The Bucks Standard, September 28th 1895

HARVEST FESTIVAL. Thanksgiving services for the ingathering of the harvest was celebrated at SS. Simon and Jude’s Church, on Friday evening, September 20. The sacred edifice had been very prettily decorated by Mrs. Whiting, Mrs. Powell, and Misses A. and J. Gregory, Varney, Compton and others, and presented a most bright appearance. The service was exceedingly hearty. The anthem, “I will lift up mine eyes,” was nicely performed, the solo being taken by Mr. S. Gregory, and the vocal duet by T. Gregory and E. Powell. A very earnest sermon was preached by the Rev. J. Carter Brown D.D., an old curate of Hanslope and Castlethorpe, from Isaiah ix.3. he pointed out that joy not gloom was one of the truest marks of a real Christian. He further showed how much there was to check joy here, and contrasted the joy of the Christian on this world with the everlasting joy of heaven, where there as permanence and stability. The offertory, which amounted to £1 5s.5d., was devoted to the cleaning and decorating of the Carrington School. The services were continued on the following Sunday. The congregations throughout the festival were very good, the church being full both on Friday and Sunday evenings. The Sunday morning and evening offertories, amounting to about £2 14s. 1½d., were devoted to the Northampton Infirmary. The total offertories amounted to £4 7s 2d.