MEMORIAL SERVICE IN NELSON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 15 February 1913, Page 5

MEMORIAL SERVICE IN NELSON

MVGE GATHERING AT SCHOOL / OF MUSIC.

The memorial serv.ee in connection with the deai.li of Captain Scott and his party arranged by the combined Churches in the Schcol of Music last evening was very largely attended, and several people were unable to gain admittance. There xw-ere on the platform : Bisnop Sadlier, Bishop Mules, .Revs. J. P. Kerrpthorne. W. S. Lucas, J. H. Mackenzie, and W. E. Lambert, and Messrs Verco and H. Mouiant, all of whom took part in various portions the service.. The first address was given by the Rev. J. H. MacKenzie, who, in opening. referred to the fact that the hearts of the British people were touched with sorrow and their heads were bowed in woe, and the whole world sympathised with them. The men they had particularly in mind had perished in their endeavour to extend human knowledge. And Captain Scctt had confessed that he oowed to the will of Providence. They were met there also to express sympathy with those who had suffered a great loss. For them life could never be as it :iad been, and the experience .would;,be with them to the end of their days. They desired also to consider what the event ■night mean to them there that night. There were many ways in which they might view the matter. Sacrifice was the course of progress, the price that had to be paid. There were' some still living who could recall the day when the race was touched with deep emotion by the news of. the loss of Franklin. The nation was iroyed for many years, to know the fate of those brave men. He . recalled also :he suffering and the sacrifice of David Livingstone, who lifted up before the world the suffering of the great African Continent .and it was Livingstone's l life f self-sacrifice that-.-set the -slaves frcfeThe world, could make . progress only--as t could make sacrifice. Christ taught nankind that he was the greatest who iervtd most. Not only had the heroes of whom they, thought, made their contribution to the cause of knowledge, but they had added to .the. inspiration, of the race and had made more visible, .greater and nobler things. ' An<l they should :sk themselves what were they then?--selves doing for the good of their fel-low-men and for the glory of their God ? The Bishop of Nelson, in the , course of his. address, said, that their first thoughts in surveying any national calamity must be that God, who is our leather, knows what is best, loves lis, and >9 cm use he leves us wiil do what is best. A national calamity had its sanctifying nfluenees. There were three important facts which had been noted in the press ■nd'in- th t > utterances of speakers. A mtional calamity had a: sobering effect n national life, and called for a halt in lie onward rush for wealth and fame; hey came face to face with the realities of life. The average man was often iv'ont to discredit true nobility, in life. >ut sucir a. calamity gave expression to rue feelings, which, in the battle, of ife. people often felt too sliy to give. Silch noble deaths brought them back to the realisation of their own true nature ,and people were able to See that the human heart still rings true. One :-oukl not help noting in the 'last letter f Captain Scott the absence of things hat generally characterised such messages. It told the tale of a noble life Pessimisms was largely due to their ■Materialistic pursuits. Such' sn event brought out the good, and a large body of public feeling went out to those in suffering. Sacrifice was the law under which they lived. The sun* was oooler for .the heat it imparted to the earth. They entered into life by pain of another. In history they saw how proTress was made by the' "blood of nob'e lives. People were brought together more by true, self-sacrifice than by any ether tie. And was it any 'wonder that when the Almighty Father ought to redeem the world * that " h-r----utilised, this very law by. the sacrifice ■>n Calvary's Cross. As they, entered tho Inn sanctuary of sorrow and gradually '-ot used, to the darkness, they saw writing on the wall, at first so strangelv ;nxd, but yet forming one purposeful design'. The Bishop concluded his address with the following words from "Hamlet" : ' "Now cracks, a. noble heart. Good-bye, sweet Prince, and flight of angels sing thee to thy r^st." Mi' E. Wood acted as accompanist. The Citizens' Band played the "Dead March" at the conclusion' of the service. Tlie hall was kindly lent bv Messrs. .lonh Fuller and Sons, who. ' cancelled their performance to allow the service to be held in the School of Music. At the Theatre Royal last evening the pictures were stopped for five minutes while the orchestra. played the Dead March in Saul; in memory of the late Catpain Scott and members of the exploration party who .lost their lives while returning from the South Pole.