BISHOP JULIUS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XVIII, Issue 4362, 3 December 1897, Page 2

BISHOP JULIUS.

" Sob Wag "-9th iMt.-,__U mission Is.

His Lordship Bishop Julius arrived in Ash-: burton by the express ftom the north yester-: day, and was received on the platform by Rev. T. A. Hamilton, and a number of the ; -.members of St. Stephen's. A choir festival in the church began at four o'clock, but, before that service commenced His Lord-: ship " inspected " the drill squad of St. i Stephen's boys in the schoolroom,. About: twenty lads fell in, and Color-Sergeant McDonald, of the Ashburton Rifles, giving $he word of command, went through several exercises in physical drill, as taught to all i military forces of Her Majesty. The lads have been hut a month under Sergeant McDonald's tuition, and their progress is no less creditable to their own intelligence and enthusiasm than to the well-known ability of the Sergeant as a drill instructor. After the lads had formed ranks again and been wheeled up in front of his Lordship, Bishop J.ulius addressed them. He said he was pleased with what he had seen them do. H> had once been a volunteer him elf, and

though he had never faced in open field any foe of Hfer Majesty, he had gone through the preparatory drill which is necessary to fit a man for such an event, so that he knew what drill was. He complimented the lads on their performance, and though he saw a good deal in their work that could stand improvement, he was much pleased with it. (A few minutes later His Lordship ascertained thsjt the boys had been bub a month in training. The' change that came over his features at this information was remarkable, and his speech assumed another tone. Only a month ! Their progress was marvellous. VV hy, he himself wasn't out of the awkward squad ab the end of a month !) He highly I approved of drill. It taaght admirably the | very essential lesson of obedience, and prompt action in response to a quickened intelligence was another of the goos i^ssbns it taught. Going along a cfluottfy round one $e.metimee met a"sono|tk. soil, and had to a'i'k the way. It took that man, if, lie were not a drilled person, some time to discover what the drift of the question was, and when he did discover it, ie took some farther time to make up his mind, to answer, and, some more to frame that answer and utter j it. If he had been a drilled man, his answer would, come at once, if he could answer at all—"First turning to the left,'? or whatever the answer should be. Drill set qp tb.o body, and tau^hi <♦ b$ to hold his head up, arid'toot movo'ajbng like a slouching dog, and altogether it was a grand thing for youths, whether they . ever carried a mußket in the ranks or not.

After the boys had been dismissed the service jrj the chur&h, began."' The psalms and hymns were allspeoial, and the "Magnificat" and " Nunc Dimitt is " (Ebdon in CJ and the anthem, "Praise the Lord, 0, Jerusalem," were devotionally sung. His LOrdship delivered a most effective sermon from the text " Sing anew soug $he' Lojfd^* and though it Was specially directed; to. the choir and 'such church 1 workers M help, in th. songs of the sanctuary, 'there was plenty W it of good for »li, The shun.* was, «. H f|Hed, mostly, however, with women a* .