Page:Church Seats and Kneeling Boards.djvu/16

Rh be provided for every worshipper, as well as for the sake of tidiness. Kneeling-boards are, besides, of a permanent character; and this, I submit is a very important consideration in the matter of poor parishes, and one hardly less worthy of being taken into account in others." I have not travelled (as I might easily have done) beyond the pages of the Church Builder for testimonials in favour of Mr. Butterfield's seats and kneeling-boards. They are to be found in Churches erected and restored by him in all parts of England, and I have his authority for saying that architects have his fullest permission to copy them. I would, however, offer a few words of warning on this subject. I am acquainted with an architect who, having a Church to build where he was instructed to copy these seats, thought he would introduce some improvements into Mr. Butterfield's design for them, and for the kneeling-boards; but the result of the alterations proved so uncomfortable that it was found necessary eventually to restore them to Mr. Butterfield's proportions at a cost of £11. It is, in my opinion, desirable to avoid attempting to improve on a design that has been well considered, and so largely used, and that has given such a widespread practical satisfaction to those who are in earnest about kneeling. Mr. Butterfield says that one of the bad qualities of hassocks is that they are perishable. It is probably unnecessary to say a word in confirmation of this, but, in order to show that hassocks do wear out very quickly, and that in poor parishes it is difficult to get them replaced, I may mention that I recently received from the clergyman of a poor London parish an appeal for a contribution towards purchasing new hassocks; for, he said, "those which were put into the Church two years ago, are all worn out." Mr. Hoskins condemns kneeling-pads: and hassocks are of course worse. One cannot but feel, therefore, with the Incorporated Church Building Society that kneeling-boards of well-considered proportions are much to be preferred. P.S.—The rule of the Incorporated Church Building Society as regards the distance between seats is as follows:—