The Moral Code of “Woodbine Willie”

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 33, 2 November 1929, Page 21

The Moral Code of “Woodbine Willie”

THE Dean of Canterbury (“Dick” Sheppard), writing of his friendship with “Woodbine Willie” (the Rev. G. A. Studdert-Kennedy), says “There has never been anyone in my life who at all resembled him. To me the outstanding qualities which made his friendship so lovely, were his deep love of humanity, bis intense sympathy and generosity, and his magnetic humour and wit.” In a letter that “Woodbine Willie” sent to his wife while serving in France as to the training of his little son, it is written: “1. Make him a sportsman. Encourage him to play games and always to play the game. “2. Teach him to despise cowardice and never to be afraid of anything or anyone save God. “3. Teach him as soon as you can what his body is for, about his powers of procreation, and about the necessity of cleanliness in body and mind. “4. Teach him to tell you everything about himself, and specially everything of that sort. “5. Teach him that being a gentleman means using your life to serve and help your fellow men as much as ever you can, and that it is dishonourable to desire only to make money and be comfortable. If he has brains teach him that he must use the® to lead men on to better things,

and to teach them a gentleman should choose one of the poorly paid but honourable professions.

“6. Teach him to love and reverence women. Encourage him when young to have plenty of girl friends, and to treat them as comrades and never to play with them and deceive them. Teach him that the man who deceives a woman is a scoundrel and that he must try to live straight. “7. Last, and. most important, about his religion. Teach him to love Jesus Christ as the pattern God-Man. Teach him that and leave him free. Don’t force his religion in any way, especially if he has brains. There are bound to be in these coming years very rapid developments in Christian thought, let him go his way, and do not be pained or shocked so long as he keeps his love to Jesus Christ If he wants to become a priest let him, but never force him in any way. Only teach him constantly that a gentleman must give not get, must serve and not be served. “Guard him from vulgarity and snobbishness, and never let him speak contemptuously of anyone or anything except a coward. "I think that is all. Kiss him for me and give him my blessing, and when he is old enough tell him my life story as you would tell it, knowing that I tried bard most of the time to do right, and when I sinned I was sorry in my heart, as I am uoiv.

“I don’t believe I am going to be killed, but I don t know, and any Way I am content, so long as God can comfort you.”