CHURCH OF ENGLAND BAZAAR.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 262, 6 October 1874, Page 5

CHURCH OF ENGLAND BAZAAR.

Some two or three months ago, it' was decided by the Church of England body in Cromwell to get up a bazaar in aid of the building fund of the church now being erected. Several of the ladies of the congregation entered into the affair with great spirit,—-notably Mrs I. Wright' and Mrs R. Kidd,—and were indefatigable in their exertions in the matter of collecting gifts for the purpose. The result was that last * eek the bazaar came off in Mr Kidd’s cqncertrhall, the affair beginning on Thursday evening, when the goods were exposed .for private sale, and being continued oyer Friday.' Of course, the management, was placed in the hands of the ladies, who brought their persuasive powers to bear with such effect that in an hour or two on Thursday evening the very handsome sum of £2l found its way into their hands. Those who took the part of “ saleswomen” for B the time being, \ and exerted themselves in the way of extracting “ bawbees” from the British public, were Mesdames Preshaw, Kidd, Howe, Corse, W right, Wood, Dawkins, and Miss Masterson, and hard was the heart and tightly buttoned the pocket that could resist them. One of the methods of raising the wind was by means of a post and telegraph office, for letters and messages from which shillings were demanded with an air of authority or else of pleading that generally “fetched” the unwilling recipient of the missives.- Another method, which was the source of an unlimited amount of fun, was the exhibition, of a concealed picture, for a sight of which one .shilling was charged ; and the giver was awfully disgusted, when the covering was removed with all. the importance in the world, to find that the picture he had paid to see was but his owm reflection in a looking-glass. On Thursday, and particularly on Friday evening, when there was a better attendance, the scene in the hall was an animated and pleasing one. To attempt to enumerate the articles exposed would be a hopeless task. Me have heard a miscellaneous assortment of goods summed up as including everything “ from a rat-trap to a gentleman’s night-cap,” which must be accepted as sufficiently definite on this occasion. Some really valuable pictures were given, and many other articles, such as a gun, wedding-cake, handsome lamps, looking-glasses, &c., w r ere of considerable value.

About +en o’clock on Friday evening, a beginning was made to dispose of the remaining articles by auction, Messrs Fache and Chappie kindly giving their services for the purpose. The sale lasted until close on one o’clock, every article being disposed of. Many of the incidents of the sole,were highly amusing, such as confirmed bachelors becoming the unhappy possessors of children’s frocks, and so forth. No matter how much they might deny the soft impeachment of haying bid for the articles, the declaration of the auctioneer that he saw their wink was generally taken as sufficient, and all the unfortunates could do was to pay and look pleasant. Such incidents as these kept the interest from flagging, and no time was lost in pushing the articles off, —the gentlemen who officiated as exposers of the goods and collectors of the cash being kept briskly moving. The total monetary result of the bazaar is very close upon £l5O. The amount in hand at the close of the sale was £l3B os., and this is to he supplemented in one or two ways, so that the sum will be very little short of that first mentioned. Too much praise cannot be given to the ladies who worked so successfully in the matter. The amount received is really wonderful, and gives ample evidence of the trouble and hard work the ladies must have gone through, in their efforts to attain tire result for the bazaar so entirely satisfactory and tn much teyoai what' was espidtsd; -■ *s♦ . * :'>