VALEDICTORY ENTERTAINMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1775, 24 February 1888, Page 2

VALEDICTORY ENTERTAINMENT.

Laat night the members of the vestry and choir of St Stephen's Ohuroh, with a few of their friends, met ln the Ohuroh schoolroom to say farewell to Mr and Mrs E. Dimant. who are shortly leaving this town to take op their residence m Lawrence, Otago Th_ proceedings took the form of a social gathering, and for this purpose the room bad been very carefully arranged and daoorated by the members of the choir, who had originated the gathering, Mr and Mrs Dimant on their arrival were moat oordially reoelved. During the earlier part ot the evening Itema of music were given by the oholr"; After ref reahmohta had been nerved tv Inoumbent, tho Rev E. A. Saott, said tlfl it fell to hia lot to fulfil a duty that wafll both pleaaaat Bnd painful. It waa a pleasure to him to see honor done to one to whom honor was most f ally dae, bat it was a matter of vary real pain to him, aa well as to many others, to know that they were very eoou to aay farewell to Mc and M.B Dimant, Mr Dlmant's olobb union with the Church had not been a very long one, but In conneotiun therewith two thinga had baen impressed upon him (Mr Scott) very strongly, one was the amount of usefulness of whioh the sealous man ia capable, and the other, the great value of reliableness. Mr Dimant waa an example of both. Hla inflaenca for good had been felt both within and without the Ohuroh, and he (Mr Scott) fonnd m him one upon whom be could rely impliohely lo carry oat thoroughly anything tbat he might undertake. It waa no wiah of hia to otter words of fl.ttery. Mr Dimant knew moat about hla feelings bat he muat allcfV otbera to be the be.t judges of his merits. Mr Soott then read and handed to Mr Dimant an address (later on to be handsomely framed) algoed by the Vestry and Oholrmen, testifying to the very general regret at the loss whioh the ohuroh and town were sustaining by tho departure of Mr and Mra Dimant and expressing sincere hopes for their future happiness and prosperity. Mr Dimaut reipouded m a particularly felloitona speeoh, acknowledging In warm terms the kindness whioh had been shown him that evening.

Mr Paul on behalf of the choir, anjri Sergeant Felton on that of the vestry etcfl spoke a few words expressive of regret oj losing Mr Dimant and of their bee? wiahea for hla future wellfare. After the rendition of a few musical Itema, the singing of the "Nunc Dlmlttls" and the Benedlotlon, pro. nouneed by the Rev E. A, Soott, brought a very pleasantly spent evening to a olose.