PRESENTATION TO THE REV H. T. PURCHAS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12425, 14 February 1901, Page 2

PRESENTATION TO THE REV H. T. PURCHAS.

Last evening there was a very pleasant gathering in-St Paul’s Schoolroom, Papanui, to say farewell to the Rev H. T. Puichas, who is about -to visit the Old Country with a view to recruiting his health. Thera was a large attendance, and the Rev W. Campbell presided-. An excellent musical programme was .gone through, contributed to by the-following:—Mrs Harper, Misses' Searell, Weston, Violet Campbell, Hodgson, Mawsoo, Wicken, and Ritchie, and Messrs H-artland and Poster-. ■ ; , ;; • At an interval in the musical programme, Mr Dunnage, one of the churchwardens, presented the Rev H. T. Purchas with a purse containing 135 sovereigns. . In doing so he said the parishioners desired to express to Mr Purchas their sorrow that the state of his health had caused him to resign the Pap-anui cure. Mr Purchas he'd worked inPapanui for six years, .jjuringwhich timehe had won the respect and .ove of all, both inside and outside the congregation. .The . parishioners fully recognised that much -of Mr Purchas’s illness was due to h-is anxiety, for their welfare. The parish was extensive,, and the work was a severe strain, but theyrejoiced that their pastor’s health was coil-: sidered equal to the voyage Honie, and they trusted that that voyage and the treatment; he would receive in the Old Country would effect a cure. ■ The parishioners know that, such a voyage was expensive, and they liatL therefore, subscribed to make up a purse, heavy enough'to materially, help Mr ■ Pur-! clias, and they had don© this as.a mark of: ■ the: esteem in .which he was ,held, and tßej Ic-vo they bore towards him. They hopedthe'purse would enable him to enjoy-Ms-trip with less anxiety. ’ ..It had .been'conitsi*' buted. to by everyone, not by a few o-nly.i The parish also deeply regretted the loss' of. Mrs Purchas, whose work in the .parish had: been invaluable. The speaker wished them; a pleasant voyage, that Mr Purchas’s health would be restored, aid might God Mess' them. (Applause.) The Rev H. T. Purchas gave them .his) n ost heartfelt thanks, but as he was hotphysically able to speak, he. asked! the'RcV. W. Campbell to be his mouth-piece, r > Mi- Campbell spoke eloquently of the ex-: celknt work Mr Purchas had "done in the| ’parish.. He said that Mr Purchas, lliad thati day been speaking at Harewood Road), at| the distribution of prises to .the children,’ and, he feared, had unwisely overtaxed him-i self. ‘ Mr Hartla-ud bore the vestry’s; to the value of Mr Purchas’s work, and roughly endorsed Mr Dunnage’s 1 remarks j Tjmust be gratifying to Mr Purchas to sei how all had joined in tire- presentatios, 1 which was quite spontaneous. 1 Mr Edldns also joined in the eulogium,! as did Canon Knowles and the Ravk,Mr' Avetiil. • ■