Welsh Journals

Of the best of portions thou choice didst make When thou the high God to thyself didst take, A portion which none from thy grasp can rend, Whilst the sun and the moon on their course [shall wend. When the sun grows dark and the moon turns [red, When the stars shall drop and millions dread, When the earth shall vanish with its pomps in [fire, Thy portion still shall remain entire. Then let not thy heart though distressed, com- [plain A hold on thy portion firm maintain. Thou didst choose the best portion, again I say Resign it not till thy dying day. As a proof of the reverence in which the memory of this saintly man is still held in Llandovery, the following anecdote will testify. One morning in November, 1854 the writer was standing in the middle of the principal street of Llandovery, staring intently at a certain antique but some- what ruinous mansion. Presently a respectable- Wales at Work A Social Diary. "It has been a great satisfaction and, indeed, a surprise to me to find so many signs of progress in the Principality — commercially, industrially, socially, and educationally. Wales gives unmistakable signs in every direction of going steadily forward. No one can foreshadow the extent or the nature of the contribution which she will make to the world when, as the years go by, the full efforts of her awakening in so many respects will be garnered in. —Mr. James J. Davis, the Secretary of Labour of the United States Government in the Western Mail, August 8th, 1923. Wales was opening its eyes to see the best in the literature and the music of the world. They need not fear that they would be swamped, for every bird had its own song, though they joined in a great chorus. The great need of the present day, how- ever, was to see that the culture was spread among the democracy. The Eisteddfod was the university of the people, but its colleges were the weekly literary and competitive meetings up and down the country, and the board of examiners were the adjudi- cators of the Eisteddfod. The pulpit and the Eisteddfod, the Sunday School and the literary meeting, the poet, the musician, the artist, the preacher, and the literary man should co-operate to bring the higher culture within reach of the great body of the democracy.— Principal Prys, of Aber- ystwyth, at the Mold Eisteddfod. NATIONAL. The National Eisteddfod at Mold more than main- tained the traditions of our greatest national festival. In connection with the Eisteddfod meetings were held of several old and of some new societies THE WELSH FOLK SONG Society. It was reported that the membership is now 316. Lady Herbert Lewis, the hon. secretary, said that dur- looking farmer came up and was about to pass, but observing how the writer was employed, he stopped and looked, now at the writer, now at the house. Presently he said, "A fine old place, is it not, sir? But do you know who lived there?" The writer knew perfectly well who had lived at the house, for after visiting the burial place of Dafydd ab Gwilym he had walked to Llandovery, a distance of nearly forty miles from Ystrad Flur, for the sole purpose of seeing the house. Wishing, however, to hear what the man would say, he turned a face of enquiry upon the farmer, whereupon the latter advanced to- wards him two or three steps, and, placing his face so close to his that his nose nearly touched his cheek, he said in a kind of piercing whisper, "The Vicar." Then, drawing his face back he looked the writer full in the eyes as if to observe the effect of his intelligence, gave two nods as if to say, "He did, indeed," and departed. The Vicar of Llandovery had then been dead about two hundred years. (Concluded.) ing the year lectures had been given by Dr. Mary Davies, Mr and Mrs Gwyneddon Davies, Dr. Lloyd Williams; Mr Philip Thomas had done excellent ser- vice in the schools of Wales. A bouquet was presented to the President of the Society, Dr. Mary Davies, in celebration of her fiftieth eisteddfod. WELSH UNIVERSITY UNION. The Rev Herbert Morgan. M.A., the retiring presi- dent, raised the question as to the future of the Union. One meeting a year in a crowded eisteddfod week hardly gave the Union a chance of doing the work intended when the Union was formed. Three courses appeared to be possible (1) to become a purely social re-union body; (2) amalgamate with the guild of graduates or (3) make such changes as would give them real oppor- tunities for the serious discussion of Welsh problems. The matter was referred to a committee for report, and Professor Miall Edwards was elected president-Miss Margaret James and Miss F. J. Williams being re- elected secretaries. WELSH BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. A reception to the members of the W.B.S. was given by Sir Herbert and Lady Lewis. Sir Vincent Evans took the chair at a meeting, when Miss Magdalen Morgan, M.A., of Swansea, urged the necessity of providing Welsh books for children. Miss Morgan pleaded for picture books of higher character and books of adventure for boys and girls without the "moral- ising which possibly was one of the after-effects of puritan influences. Professor Henry Lewis commended Mr Lewis Davies' tales of adventure for boys-the tales which had captured the prize at the eisteddfod Llew Tegid urged the publication of old Welsh ballads. Sir John Williams was re-elected president of the Society, Sir Vincent Evans chairman of the Council, Mr D. Rhys Phi lips of Swansea the hon. secretary, while Mr John Ballinger succeeds Principal J. H. Davies as editor. GORSEDD Musical BOARD. The new Gorsedd Musical Board held its first meet- ing at Mold The Gorsedd Recorder, Mr Beriah Evans who attended on behalf of the Gorsedd, explained that the function of the Board was to advise the Gorsedd authorities-the supreme authority on all eisteddfodic! matters.