Otautau Presbyterian Church.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume 1, Issue VII, 14 June 1905, Page 2

Otautau Presbyterian Church.

*. i — ANNIVERSARY SOCIAL. PRESENTATION TO MR AND MRS JOHN LINDSAY. The anniversary social of the above church which took place m the Otowtau Town Hill, on Friday last, was probably the most successful gathering of its kind the church has had. The'hall was packed to excess, the choir and other assistant* haying to be satisfied with accommodation m the anti rooms, and the passages being occupied with extra seats. The chair was occupied by the pastor of the con.regation, the Rev. A. Macdonald, M. A., and on the platform were the Rev. W. "fjeckett, Otautau Methodist Church ; Rev. A. W Cfatherwoqd, *W^ianiwa Presbyterian Church ; 14** "•"• Q- Thomson, M.H.R. for Wallace. A strong choir rendered two anthems yery acceptably and the whole even? ing's programme was of an exceptionally attractive' nature. During an intsrval m tbe programme, which is appended mdc ail, re: freshments, provided m abundance by the ladies of tbe congregation, were banded round by quite an army of young folk, There was not a weary moment th oughout the programm-*, which went with a vim. and at its conclusion hearty votes of thanks were carried with acclamation, to the ladies for providing refreshments and to- all the speakers and singers who had assisted. Tho recognition of the many services of Mand Mrs Lindsay by the presentation to them oh behalf of the members of the congregai ion, was a source of great pleasure to the large gathering, who m a hearty way showed their appreciation of tbe recipients. There was not a weak feature m the whole programme and every item received due recognition and unstinted applause ' The meeting having besn opened with singing and prayer, Miss X Campbell commencing the musical part of the programme with a well rendered song, followed by a pleasing duet by Mrs McLaren and Miss Keys. Mr Philp gave a uic i interpretation of the song " The Deathless Army," and Mrs Patterson's contribution, " He wipes the Tear," was a very effective rendering. Miss Katie Gould succeeded m greatly interesting the audience with a recitation entitled the " Bachelor's Sale." At this stage the BeY Mr Beckett, the newly appointed Minister to the Methodist Church m Otautau, was very cordially introduced by thf-; Chairman, who extended to him a heart; warm' we*.cqm& 'to the ' district and exp-ressec". tlie sincere ' hone that great good would result fronvhis wopc as minister and that as pastors of separate charges they would work m unity and charity with each other. Mr Beckett, who.on rising, was warmly welcomed by ihe audience, said, " L thank your chairman for his kind words and I congratulate ypu on sucJa a gathering as you have. and take it "as an evidence' q" ' active church life. I qonyey tq yqq the gqoc*. wishes qf tlje. Mefoqdist Church" and my own sincgre wishes fqr your future suoces3. The oUu ob should be to the world an object lesson of Christian love.. If not one m doctrine, let us be one m charity. Why should we not have a gahering ol all the members Of the two chu-chss at times — say * a sacrament of the Lard's Supper and thus show our true communion and oneness? If a blessing such a3 has come lo the churches of Wales, England, and America during the past six months is to come to Otautau it wi 1 depend on the life we live. We as church members are responsible for Curi3tian Revival and surely such a debt-paying, sober-m.vking; quirrslsettling and loving revival is needed. Let ' ''Forward" be your church notto for tho new year. \N hateyer bj" past success you have nad>' determine tq better it m the future An onjeer "n t**te Asfrantie Ccmpaig-v desired volunteers "or a ija-jardoßS and perilous expedition a.q4 When r's company was m line, asked volunteers tq 'sjep one pace forward, who wore prepared to take the risk. Immediately on giving ,the word he turned his face away and on looking round, found the whole .company still m line In amazement he exclaimed : •' What, not one volunteer?" "Sir", replied one of the soldiers " the whole line stepped forward qne pace." Every church member and worker should move fqrward, don't leave the work to. a few. There is no advance /Without self sacrifice. When Garibaldi's red-shirtf d bands of followers asked as to their pay, the great patriot replied, •• Rags and • blood and homolessness ; bat afterwards a united Italy and a bappy Fatherland." Tbe reward for active service is sure. Go forward, The following musical items were then -rendered : Anthem, " Lift uo your heads," the Choir (encored) ; song, " Valley by the Sea," Mr A. Swhan (encored); whistling solo, "Highland Laddie," Mr Collett (encored) ( pianoforte solo, Mrs Walton. Me Catherwood was herp introduced by the chairman with a happy and jocular reference to bis greatness, Mr Catherwood said ; leannot help being struck with the fertile imagination of your chairman. lam told 1 am a long man and I am to make a short speech, -(laughter). How does your chairman iraaginej lamto do that? Ministers are privileged m" the diveoViQO Ot long speaking, m fact, jwme

people are like tlie Irishman, who, when asked what ministers could do, replied, ""preach, preach, preach, nothing but preach, pteach,- preach " ! and there are some folks who* tHitik with thiu, Irishman, but I am not going, to preach, preach, preach. Talking reveals a man's character. If I want to learn sotnttiing of a man or women, I just sit tight and let them talk ; sooner or later they reveal themselves m their talk, and, if one is observant, you can quickly size up n whole conn ry side by the way m which the members of it talk. Speech is a tremendous re sponsibility, and the tongue has such a powjr for good or evil, that its control is one of the most important things m a person's life. If you find a man able to control hig tongue, it is strong presumptive evidence the man can contvol his life's actions gonerally. A woman who shows a spiteful disposition and indulgei m half praise while conveying insinuati ns of an opposite nature m her talk, when another of her sex is praised by a man, is not the best kind of life companion for a man to select. Tho man who, whatsver his profession to sincerity may be, who allows his tongue to slander ahd malign his neighbour, who is not careful what tilth of words he allows fo escape from his lipa, or who m his utterances is impure, reveals a character which no professions to the contrary Can belie. A traveller on an ocean liner, was from outward appearan c a gentle,man, and was taken for a clergyman on furlough, but one day a wag on board from a safe spot on the upper deck, planted with considerable force a rotten orange square on the traveller's white s' irt front, with due disas er to his clerical appearance, and sudden death to his clerical character, ay bis speech at once betrayed him, one trite onlooker de- ..- olaimihg, " he it.ight have bssn a clergyman lately, be formerly was a bullockpunchtr (laughter). Our rpeech has far reaching effects, and requires care on our part m its control. Above all thing--, avoid slander, lf yon can't say g od about a person, then remembJr that silence is golden, say nothing. Harsh words are hard to recall. Gos-ip and slander are like thistledown, blown hither and thither, they can nover be gathered up again but spread abroad m their evil course. I knew a man, a minister of the gospel, one of tbe fiuest men m the country, whose li r e has been ruined by the unfounded slanders and gossip of indiscreet and thoughtless people, and the man's life work spoiled. If you are disposed to say unkind things of any one, go and say - them to the person direct, not beh'ndhis back. If you have said damaging things about a man, and find you are wrong, go direct and apologise to him. The root of the matter is to get one's own heart and thojghts clean, and there is no fear then of acquiring another. Keep your own life pure. Go forward and look straight to God for your s\ip-o:t. (Applause): Mr Porteous sang " The Gay Salamander," and as an encore gave " The Standard on the Braes O' Mar." After an inteival for re-fr.sbm'-nt, the programme wis resumed with the following: — Song and encore, ""Tha Laird O' Cockpen," and '"Bmnie Dundee," Mr A McKenzie ; recitation, *• The Way to Heaven," Mr Oh Up ; Anthem, "I am He that liveth," choir; mouth orgrn solo, Mr Collett, (encored) ; du2t, Miss L. Gibbon, and Mr Best. THE PRESENT ATIQN. Tha cba'pjiau here nee and said : We now come to an interesting and imrertpn'; part ot the progra-nme — a presentation to Mr and Mrs John Lindsay, Strathmore. f r many years of faith'ul se-vice to cur church, Some presentations I do not approve of, they are given tope-»ple who havo dons nothing beyond that tSey ware pad for, but only because the recipient was popular. Further, some have on'y resided m a district about a year and on going aw.iy gat more than some people who have served the publio for years. In giving to presentations people shou'd consider if the person abojt to receive on; bra done anything beyond his duty and if he has been m the dis'rict a period of yean. Th's present is not a. wrought up affair ; it is a present to a most worthy couple, who have been m the district for 23 years, and who. have throughout the years done much for the publio. Howtve', as this is strictly a presentation for services rendered to our church, none but Presbyterians have been asked to subscribe to it. And ail did so most willingly, (applause). Al low me to refer to the founders of >ur Church. We have Mr Robert Campbell, retired Storekeeper ; Mr George Gilchrist who lately left us and is now residing m Invercargill ; Mr Thomas Blackwood, also retired and now living near New Plymouth, and Mr Wm. Biro.-:, Yellow Bluff, who has all along helped v ; and been a collector of sustentation fund for years, and last of all Mr John Lindsay.. While these are the founders we have men who stand midway m time nnd to this class belong Mr Norman, A. McLaren, Mr Alex McKinnon and our worthy treasurer Mr Jams 3 Fullarton. 1 Of committeemen of recent date, we have Mr A.'tf. Qffioer,' Mr George Low,* Mr Alex MgKenzie, Mr Evyen "Mo tl-f egon * genj* - , arid Mr John Fisher. ' These are. ' all "ijanps of good men but among them all there stands out prominently that of Mr John Lindsay. I don't say Mr Lindsay has done more than all th 2 other me-nbsrs of tb9 con**.mittee put together, but I say b,e has done more than any single membe-. ft^i Lindsiy \yell deserves to l*»o recqgnised hy our. clmrqb, cqnsidering tT^e number of offices he *-*as held. Vfken I came Ijere he was a iHemqer qf the Qbuccq. Conjmittee, ancf treasurer ; he has also heeq for yeaM a, S ibbath Sohool teaoher, and when Mr Rlaok. wood retired from the superintendantship, Mr Lindsay succeeded nim ; he his also been an elder for years and ever since I came here he has been a collec.to- of the sustentation fund. Mr Lindsay has all along stood by us m our ups and downs. A common way to do 1 with an elder is to wait till h-s dies, at.end his funeral, and for the minister to "preach a funeral sermon aVut him. Mr Lindsay is q\is of our elders, tut vn are not jto wait till he dies to show our' rfl-»ard tqr lu't-q. ' "Vyehope he will be long spared. Some years a**"o I secretly yowdd within myself that if God spared me I would see that something wai done to show qur appreciation of Mr Lindsay's many seryices to our church, and I' am glai that the time has now aar'yed. """Jut Mr Ljndsr j coqla -apt haye dqnq so well ha<| he nqt "been backed up by his gxcellent wt r e. She has, always had a, warm l^eart to all good, work.Though a man may love good' work, yet, il his wife do not, it discourages him. Not to Mrs Lindsay ! If we had a picnic for tbe sabbath school, or an annual SJiree, or t'.e sewing guild, m short anything m our church that needed a woman's .holp, she did her share and more than her share. Their life has not been hid m our midst. We have * watched them j for people wh.q take part m good work are always watched, " And the more we have had our tyas on them tho more have they risen m our a esteem. Thei-c house, though on a plain, has been like a city set on a hill that could not be 'hid, or like a candle set on a candlestick to give, light tq all around. lam not guilty of exaggeration at any time. and as little have I the gift qf flattery, nevertheless I am within the marli when I say that Mr and Mrs Lindsay deserve all the recognition we now give them for th9ir hearty supp .rt to our church. What they have done cinnofc be reckoned up In money value, nevertheless I have much pleasure In handing ypu, Mr Lindsay and Mrs Lindsay, this pqrse of sovereigns from the - Trashy, torians of Otnutau, m rooognition of your faithful labours for so many years to our church. (App'ause). Mr Maodonald hare handed to Mr Lindsay a puree containing 80 sovereigns. Mr Ivfoljaren, an old/Won't of My tynd-ny's.

and one of the oldest co workers m the church with him, expressed his high esteem for Mr and Mrs Lindsay and his aclmira t>on of their uprght Christian character. Oa the Church Committee and m other work he had been associated with MrLind ay. for lOor 11 years, and he held the same unwavering opinion as to his uprightness an i integrity .and utter unselfishness and to the kindly and hospitab'e charm of the home at Strathmor \ Mr Fishor, on behalf of the Sunday school over which Mr L'ndsay had form-any years presi 'ed, gave a short address 'on the selfsacrificing work of Mr Lindsay m devoting i so many years to thc school, depriving himself of the rest and quietness men so greatfy apvrociatcd indulging m ou Sunday afternoons, and which was denied to those who took up Sunday school work m the way Mr Lindsay had done. The people of the district were under a debt of gratitude to Mr Lindsay for his work, and that it was appreciated was evidenced by their gift that evening, and their piv ence iv such numbers to do houour to their guest. Mr J. C. Thomson.M. 11.11. for Wallace.wbo received a great o- a' ion on rising, said: Before passing on to my remarks about the special occasion for which we are met and adding my testimony to the e teem I entertain for Mr Lindsay, I would just like to make some brief reference to your chairman and minist3r, Mr McDonald. It is my piiviJege* to bo on intimate terms of friendship with your minister. .1 have come into close contact with him and know something of lho labour he has done. lam not exaggerating when J say Mr Mactonald has been for some dozjn years one of the hardest working min'siers. if not the hardest worked m Southland. Presents should be based on fail h ful n ss and service, and I think it is getting near, the time when you should seriously take into consideration whether you arc not entitled to recognise the un.vearying services of your minister by presenting b m with a trip to the Old Country to recuperate and refresh him after his years of work here. Mr Mtcdonald is a man you require to know to appreciate ; tho more you know ]• f him and the nearer you get to the sincerity of his life, tho more, you appre jiute and respect him, and ns a resul, of my' many times of intercourse with him I entertain the warmest feelings of regard for tho manliness of his character. Applause). Of Mr Lindsay I can siy from a knowledge gained among men as I move around, he is honoured and respected throughout tho whole of Wallace. As Mr -Beckett has sail, Garibaldi's soldiers were led to \ xpect as their reward of service " Bags and homelessness," m order that the country mik'ht have freedom nnd happiuess. So Mr Lindsay's self-sacri-fic:ng labours m connection with church and Sunduy school, brought about . a deeper and . better religious life to the young folks grow-, ing up, and probably there were those not only m Wallace, but tbrouhout New Zealand and Australia, who could look back to the lessons taught them by Mr John Lindsay, of Strathmore. He extended his congratu lations to Mr and Mrs Lindsay on the very evident esteem and regard m which they stood with their fel'owmcn, und hopad they would for many years be spared to pursue ther life of usefulness and help m the district. (Applause), s Mr Catherwood, stepping forward, said he desired just "before Mr Lindsay replied, to state that when hi was a very small bqy he recollected Mr Lindsay as « young -man,' and "he had the impression of those years qn his mind now ot a man qf sterling character and purity of life, and tornight's gathering just went' to prove that the early Christian life qf their guest had been carried by him during all the intervening years. The good qualities the speakers had referred to as. pertaining to Mr Lindsay, were no new acquirements, but simply the continuation of a- whole life of upright, Ood -fearing living. Mr Lindsay, on rising to reply wns rco ived with an enthusiastic demonstration of applause He said: Fiiends.tbose it you who kn w. rae best, know lam not a na i of much speech. Pu' lie speaking is not m my lino, but I cannot allow the preseat occasion to t ass without expressing the sincere thinks of myself and wife for your kindnes3. That 1 should be the recipient of such a present a*J you have given mo, never crossed my mind. The"23yeirs I have been connected with the chu ::h and the labour I have done m the. Sabbath school I have not done with any expectation of being pi id for it or of receiving any reward. I have dorif it because of duty and my love for the. work itself. That you have4io oured me m the way thit you haye to-night, is an evidence that you have a higher opinion of any efforts of mine for ■ the good of the Church than I have of my own and I can assume you it is a great source of gratification and happiness to me that after all these years I find I have the approval and goodwill of my neighbours. For your kind references to Mrs Lindsay, lam deeply grateful, she has been a good wife to me and a great help m everything I have done. I have always had her co-operation and support and it was not with her approval I abandoned tbe supeintendency of th'e §abi-ialh School wliei} t did, owing to pressure ■?| Qt^er du'ies. The unexpectedness of your kind present to me to-night, and my own feelirgs bf unworthiness prevent my making alo g speech, but from tbe bottom of my. heart, on b.half of Mrs Lindsay and myself, I thank you very very much & r what you have done and for all the kind wq.ds you have said. (Applause). Mr Ebrtfcous then sang " Off to Phila-delj-jj-ria *' ' (encor ) arid •'Tl^e "RJdefless cjteed,'* and a most successful' meeting was brought to, a close m tile orthodox fashion. The financial result of the social 'was very •satisfactory, the gross receipts amounting to JL'lB and as the expensas were light, the church funds will benefit to the extent of £10.