Items of Interest

The grounds of The Christian Science Benevolent Association Sanatorium at Chestnut Hill are now beginning to look their best. The grass and foliage are inviting, beautiful flowers are in blossom, and the many birds, which are fed throughout the winter and summer, are making cheer with their song.

The Pacific Coast Sanatorium, too, is looking most beautiful, as is reported by the Executive Supervisor, who has recently spent some weeks on the Coast in connection with his duties of supervising the two Sanatoriums and The Christian Science Pleasant View Home.

While in the West, the Supervisor gave talks at Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland, California, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, in respect to the two Sanatoriums. On his return journey he talked in St. Louis, Missouri, and in Chicago, Illinois, to the Christian Science workers assembled by the local churches. His addresses were informative and inspiring, as was a similar talk given by the Manager of the Sanatorium at Chestnut Hill when he addressed the workers of the Christian Science churches of Greater New York in February last.

Experience has shown that a greater familiarity with the brochures and other literature sent out by the Sanatoriums would answer many questions of workers in the Field, questions which were found by the speakers mentioned above to be as yet unanswered.

About a year from now, it is expected that the new Publishing House will be practically complete and some of the departments of the Publishing Society removed from their present cramped and inconvenient quarters to the beautiful and commodious building which the Christian Science Field is so lovingly and enthusiastically providing.

When this Item is read, the wooden forms for the concrete walls of the fourth floor in "B" Section will be in process of erection; and after that will come the roof. The stripping of the wooden forms from the reinforced concrete walls and floors, already hardened, reveals a smooth, even quality of concrete, wearing on the exterior its strips of copper slots to which the facing limestone blocks are to be fastened. Waterproofing of the inside basement walls and floor is progressing from the Falmouth Street end of the "B" Section toward the middle of the building. Midway of the structure on Clearway Street are the two largest steel spans, those supporting the structure over the loading and unloading platforms into which trucks will back from Clearway Street. As this Item goes to press, one of the spans is in place and the other is being jacked upward by groups of laborers located at three jacks, the end of the span resting in the vertical steel beams from which it will be suspended.

Farther towards the Massachusetts Avenue end, the concrete mixer seeming almost human is receiving exact quantities of gravel, sand, and cement in its hopper, which, when full, empties the contents into the mixer from which issues load upon load of fluid concrete. This is wheeled quickly by concrete buggies over wooden roadways to the floor sections already strung with reinforcing steel bars.

At either end of the plot are being erected signs which will inform the public of the name of the building, who the builders are, and so on—questions which are frequently asked.

The fine weather which Boston is experiencing is facilitating the carrying on of the building operations without interruption and ahead of schedule.

The attendance at the Annual Meetings of The Mother Church for the past two or three years has required more seating space than is available in the auditorium of the Extension; therefore the original Mother Church auditorium and vestry have been used for overflow attendance. Each is connected to the main auditorium by a public address system, which conveys perfectly the voices of the speakers, and permits participation in the singing of the hymns accompanied by the organ in the main auditorium.

The same arrangements will be made for this year's Annual Meeting; and at the Sunday morning service preceding, that of June 5, loud speakers will be placed in the foyer of the Extension to enable those who do not find seats in the auditorium to hear the service. This is done for the reason that the original church and vestry are in use for Sunday school purposes. On June 8, for the Wednesday evening meeting, the auditorium of the original church will be used for an overflow meeting, to be presided over by the Second Reader of The Mother Church. That part of the service up to the giving of testimonies will be heard from the main auditorium through the loud speaker, following which testimonies by speakers in each auditorium will be given independently.

During June, July, and August, Christian Science services will be held in the Bowl in Yosemite National Park, every Sunday afternoon at two o'clock, under the auspices of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Fresno, California. Christian Science services were held in the Park during the summer months last year.

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