The decorations of the Protestant Cathedral this year are finer and more elaborate than any that we have soon in Shanghai. To describe them is a matter of no small difficulty, taking into considera. tion the admirable taste and intricacy of the designs: we shall attempt, however, to give our readers a slight idea of their general effect. To begin with, it is satisfactory to observe that the chilling appearance imparted to the Cnthodral in many previous Christmases by the prevalence of white and pale-green tints does not characterise the building on the p occasion, It is difficult to understand the taste which, in the depth of winter, dictated the use of the coldest colours in existence for the decoration of our beautiful House of Prayer. This year, however, the bad precedent has been repudiated, and the Church glows with the warm, cheerful lues of right scarlet, relieved by the deep and rich green of holly and other winter shrubs. It is not an easy matter to assign the palm to any particu lay portion of the Cathedral, The font is handsomely adorned with ferns and evergreens, surmounted by a Cross and belted in with a band of pale-mauve satin, emblazoned with silver letters. The lectern, however, surpasses it in artistic grace, The pedestal 1s dressed out in moss and shrub-work, plentifully besprinkled with imitation snow, forming an excellent foil to the eagle, which, unadorned, appears perching on the top in a very natural and pleasing manner, The pulpit is richly Inden with evergreens, lining the panels, which are covered with warm scarlet; but the triumph of all is reserved for the chancel, The steps are inlaid with scarlet cloth, embroidered with appropriate texts in silver, while the rails are beautifully picked out' with crosses in scarlet and white cornelias. Along the cushion in front of the altar-rails is a bed of geraniums, cornelias, heliotropes, and nther hot-house flowers, in the richest and fullest bloom the panels at the back are filled in with scarlet surrounded by wreaths of evergreen; the altar, draped in warm-white satin richly decorated with gold embroidery, supports a. silver Cross, which is thrown into tine relief by the scarlet background, and is flanked by the monogram I H and that for Alpha and Omega silver, on either side. The general effect of all this is extremely handsome but it loses nothing when examined closely, for the work is fine and delicate in the extreme, and the flowers are of the choicest. It is certain that no richer or more beautiful decorations have been seen in Trinity Cathedral in any previous years, and ye must congratulate the ladies and gentlemen who undertook the difficult task of adornment
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.