AFTER MANY YEARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 37, 13 February 1929, Page 9

AFTER MANY YEARS.

IMPRESSIONS OF AUCKLAND. BY PRINCIPAL W. M. CLOW.

An interesting address was delivered to the members of the Auckland Presbytery yesterday afternoon by the Rev. Principal XV, M. Clow, of Glasgow. It ia sixty years since Mr. Clow left Auckland as a lad, and until recently he was; principal of the United Free' Church College of Glasgow. Mr. Clow said he had feared that when he came back to Auckland he would be disillusioned in what lie had dwelt upon in his imagination. Auckland had. however, proved much more wonderful and beautiful. ]t could be thought of as exceeding Sydney in the beauty of it* harbour. It stood like Koine on seven hills, witl! Mount Eden a« the centre. Edinburgh was wonderful in the extent of its view, but he had experienced no scene so wonderful as the view from Mount Eden. The homes ami houses, so different from Glasgow, with its narrow streets and tenements, impressed him. The gardens gave the idea of how life (should be lived. When he heard the same eager pulse of industry, and was faced by a community which stood upon its own feet, generous in word and deed, he realised that his early dreams were not coloured enough of this city ( .f tlie south.

Hard Work for Ministers

Mr. Clow said the work of the ministers of the church in Xew Zealand was very hard, indeed more dillku'.t than many nt Home realised. With the scattered churches there was toil of body and mind to be fulfilled. Then there'wore luai'V adverse inlliieiices. There were

not very many working-folk in of the* congregations. Tin: labouring rlu*<rin Auckland were imt strongly attach-d to tin- rliiin-li. Mini-ters in' Auckland wort" greatly hindered liv a certain heedlessne-s ..f ~H ,',.,.,, " Mtor.il siTi.l spiritual inipu]~es. He knew nf n-.tliiuir which ini|.eilod the very \ oice of man itinre tluiii a community in which a la rye Milliliter were neediest.

Auckland Philanthropists. Mr. (low said he was amazed at the large number and depth ~f feeling of the philanthropist... ~f Auckland. There were home* for the «ick and the poor tor orphans and for children. Thev crowiif.l every hill, buildings endowed bv men who had ~iade wealth. Thev were found here in a way he knew ~f n'owher- '!«;. But whai help were the-,. ,„.■>, L-iviiiM them in th:ir ministry ? A -m.i;! '■'lurch, perhap- in wain of repair uoiilij be civuned b\ ~,,,!,■ w.iiiderfu! lnii!di-ii-lor education or healing. tie « : ," amazed to find >„ many of tlie-e ipen - —me might be atheUt- living j,, ~ I irNtian atmosphere, but ?,„„„ „„„, .„. llirNtians-doiiig, all this when the «• iun-h,<s were >trii»u:i,,o f,, r th( . ir ihi He wondered „, thl . 1;lrk ~f -; ami support by the-.- men , 0 ben. i -e- - in other respects.