NOTES BY THE WAY.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7465, 13 September 1892, Page 3

NOTES BY THE WAY.

(By Timotheui.)

The web of our life is of a mingled yam, good and ill togethei.

It sometimes happens that some men will attnbute to others qualities they do not possess. And some men -will lay claim to virtues which other people, with the most powerful optics, cannot possibly obsen em them. A letter winch I h<u c received attributes to Tnnothcu.s a greater knowledge of theology th.vi I eire to lay claim to. The Tyne Street Oracle professes to guage the futuio and accurately determine the result of numicipal elections, and when it doesn't happen as he ■wished he ia\ es .and rants at the othei hide like a cheap Jack at a crowd that won't buy. But anon. The letter sent to me is as follows : " Dear Timotheus, — I was listening to the Rev. Mr Dewdney preaching the other evening, and in the course of his remarks upon the founder of Methodism he observed that John Wesley himself \\ as a believer in immersion. Knowing that you are an authonty upon such matters, 1 ask you to be good enough to tell me if you think Mr Dewdney's knowledge of Wesley's teaching a true one. — J.G." Mr Dewdney is young, and is just as willing to see faults in other men's beliefs as he is anxious that all men should believe him faultless. !My correspondent has, I believe, caught him tripping. John Wesley, as far as my knowledge goes, believed no more in baptism by plunging in water than Cah in or Melancthon. Coke, More, and Southey arc Wesley's best biographers, and if Mr Dewdney has not got either of these authors he should at once become possessed of them, so as to improve his acquaintance with Wesley, who taught a practical religion and hi.s followers to uspire to a sinless perfection.

To be caught by chaff isn't the nature of old birds, but some young things get into the clutches of hawks when out of sight of parental eyes. It requires but few talents to draw a crowd, and under the excitement of the moment people do and believe things that after reflection they are ashamed of. Some preacheis and orators are possessed of the most faultless bashfulessness and assurance and are more taken up with a display of themselves than respect for the truths

thoy are about to expound. It was not long .sinco and quito in the momovy of those who heard tho last temperance preacher that was round here that his explanation of Paul's extortion to Tnnutlry [ to take a little wine for his stomach's sake was that Paul meant Timothy to rub the wine on tho outside! The audience did not smile because of the Rinceiityand assurance of tho preacher. Since I heard of this joke I ha\e been questioning with myself whether, as i.s the belief of the new sect, the .seat of the soul in not tho stomach after all. Such talk, however, and with clergymen in the audience, i.s a bold and unpardonable travesty upon the Woi-d as a basis of all true doctrine. Let the clergymen of Oamaru think twice before they aid and abet in sowing the seeds of dissension and indifference among their flocks.

The election is over. The defeated candidates aie consoling themselves with the thought that "the rewards of mediocrity are paid immediately, those attending excellence generally in reversion." No man yet from keeping a second-hand pawn-brokery at one flight rose to accomphbh the consolidation of a defaulting borough's loans. It is only by slow degrees that most men attain to eminence and distinction in their country's sen ice. Napoleon was a subaltern, and even Mr John M 'Do well must content himself with looking after defective sewers till he is called on to occupy the mayoral chair. (Jeo. Washington or Cineiiinatus was called from the plough to direct the destinies of Ins country ; and CJeo. Jones, senr., although rejected for Thames Ward, may yet be looked upon with a kindlier eye. Allan Heclley will till the vacancy caused by the prospective retirement of silent Willie Cuthbert, and so share in the honor of leading the borough from default to an " amicable settlement w ith the bondholder." It didn't matter much who was retained for Se\ernWard, and J. J. Spence had better secure the suppoit and interest of the Reed Street Capita ists and Liberals (with a big C and L) before seeking election m that waid. It was " the bloated aristocracy" of Reed street that turned the election against Mr Spence, and he could hardly expect any support from opposition money-lenders. The contingent can manipulate a few things in this town, and are the most reputable wire-pullers and ten-percenters extant. They toil not, but they spin — yarns ; and (?) their names are alw ays conspicuous on subscription lists for charitable purposes. These things account to some extent for the greatness of their influence.

If the back of the Reed street clique in the Council hah nob been bzoLen it has reeehed a severe racking. The Mayor himself is inclined to bowl them over mm that they h.v\e had the boldness to put Mr M 'Dow ell up for the mayoralty. Mr M'Dowell has announced to his friends that as ho was first in the field his chances aie best, and that the Mayoi ought to give v>,\y to him on this occasion. I think so too. Since the forced retirement of Councillor Enislie J. MD. has been the best abused and lllused man at the Council table, rind by way of consolation is desirous of the highest solatium the ratepayers can bestow. I am afraid, however, tho cat won't jump to Mr M'Dow ell's satisfaction. Goldsmith says somewhere that when a .spider becomes entirely stiff with age, it is unable to seize even a fly m honey. It is to be hoped that neither age nor .stiffness will prevent Mr M'Dowell trying to seize upon the municipal fly in the municipal honey.

"What is all this fuss about the bondlioldcis ' How is it that the Tyne street juvenile applauds the Council now } How he reviled .md abused councillors when they determined to only pay all they had — 4 per cent on account. That wasdenounced by this writer as dishonest and next door to robbery. The ratepayers Mould not catch en to his cry of nuuucip.il integrity, of justnes", of honesty, and other sentimental trash which doesn't count for much when the Council's coifers are empty and the ratepayers are ground to powder to satisfy the exactions of the bondholders. The default wns a horrible thing to your evening contemporary, but when he hnds it hasn't "caught on" with the ratepayers he has left the matter alone for a few weeks and comes out as the champion of the Council in trying to arrive at a settlement with (lie bondholders. The w eather cock always tuins with the wind : it was built like that.