THE ARCHBISHOP AS A PLOUGHMAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11544, 1 December 1900, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ARCHBISHOP AS A PLOUGHMAN.

Dr. TEMPLE, Archbishop of Canterbury, is always causing surprises to his friends by exhibiting an intimate knowledge of things that an archbishop would be regarded as the last man to be an authority upon. A few years ago, a country rector, whom his grace was visiting officially , took him for a walk round the parish. The worthy parson was determined to keep the conversation from getting too deep, so he confined it to things connected with his parish. During their walk together, they passed a man ploughing, and the archbishop stopped to look on. " There are diversities of gifts," said the rector, pointing with his stick to the man at the plough. " Now, your grace, that poor fellow is doing something that you and I could not do in spite of our learning." " Umph !' muttered the archbishop, who is a man of few words. His companion waxed eloquent on the subject of ploughing. Dr. Temple remained silent until the man came to the top of the furrow ; then he climbed over the gate. A word to the farm labourer and the next moment the Primate of all England was guiding that- plough down the field with the skill of iii". practised hand ; and, what was more, he accomplished a difficult turning at the end of the row—never an easy matter a way that excited the outspoken admiration of the usually undemonstrative Hodge. " I had to learn that in the school of Necessity," remarked the archbishop quietly, as he walked home with the dumbfounded rector.