Page:The Parson's Handbook - 2nd ed.djvu/69

Rh any good church shop. They should be cemented into the wall.

Notice-boards should be kept very neatly, and this needs among other things that each corner of each notice should be pinned down with a drawing-pin. Where there are several boards, it is a good plan to keep one for notices of the week, another in a less conspicuous position for notices of a more permanent character, and another for receipts. A card for the names of the sick and departed, for whom the prayers of the congregation are desired, can hardly be dispensed with in a town parish. And at the present day it seems really necessary to post up in a prominent position the card ‘Whosoever thou art’ which is published by the S.P.C.K.

Hymn-boards are very useful, but sometimes there is not enough room on them when there are processionals or extra hymns. The day should be given at the top, so that every one can find the Psalms; and if a psalm is sung for the introit according to the First Prayer Book, it will save bother (and also the expense of introit books) if a piece of wood is provided with the word ‘Introit’ to hang over the word ‘Day,’ for the Holy Eucharist. The verger is generally the best person to look after the hymn-board.

Devotional books for private reading are an admirable institution in a church; they encourage people to make use of it, besides assisting meditation and helping to dissipate prejudice. The Bible and other books were formerly kept on a desk for folk to read; the custom of keeping books in church had come in as early as 1488, and in the seventeenth century devotional books were common in church. A small book-case may be hung near the west end, and supplied with a good selection of books, stamped with the name of the church.

Chapels are required by our Bishops, following the