EXTRAORDINARY RELIGIOUS SPECTACLE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1812, 11 April 1888, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY RELIGIOUS SPECTACLE.

The " London Daily News " Baya : — The vioar of tha Ohuroh of tha Ascension Lavender Hill, the Key 0. S. Wallace, marked the expiring days of the old year by the representation of a series of Scripture events by a number of ' sacred tableaux,' constituting as it were a Bible lesson illustrated with living *figcr 8 On the two occasions m the last' week of December the school-room adjacent to the ohurch wbb crowded by ticket-holders. The representation was entitled 'The Desire of AH Na lons/ and oonßisted of 14 tableaux, supported by certain members of the congregation robed In appropriate dceßEea. The platform, which was fitted up as a Biage, w&b veiled from the fall g£Z3 of the audience by » filmy gauze ourtaln, m add ton to tha lisa 1 drop aoene and the wholol light of the room was concentrated npon it. Daring each scene the vioar read passages of BC-lpture explanatory and desoriptlve of the tableau ptesented ; and, while the curtain waa down, a pealra, and, m the case of ' The Annunciation,' ' Aye Maria/ from the ' Christian Year,' were Boftly sun" by the choir, The first scene represented the expulaion from Paradise, and tho central figures, Adam and Eve, clad m sklna, assumed a sorrowful and downcast attitude, while the angel holding a fiery s<irord, pointed the way out, of the Garden of Edea to them. The serpent was shown amidst the troptoal plants m the foreground. Next came the birth of Isaac, and Abraham, In the hall of an Eastern palace, taking the newly-born infant from the hands of his Bervant Hagar ; and Ishmnl and attea dants In Oriental ooatames, filled np the picture. The third tableau represented the deathbed of Jacob, surrounded by his sons. The dying patriarch was m the act ' of blessing Jadah j Balaam m sacerodotal nbes, biasing Israel m the presence of King Balak. The next scene waa effective, the encampment of the Israelites forming the background. The remaining Old Testament t&bloaax were the anointing of David by the prophet Samuel, I,aJ a h before King Ahaz, and the appearance of the angel Gabriel to Daniel announcing the coming of the Maaelah. The New Testament aoenes were equally realistic The angel Gabriel, holding a Uly iv his left hand, appeared to the Virgin Mary, who was discovered In the atthude of prayer. Then came the visitation of the Virgin Maty to her oodbld Elizabeth, accompanied by the singing of the Magnifioit. The next tableau, cf the angels singing over the fields of Bethlehem and delivering their good tidings of great jny was one of the prettiest and beat aoenes. The nativity, with the child Jesus m tho manger, and the worshipping ehepheids followed. Then oame the presentation m the temple, where Simeon took the Holy Child m his arms, Herod consulting the chief priests and Poribeß as to the prophesied birth of a King, and the adoration of the who men, wore the lest tableaux.