LORD HAMPDEN'S HARVEST HOME AT GLYNDE

That time honoured institution, the 'Harvest home' annually held at Glynde, is always looked forward to year by year by the villagers with intense eagerness, and the celebration of Saturday proved no exception to the rule. The weather was beautifully fine, and everything passed off exceedingly well. The commencement of the proceedings of the day was marked by a dinner, at which Viscount HAMPDEN, the founder of the feast, himself presided. The number of labourers and school children sitting down did not fall short of 220, and we might mention, en passant, that the dinner, , which consisted of beef-steak puddings, roast beef, and plum puddings, was excellently prepared by Mr and Mrs Foreman, butler and housekeeper. The marquee, which was erected just in front of the mansion, had been very tastefully embellished with evergreens, and at the lower end appeared the word 'Welcome', worked in red letters on a white ground. Supporting the noble Viscount were Captain T Brand, RN, the Rev W E Dalton (vicar), Mr Beaumont Nesbitt, Mr Colgate, Messrs Aylwin, Cookson, Pickard, etc, etc. The wants of the company were assiduously attended to by Lady Hampden, the Hon Mrs Thomas, Mrs Beaumont Nesbitt, Mrs Edward Ellice, the schoolmistress and her two assistants, and an efficient staff of waiters. The good things having been discussed, Lord HAMPDEN proposed 'The Queen' , in loyal and graceful terms, and the toast was duly honoured.

The Rev W E DALTON said with the permission of Lord Hampden he would say a few words. Personally, he was very glad indeed to be able to be present that day at their harvest home rejoicings. He was sure all their hearts were filled with happiness and thanks. In the first place he felt it his duty to ask as many of them as possible to come to church tomorrow and thank God for all His mercies and all His kindness to them. It was always the custom of good people, whatever religion they professed, to own that God was the giver of all, and He was to receive their thanks, their services, and their worship. In the next place he thought it his duty, and also a pleasure, to ask them to drink Lord Hampden's and Lady Hampden's health in the most hearty way. The toast did not require any recommendation from him. Placed in a position of eminence, Lord and Lady Hampden realized the duties of their position, and did their utmost to carry out those duties and responsibilities. He was sure it was a great pleasure to live under the influence of such people, and in the same parish with them. It was their duty to give them that honour and regard which was undoubtedly due to them (hear, hear). Lord Hampden's name was quite a household word throughout Sussex, and he might also say throughout England. And why was it so? Because he stood out prominently amongst great and good men in recognising the duties of the owners of land, and tried to improve the position of those who derived their daily support from the land, and because for a number of years he had tried his utmost to fulfil the duties which landed properties entailed. Passing on, the rev gentleman said he knew something of Lord Hampden's kind actions, but they knew more of them. There was not a home, or house, or family in that parish but what had been made happier, better and nobler by his means. Let them be thankful for this. He was sure his lordship's health would be drunk with all possible honour and respect, and he hoped that both Lord and Lay Hampden would be spared for many years to live at Glynde (loud applause). The toast was drunk with great cordiality and round of cheers.

Lord HAMPDEN, who was received with renewed applause, said that on the part of Lady Hampden and himself, he thanked them most heartily for the manner in which they had received the toast. He was bound to say that Mr Dalton had said a great deal too much for him (no, no); but at the same time, he could not help observing with gratitude and thanks the way in which they had received his remarks. As he looked back from year to year upon the circumstances that had passed in that parish, he was surprised at the number of changes that had taken place. The old elms which were pleasantly shading them seemed never to change, but there were so many other changes in the parish that he could not help reflecting upon them. Now today they had no less than 112 children at the tables. He hardly knew where they all came from (laughter). The progress of the parish was marked by the state of those tables; they had never had 100 children before, but this year they had 112. That was significant. But the census was coming next year, and they would know all about it (renewed laughter). Now he had a word to say about the children. He himself had a child in that parish - quite a child - in which he was particularly interested. It began life rather rickety, but within the last two or three years it had gone a little better on its legs, and he thought it was going to live now, and he hoped it would (hear, hear). He had no doubt they all knew what he was alluding to - the dairy creamery. He hoped it would remain an institution of the parish for certainly his time, and a long time to come, because he firmly believed it to be a public benefit, and if it could be carried on without absolute loss, and he could keep it on its legs, it should be a benefit (hear, hear). Proceeding, his lordship said that he did not know there was a happier day in the whole year to her ladyship and himself than that which celebrated the harvest home. Now, harvest was a very pleasant sounding word, and home was even pleasanter, and to his mind there was nothing more interesting than the combination of these two words. That year they had had a very long harvest, beginning badly and ending well, but he hoped that when they came to thresh their corn it would turn out pretty good. If he had to say a word of advice to farmers it was this, that if they had any spare cash - and he was afraid that was not the case - let them examine their balance-sheets and see where the profit came from. It did not come from corn so much as it did from meat and dairy produce (hear, hear). Let them spend any spare cash they had in that direction. They had been going on for a long time thinking of nothing else than wheat, but if anything else paid better he set wheat aside (laughter). In conclusion, his lordship assured those present that nothing would give Lady Hampden and himself greater happiness than to meet all of them from year to year, for such a time as it might please God to spare them (loud cheers).

Captain BRAND then eulogistically proposed 'The health of the Vicar', the latter briefly responding.

As his lordship left the tent the labourers gave a hearty rendering of the refrain 'For he's a jolly good fellow'. The company then adjourned to the cricket field, where eleven single men tried conclusions with a like number of those settled in domestic life. A few of the seniors, however, remained in the tent and indulged in the fragrant weed.