PETERSFIELD.
CELEBRATING THE HARVEST HOME AT BASING PARK.—This festival came off on Thursday, Sept. 3rd., a day in every way favourable for the occasion. The brilliant sunshine which lasted without intermission from morning till night, afforded every opportunity for open air amusements. Divine service had been appointed for 11.45, and as on former occasions, visitors after assembling in front of Basing House, marched in procession—young men and maidens, old men and children—for about a mile to the parish church, the band of the Alton Rifle Volunteers leading the way. The church had been very tastefully decorated for the occasion, evidently at no small cost of trouble and pains by the Rev. Mr. Holmes, the curate, and Mrs. Holmes. Prayers having been read, and suitable hymns sung under the able direction of Mr. Holmes, the sermon was preached by the Rev. W. K. Bradford, Rector, who concluded an impressive discourse by appealing to his hearers on behalf of the Hospital at Winchester, an appeal which was responded to by a collection exceeding £6. As soon as divine service was over the procession was formed as before, with the band at its head, directly followed by the Rev. W. Maule, Rector of Egnesbury, Hunts, bearing aloft a banner, with a suitable description; after him came the host, Mr. W. Nicholson, M.P., accompanied by the Archdeacon Sanctuary, and followed by the Revs. Meeke and Docker and others of the neighbouring Clergy. Dinner was served at two p.m. in a large and handsome tent, provided especially for the occasion, and elegantly decorated with wreaths of flowers and evergreens. The guests, to the number of more than 200, men and women, soon sat down and did ample justice to the bountiful entertainment provided for them. The meal finished there followed a succession of toasts, "The Queen," "The Clergy," "Our Host and Mrs. Nicholson," "The Ladies," which were all acknowledged in becoming terms, and that over the company adjourned from the tent to the park, which afforded cricket, football, racing, climbing. At five o'clock tea was served, when 120 children belonging to the parishes of Froxfield and Privett were entertained with tea plum cake, making up, together with other guests, and with sundry stragglers, between 400 and 500 in all. The evening closed with a display of fireworks, under the management of Mr. Maule; there was kept up a constant fire of rockets, Roman ccandles, wheels, mines, &c. and this brought the festivities to a conclusion.Among the visitors from the neighbourhood we observed in the afternoon, Hon. John Dutton and family, Hon. J. J. Carnegie, Hon. Charles and Mrs. North, Sir Archibald Macdonald, Mr. and Mrs, Scott, of Rotherfield-park, Sir George Pechell and the Misses Pechell, Right Hon. Sir Roundell Palmer and the Misses Palmer, Mr. Portal and the Misses Knight, the Misses Dempeiere, Rev. W. and the Lady Maria Brodie, Col. and Mrs. Bower, Mr. and Mrs Green, Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Fall, Mr. Waldington, Mrs. Forbes, of Bereleigh, Mr. and the Misses Bradford, Rev. F. and Mrs Parsons, Rev. A.N.C. Maclachlan and Mrs., Rev. W. and Mrs. Hawker, Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer, Mr. Rickard and the Misses Rickard, Rev. H.C. Ogle, Rev. Alfred Cæsar Bishop and Mrs. Bishop, Miss Sibley, Col. and Mrs. Smythe.