BACKBLOCKS MISSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 325, 12 October 1908, Page 4

BACKBLOCKS MISSIONS.

4 , • "A PAGAN SUNDAY." . CBI TEJ.EGRArH.-rSrECUt, COItttESFONDBNT.) ' Auckland, October 10. A speaker at tho missionary meeting in the Choral Hall last evening was a young English clergyman, the Rev. M. Warner, who came to New Zealand seven months ago, to take up the work of the Church of England in the backblocks of Taranaki. Judging by the story ho told, Mr. Warner's path is beset with many, difficulties. His " charge" comprises: some 2500 'square miles, and the roads are almost as impassablo as'tho bush is impenetrable. "My main impressions," said Mr. Warner, "are rain and mud, and the mud is not liko ordinary mud. I have never seen anything like it. (Laughter.) He then related seme of his experiences on roads which the settlers were in the habit of describing as " a bit sloppy." "Tho visits of the home missioner in the' backblocks, 1 ' continued Mr. Warner, "are like thoso of tho angel. They are necessarily few and far between, but they are not' always [ counted as angels' visits; for all that. 1 was visiting a small settlement, and I camo across tho village smithy. Behind tho smithy, through an open door, 1 could see the blacksmith's wife, busy hanging out the clothes. That was very nice as far as it went, and it wquld have been all right but for tho conversation which I was not intended to hear.: 'Do you want to see the parson? 1 ' asked tho smith of his spouse. IDo I want to see the devil?' she replied. And that is a true story," said tho missioner, who went on to say that there was certainly a danger of paganism in the backblocks. " I will givo vou an example of a pagan Sunday way back," he said. "I had ridden some 60 miles to hold a service in this particular settlement. It was a fmo Sunday afternoon, and I had arranged for service in the boardinghouse, but when. I got there 1 saw round- the store a dozen horses, and a brisk trading was going on. Tho billiard saloon wa,s open, and an important match in progress, while on the rifle range a competition was being fired with a neighbouring county. There was not a person thero who cared sufficiently for God or religion to come to my service. What- is that but a pagan Sunday? 1 do not say they, are heathens, but there is a danger of their lapsing into paganism, and that danger the.home missioner na? to face." |