Men and women of blitzed Ciydeside were on their way to church yesterday the "Greenock Telegraph" of March 24—to answer the King's call to prayer and to remember at a special service those of their friends neighbours who had died by azi bombs—when the boom of gun: once more echoed through the tragic streets, In the high distance they saw the ite puffs of bursting shells. A moment or two the churchgoers waited but no other sound or sign came. They went inside to sit in their pews. Little more than a d people had assembled in the church when the guns spoke. They waited there quietly. Many others. preparing to go to the service, had yuen Road, 23392. stopped at home.
Half a dozen ministers had joined the tiny congregation, Church of Scotland, Baptist, Congregation; all came to' take part in this church ¿nion of prayer. One of them carried his air-raid warden's steel helmet over his arm as he walked up the aisle. Another wore a civil defence worker's armlet. They were still on double duty.
Service Begins with Psalm For a short time after the arranged hour of the service the ministers and zen v pers waited. The no more sounds came from he they began their service.
As opening psalm. a prayer, and limn echoed through the church, citers who had been held up slipped in quietly to the pews. In the gai-looking cown on the little congregation. sat magistrates of the di trict in which the town is situated With them in the tribute to their was one of the Clydeside They worshipped still amid the [sians of the blitz that had brought them there. As they came to the church door. broken glass from the leaded windows tinkled among the gravel beneath their feet.
As the organ pealed, the half-dozen ministers filed in wearing their overcoats in place of robes. against the Lreeze that blew through the gaping windows. Yet the service went on in the simple, accustomed way of worship in Scotland. The minister conducted it began as on countless Sundays. "Let us worship God."
This was the way of trilite to those who had as quietly and as bravely endured. The organ led the con-Svegation into the 23rd. Psalm—"The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want..." In the church, as in SOUTHFACING big garden room, hot BLAUPUNKT radio, six tubes, all-wave, 1938 Vauxhall 14 saloon de luxe, mech-water daily.
On view 3-7, 1293/6 Vu very reasonably. Yuen Road, 23392. -7553 Yang Terrace, Room 6.
497 Weihaiw:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.