tone, and power-a unique and valuable possession ill a C hurch historically rich. THE VIOES. The Thanksgiving Services on Wednesday werd as fotb IV -Chor,tl Celebration, 8.30; Matins, 11.30 Organ Recital, 3 p.m.; Evensong, 7.30. There were 5G communicants at the first service, at which the Vicar (the Rev. P. L. C. Naikh), the Curate (Rev. E. W. W. Pugh), and the Rev. Duckett (Taunton) officiited, the Rev. G. M. Williams (rector of Llanllowell) being also present. Mr. W. Martin presided at the organ, the surplioed choir attended, and the hymns sung were NOd. 337, 322, and 179, A. and M. At Matins, the clergv present included those named above, with the Ven. W. Conybeare Bruce, Archdeacon of Monmmth; Rev. Canon Harding, R.D, Rock field; Rev. W. J. O. Lindsay, PL D., Rev. H. J. Bates, Llanvair Kilgeddin Rev. Herbert Addams- Williams, R.D., Llangibby; Rev. A. Hogan, R.D., Abergavenny Rev. W. A. Downing, Caerwent Rev. C. Carne Williams, Wolvesnewton; Rev. C. M. Perkins, Raglan Rev. Joshua Evans, Pontypool; Rev. J. E. Dunn, Griffithstowa Reiv. C. H. Fardell, Llandenny Rjv. F. Dudley, Over- Monnow Rev. F. W. Clark-3, Rev. Henry Davies, Llanhennoc; Rev. R. Jones, Poutnewydd; Rev. C. T. Salusbury, Treduutiook; Rev. J. D. Evans, Panteg; Rev. J. W. Ward, Liantirnam Rov. W. Jones, Llansoy; Rev. Rickards, Dixton; Dr. Valpy French, &c. Mr. G. G. Beale, Mus. B., organist of Llandaff Cathedral, presided at the organ. The service commenced with the pro- cessional hymn, "Angel voices ever singing" (550 A. and M.), and the musical portion was subse- quently as fullows -Hyinns-166 and 308 anthem. The Lord is in His holy temple," by Caleb Simper; Venite; Special Psalms, cxlviii., cl.; Te Deum (Henry Smart) Benedictus (Barnbv) responses, Tallis. The singing throughout was excellent, and the choir are to be congratulated upon their efficiency. The Rev W. A. Downing intoned the first part of the service, the Rev. H. A. Williams read the First Lesson (2 Chron., xxix., 25), and the Rev. Canon Harding the Second (St. Luke, xix., 37). The Ven. W. Conybeare Brues, who was the special preacher, also offered the dedicatory prayers, and pronounced the Benediction. There was a large congregation. THE SERMON. I The Ven. W. Conybeare Bruce took for his text Psalm cl.. 4; "Praise him with stringed instruments and organs." In the course of an eloquent discourse he said: -We lay to-day two gifts at the feet of God, Who having, as we humbly trust, first inspired them, will surely bless them henceforward to His honour and glory, and to the spiritual edification of His people in this parish. Of these two gifts, that which claims the first notice is the partial resto ratio ii-aii instalment of a more complete and thorough restoration in years to Gome—of your most beautiful and ancient Parish Church. You are giving back to God to-day, in a special act of thanksgiving, a Church which for many years to come will bear witness to the Christian ZEAL AND FAITHFULNESS of this your generation, even as it bears witness in the obvious traces of many previous restorations, to the zeal and piety of former generations. We have no trustworthy information of the dates or circumstances of these successive restorations, but they silently preach to us their own sermous in stones" of which we shall do well to take heed to-day. That which has been will be. Even as we to-day are celebrating the restoration of the work of builders and repairers of bygoue years, so in a coming year, though generations hence, will the faithful of this parish take in hand the restoration of that which to-day looks so solid and so lasting. The law of all healthy life is not continuity but renewal. There is ever so much waste to be counteracted by so much supply. It is so in the physical life. The ceaseless, relentless operation of the law of waste tells on the strongest and most vigorous frame gradually, but surely, it yields to the great physical law expressed by St. Paul in the words" The outward man perishes." Well, says St. Paul, in effect, Let it perish What if it does perish? The waste is more than compensated. Each expenditure of the outward man sets free so much of the iuward man progressively and at last finally. The outer life that we see is for ever building up the inward life that we do not see, but which is the real life. NOTHING IS EVER REALLY LOST, nothing thrown away, for each and every part of the outer frame, in the act of perishing releases the, deathless principle. What are these bodies of ours but the scaffolding which is taken down and broken up as soon as the perfect building, around which they were temporarily raised, has been pronounced complete by the Great Architect? And that which is true of the body is true of everything which is of the earth, earthy, for God Who made the body, and gave it is twr-fold life, built tho whole visible frame of things, and subjected it in its every part to the same law. Everywhere in His creation He has set types of this great truth. It is one of these types, and a striking and suggestive one which this often- restored House of God presents to us to-day. making it the text of its silent but eloquent sermon. It preaches to us of waste and renewal, not as a depressing and saddening theme, but rather as full of consolation and encouragement. Decay may be arrested—the waste may be repaired-it cannot be averted. Even to-day the law of waste, of dfcayr has, however, infinitesinaaUy begun to declare itself. The outward man of tftfs Church. to-day restored, must once again perisfc. It is perishing. A few centuries hence, more or less, and, failing human intervention, it will crumble to decay, Ev»ry month, every year, the restored building will change a little, however imperceptibly, and always towards decay. Every season will leave the mark of its wasting hand upon it. Pass a few centuries, and it may be that not one stone will be left upon another. But where is the sadness of that thought to those of us who- realize that though the outward man perisheth, the inward man is renewed day by day ? WHAT IF THE OUTWARD FABRIC rBBISHEa ? Has not the inward Church, through its means,, been renewed through all past generations, day by day? There is scarcely a parish in this our country but contains the traditions, and sometime the mins, of Churches older than the existing Chtiroh--itself often of great antiquity. This f lir County of ours must in early timss have been sown thickly with Churches, thronged with worshippers. How do we in terpret the sight of these broken down altars and abandoned sanctuaries? LooV at the magnificeot pile of Tintern! Look at Llanthony! Look at those and other ruin* elsewhere which previous1 centuries have piled up. How do wi re.,td their teaching ? Do we say, Here is waste indeed, but no, renewal ? Do we argue from it a Church lacking in vigour, failing in its mission, tottering decrepit, to its downfall ? No. indeed, where others see the perished scaffolding we see the inn"r building. Where others see a dead seed we see a harvest gathered in, and looking around us, in a view which comprehends all that the law of waste has worked in the outer framework of our Church, recognizing all that the same law must bring about in the future, we wonder, not at the decrepitude of the Church, but at its increasing vigour, its marvellous; youth- fulness, as, generation by generation, we see the law of waste more than compensated by the law of renewal! You may pass to-day by some old oak tree, some monarch of a forest of bygone j'ears. It pities you to see how the life is fast waning out of trunk and branches which have withstood the storms and stress of centuries. But will you say its life has been wasted? Will you say it has not, fulfilled its mission ? IT IS ETERNALLY YOUNG in the offspring scattered far and wide through the neighbouring fields. Its outward man may b& decayed, must soon perish, but its inner life never dies. Its waste is more than counter-balanced by reconstruction. From age to age it is reproduced. In every age it lives. Are not we ourselves hero to-day living witnesses to the constant renewing of that inward life of the Church of Christ, through the expenditure of its outward life ? That inward life and energy fed and nourished by centuries ot contact with the outer life of the Church in QrJe- that it, in its turn, may in this generation. 'nv\ild up the inner life of the invisible Church dontinnously until the day of Christ. There ara times when the spectacle of the Churoh renewing her youth e- rt>riso& her moat faithful adhere»> silences all corf.' tamptuou" depreciation. This generation has wi* jessed such a revival in the outer activities and inward spirituality of the Church as would have J been deemed beyond hope or expectation a short I half century ago. And here to.day we are taking our own part in this grand onward march of the Church, and are offering to God their gift inspired by Himself, the gift of the inward life to the outward life of the Church-the gift of the Christian faith and love to the fabric which has for so many genera- tions ministered to it, that the outward life of the Church may be fitted once more for the now work God designs for it in building up the inward life of this and succeeding generations. It is a I DAY WHICH SHOULD BE AND IS MARKED by praise and thanksgiving, ani this is, indeed, a happy coincidence which enables you to-day to lay at God's feet the second gift you bring-a gift which has its own special place and function, in ministering through outward things—through the avenue of the senses-to the inward life of all worshippers in Christ's Church—a gift which fittingly leads your praises and thanksgivings to- day, without which the outward life of your Church would have been depnved of one of its most valued accessories, and a gift in itself worthy of this glorious old Church and of the Divine uses to which it will henceforward minister. "Praise Him with stringed instruments and with organs." The word "organ" is used in this test, but there was in the writer's mind no conception of such an instrument aa that now dedicated to God's service in this Church. The organ of the psalmist was simply a series of reeds upon which the performer played with his mouth. The organ of to day is a triumph of far later skill. The Christian Churches were not probably acquainted with it till the 13th cantury, and the opportunity to have organs so generally and of so high an average of excellence in our Churches is a privilege which only the last century has given to Christendom. We get our noble instrument of to-day, as we get all the richest blessings and adorn- ments of civilization, out of the benefactions of centuriea of experiment, of labour, and of devotion. "Other men have laboured, and we have entered into their labours." Let us not in this day of possession forget the labours which placed so great a poqsession within our reaoh, nor omit a speoial tribute of thanksgiving to God Who never more surely inspired human art than when He gave to human genius the power over matter, making metal and wood responsive to the inmost emotion of the artist, as sensitive to the difference of each performer's touch as if eîch performer directly breathed through the pipes. There is scarcelv a musical instrument which does not make its own distinct and peculiar appeal to the senses or to the heart of man. But THE IMPERIAL INSTRUMENT is the organ, an 1 it is the m ijesty th .t belongs to it which makes it pre-eminently the instrument for religious expression, for religious worship. How David would have rejoiced if the organ, as we know it, bad been known in his day. There was no instrument— harp, trumpet, sackbut, or psaltery—which he did not bring into the tem pie and use for the praise of God as an accompaniment aud inspiration of his Psalms. What if he could have had an organ and had been able to have such an instrument as we have here to-day while he expressed the holy passions which swept over his soul, to quicken and stimulate his creative power by means of the harmonies he wakened from the colossaL music heart of an organ. Surely, then, the Church would to-day have been richer in the possession o £ anthems like those of Handel 2,0J0 years before his day. it is a great, a grand. a priceless gift to that Church, not merely an ornament to its outer life, but a true minister to its inner life, when we have one instru- ment which belongs essentially to religious sentiment. The organ refuses to be secular. Profane use cannot; meddle with that majestic instrument. It will not; accompany the dance or the serenade, though it might go to ths battle. tieL!, or wherever genuine emotion needs to be aroused or expressed. It asks for Psalms and. Anthems and Misereres. It is the holy Nazarite» among instruments—separated unto the Lord. This second gift is, than, full of meaning and purpose. Humbly and devoutly we offer it to God's service that we may prais-i Him with the organ. Gratefully we receive* it back from His hands, praying that He may abundantly bless it in its appeal to the hearts of this and following generations of worshippers, building up alike the faith and life of the Church. Bu t MORE THAN ORDINARY INTEREST ATTACHES to the dedication in this Church of this particular organ- It has a special interest of its own--a special history of its own-apart from its intrinsic excellence. It has connections and associations which must make it ever a. prized and revered possession of this Church. It has a voice for the worshippers in this Church which will be heard and heeded through and above all other of its interblended notes. It was not without a feeling akin: to pain that the Dean and Chapter of LlandafE Cathedral consented to supersede, with one larger and more powerful, the instrument which had led the praises in the mother Church of the Diocese from the memorable day of the unique restoration of the Cathedral onwards. That organ was originally selected by one of the finest musicians and organists of our generation—the late Sir Frederick Gore OuseIey-and: it has ever since held, in the opinion of competent judges, the high repute which it won at the first. Its direct association with our restored Cathedral forms something more than an interesting link with the past- It has. also, its associations with our Diocesan Church life. It has witnessed and largely contributed to the formation and fostering of our Diocesan Choral Associa- tion, to which the Diocese owes it that there is not I think, a remote hamlet which does not practically recognise the value and importance of Church music as an essential part of Christian worship and work. The marked educational success of the association would have been impossible without a centre for the gathered choirs, such as our Cathedral affords, and without such an instrument as ours as it is now—capable not merely of leadius? the voices, but of inspiring and stimulating the lift-up hearts. We may. then, without exaggeration, place It to the record of this fine instru- ment that it has played no small part in cultivating a.