Fifty Tears Syne

Bruce Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 2955, 26 April 1898, Page 5

Fifty Tears Syne

Fifi_ Years Svnk, " A Jubilee memorial of the Presbyterian Church of Otago by Rev. James Chisholm." We are indebted to Mr Robertson for a copy of the above work, and must express regret that we were not earlier supplied with it by the publishers, a faot whioh accounts for the apparent lateness of this notioe. It is somewhat difficult to form a correct conclusion as to the scope of tbis little work, if it is intended to be io anyway an exhaustive history of the Presbyterian Church of Otago Bince itß inception, then it is somewhat disappointing ; if, oa tho contrary, it aims only at uupplyiug the story of the early struggle of the Churoh, then too muoh oannot ba Baid in praise of the way m whioh the subject has been handled. The author has recognised that the dry details of church history would lend themselves but poorly towards forming a readable story, aud has, as he States in his preface «• thought it neoessary, therefore, .o widen the horizon aud introdaoe a gooi deal of what in one aspect may be deemed est anoous matter." And muoh has been introduced that is oertatnly not part of the history of Presbyterianiam, but without it that history would be without a key. In chapter 11, we have a sketch of the oondition of the country daring the few yearß immediately proceeding the arrival of the Scottish pioneers, and a hoarty acknowledgment ia made of the ChristUuiaing efforts of the G«rm_.n Missionary Wohlers, among the Maoris ac Ruaouke. Chapter Hi deals with the formation of the New Zealand Oompany, and principally with the exploring journey made by Mr Tuckets insearchof a aui aulesite for the proposed Scotch oolony. It is somewhat iutere.tiug in the Jignt of present events, to read chat Mr Tuckett found a small island near Catlios Rivor well stocked with rabbits. This fact cannot be known to the Hon. John M'KeDzie, or his deep sense of rightful ownership in land would force hi;n tn justice to th_ r abbits as the predecessors of tbe Sootoh, if not the aboriginal inhabitants of the laud, to draw up a new treaty of Waitangi, instead of waging a merciless war on •• fowk " who are evidently the descendants of real old identities. Chapter IV deals with the disruption in 1843 The chapter is a short one, and one oould wish it were longer, for the author infuseß an earnestness into the well worn story that gives it a new life and interest, and prepares one to follow the fortunes of the soob of this movement into the land of their adoption with a keen desire to know further ot them, and a fervent hope that things may go well with them. Chapter V detaiis the formation of the Lay Association, and its negotiations aud articles of agreement with the New Z .aland Oom pa y. The author in this chapter refers to the failure of the Darieu Scheme, and with pardonable pa'riotiaro endeavors to modify the generally reoeived account of its utter failure, Apology for failure in this case is hardly neoe_-ary. Scotland was " cribbed, oabined and confined," at that time in a way that made failure a foregone conclusion. Chapter VI brings ua to the sailing of the John Wtokliffe and Philip L-iug, the latter from Greenock, the former from Graveaend. The discomforts, the occupations, the social events, and the humors of the voyages are well described. The evidences of oondensa tion in treatment oomea out rather ourioualy in some places. Speaking of the life on board the Philip L.ing, we are informed that " it waa a miniature world of loves and hatea and hopes aud fears. There were three marriages on board, aud rumor was buay with otuor matrimonial project*. ' It wou'.d be interesting to know wmoh of the four human e<notiona produced this tffoct, or if it waa caused by a blend of all four. The next two chapters are biographical, and deal respectively with Captain Cargill and Dr Burns. Wo oannot too highly praise the delto-te touoh with which tne lives of these two worthy members of a worthy band have been pourtrayed. The adaptability to new environments shown by the former, and the energy and enthusiasm of the latter at a time of life (he was 52 years of age when he landed), when most men are retiring from aotivo life are brought out in a way too vivid to be missed by even the most cursory reader. With chapter JX begins the real history of the church, ita foundation and gradnal extension, the opening of a Sunday School and a day school, and the beginning of a library. Then follows an aooount of the eleotion of tbe first elders- It is pleasing to note the high repute in whioh Mr Benry Clark w..b so early held by his fellow colonists. Hi» name beads the Hat in thia tho first church election. The first schoolmaster Mr Jameß Blackie was second, Captain Cargill third, and Mr Chalmers fourth. Eloquent testimony is given of the moral and mental worth of the first schoolmaster, whoae duties were doubtless of an onerous and manifold deecription. He fell a victim to consumption, and doubtless the Itttle colony had much difficulty in filling his place. Chapter XI gives us an insight into tbe labors of the colonists in making new homea for themselves. They evidently did not find thiogs so ready to hand aB the painfully clever Swiss Family Robinson, nor yet were they so mnoh thrown upon their own resources as Robinson Crusoe ; but nevertheless they had many adversities and maty ducomforts, either in suffioient number to depress hearts leas brave and hands lesß skilful. A very graphic description is given of the first journey of a wheel vehicle th t ough George Btreet. Passing on to ohapt c • XIII we oome to the inception and development of the collection. It may be interesting to those who know the JBrobdingnagian proportions of the collection that is now always with ua, tbat thia the primogenitor of the raoe was in amount £1 5- 9£d ! Tne author gets funny over that halfpenny, and in doing so delivers himself of the follows obvious * * cheßtnut," whioh is yet good enough for quotation and quite pardonable in the setting he has given it. "A worshipper was singing with great vigor and seeming devotion these lines of Dr Vs att's hymnWere the whole realm of nature mine, It were an offering far too small — and all the while, in anticipation of the collection, his hand was in hiß pocket scraping the edge of a threepenny bit, to make sure it was not a fourpenny." Chapters XIV and XV deal with the spread of settlement and the consequent need for further help met somewhat Providentially by the unexpected arrival of the R vs. Will and Bannerman. Then Chapter XVI gives us details of the formation of the first Presbytery. Here is an arcadian piotore from Chapter XVII, of the method of conducting servioe in the Taieri in those early dayß. "In the warm summer days the people met under the ample shade of an old blaok pine. The Minister stood on slightly rising ground with his baok to the mottled trunk of the majestic tree ; tbe people stood in front of him, some of them resting with their elbows on tbe stumps left in the olearing, while the parson birds and mokis rained melody from the overhanging boughs ; and parroquets chattered and flashed abont in green and gold through the adjoining bush ; and the alert robins, with l tbeir sidelong glance, hopped abont among j the feet of the worshippers." We are sorry that spsos will not allow as to follow the J author in bis journey with tho Churoh in its ■pre§<J B°rtbiT»rdi to fb» w »K*k*, *b 4

southwards to the Bluff. Let It be sufficient for us to lay that lightened by many a tittle humorous incident of the times, we are drawn pleasantly on Into sympathy with these early colonists in tbeir efforts to put their Churoh on a sure foundation. The last few chapters deal with history whioh is in the memory of the present generation, i and need no comment from na. *n oonelusion we oannot but regret that either time or apace has prevented the author from giving a fuller aooount of the Church's spread; one distriot! notably has been almost completely ignored. The bonk, on the whole, is free from sectarian prej adioe, whioh is as it Bhould be. The author " lets himself out " oooaaionally, however, especially so In reference to Bishop Nevill's oapture of the Mission bnildings at tbe Heads (page 201). Also on page 87 we find the following fine flower of rhetoric used to describe those who " forsake Presbyterianism for a more ornate and fashionable style of worship." "They will perch on a heap of reeking compost made up of pre j'idioe and vanity, with the irridesoent scum of the brown wash of conceit all about them." There is something in this fi^uro that reminds ua of the condition in whioh D^nto saw his enemies duriog his journpy through the Purgatorio and laferno. A little more of this kind of thing would have utterly ruined what is undoubtedly one of the beßt handbooks on the history of Ocago yet pro-