THE EVENING MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 172, 24 July 1890, Page 5

THE EVENING MEETING.

A CROWDED ATTENDANCE.

At 6,30 p.m. an excellent tea was served up in the Home bo all who chose to attend, in connection with the opening meeting. Aboub two hundred sat down to tea in the large dining-room and social hall. The lady workers of the Home, with Mrs Little, superintended the arrangements and presided ably at the tables. Ab 8 o'clock a public meebing—something in the nature of a " houße-warming" or social gathering of sailors and those interested in the work amongst sailorswas held in the new hall. : There was a very crowded attendance, many being unable to obtain seating accommodation, notwithstanding the comfortable size ot bhe hall. Amongst those on tbe platform were Sir W. and Lady Fox. A large number of sea-faring men were present. His Lordship Bishop Cowie presided, and after devotional exercises delivered a brief

and appropriate speech. He reviewed the history of the Auckland Sailors' Home,; and referred to the fact that they had now; the tidy sum of £500 to their credit as a mission endowment fund. The fervenb' wish of all who worked for the welfare of the Home was that the place should bo a real home to its frequenters, and tbera could not be a real home unless there waa some recognition there of Almighty God. Ib was necessary for various reasons thab a building apart from the Home itself should be set apart for Divine worship, but ha wished ib to be clearly understood thab there was nothing at all sectarian in the matter. Tolerance was allowed to all. No man who was in the Home would be precluded from any of the benefits or privileges of the institution on accounb of religion or nationality. No regular religious teacher had been ap»: pOinbed by the Council of the Home. The. use they intended to make of the hall waa; to place it at the disposal of any religious' body holding services for sailors—Jews,. Roman Catholics, any denomination in fact.; The place was, he affirmed, for the use o£ the whole community. He trusted good use would be made of the hall. One of the primary objects of the friends and officers of the Home was to endeavour to lead their sailor visitors to load good; lives, and he hoped tbey would never relax! their endeavours to this end. They wished to make the place a real home, which' should in some measure take the place of; home, sweeb home to sailors visiting the porb and sailors would have the satisfac-j tion of knowing that they were not in aj charitable institution. (Applause.) Their: Home was just as much the property! of tho community as was the Freai Public Library. In concluding, His _ord-l , ship said he hoped that frequenters of thoj Auckland Sailors' Home would always find : in it the three essentials of a real home—, light, life and love.

Captain M. T. Clayton was the next to speak. He brought up some interest-' ing reminiscences of sailor life when he ; was at sea, and contrasted the privations: and discomforts of the old days afloat with the ameliorated lot of tho sailor nowadays! in some respects. Still he did not grudga! them the privileges they now enjoyedJ They fully deserved them all. He re-l forred to missionary enterprise in tha| South Seas, and to the rapid strides' which England was taking in everything worthy of commendation. Britain was going ahead at sea and in every; noble and good enterprise, and this was en-,, tirely owing to the number of noble men. who in all departments of life took the lead in endeavours for the bettermenb of tho race. Seafaring men were really the pioneers of every new step in the advancement*of Bribain's power and commerce, and. the nation and an infinite debt to its sailor*. In concluding, Captain Clayton paid a high tribute of praise to the manager of the Home, Mr .R. Little, and eulogised his efforts in the direction of making visitors comfortable and really "at home."

Captain Logan again made a few re-j marks and was loudly applauded. He' urged the friends, officers, and workers of the Home to go on and prosper in their noble work. ■ . " ', Colonel Haultain here took the chair owing to the Bishop leaving. ! The Rev. W. Birch followed in a.briefspeech, and at the close moved a hearty vote of thanks "to those who had been instrumental in bringing this beautifully-, ; modelled ship safely to the launching.".' The vote was carried by acclamation.

During the evening an excellent musical ; programme wal rendered by friends ofi the Home. Mr and Miss Bartley played an! instrumental duet, Mr Murray, contributed a vocal solo, and Miss Pickmere and Mr E. Morton sang a duet. Mrs C. B. Stone ren-. dered very feelingly a pretty vocal solo.. Aquartette was sung by a numberof friendß of the Home, a solo by Miss Pickmere,; a pretty duet by Mrs A. Coates and Miss. Ring, and a quartette,"'•• Hymn of the Homeland," by friends. Devotional exercises closed the meeting. > A word of praise is fairly due to Mr R. Little, manager of the Home, and Mrs Little for the painstaking and careful manner in which they attend to the comforts of all frequenters of the institution.