THE ABODE OF LOVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14566, 31 December 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE ABODE OF LOVE.

..fcMYTH-PIGOTT'S FRESH CAMPAIGN

THE NEW SECRETARY

.For some time now nothing has been heard ' as to the doings of .Tobji Hugh Smyth-.-Pi-ott and his followers in their quiet ref focal- at Spaxton. in the heart id rural Somersetshire. It must not l>'* assumed, however, that this silence indicates any Jack oi activity on the pari of lhe seliiacclaimed Messiah.

Perhaps it is safe to say that there never ■was a time when greater activity prevailed 'vmionsst- the Agapemonites, md it should bo remembered that- sixty-live years have

pasted arty since Brother Prince, the Vx curate of the Church of England. gathered a lit tie handful of followers about him •sand set up his Agepeta. meaning in Creek. *" The Abode of Love.

Tn February of the present year there "Passed away with tragic suddenness the yecretarv of Agapemonites. Charles Stokes fflead, the ge£tlemi?n in questian. "as a • ■forceful personality. and Re exert a ire-.-.inendoit* amount of influence over Pigott. 'Certainly it is quite true to say that during •the whole of t-iie time Pigott was at Spax ,'ion with Head, the latter acted both as llceeper of his conscience and of his accounts. Read's tempeiauient was that of the bull->-dog—aggressive. tenacious and obstinate to Uk degree. This was well illustrated by hie >vl;»teimined"opposition to lie action ot the Shareholders of tlte> " V.V. Bread Company, K\-h<> successfully carried through an agitation. backed up by legal proceedings? to faremove him from the directorate of this on account- o; his association with SPi sjot i. "The Messiah" wis completely under htlie thumb of Ins secretary : whether he Hiked it or not, lie had to dance to the tune hat was set-, an-i there is no doubt- thatiho chafed a good deal under Hie iron rule Vof the than wLo invariably called him Master." practical.v a riusoxt:i:. | Read's idea was that Pigott shoald never : "make himself cheap. To this end The j ;•*' Messiah " was always kept a virtual pri- | }-se;ier behind the towering walls that Mir- j pound The Abode. If so disposed, he migin j Wiisport himself at croquet on the beautiful • 'lawns, and occasionally solace himself by j /retiring with a favoured fair disciple into ! K>ne of the picturesque arbours that coyly j tneslle among the shrubbery : he might ev;u flake part in one of those concerts thai, tire ia feature of life at- Spaxton, or (one almost (shudders to record it!} take a hand in a j Igsme of cribbage. j Pigott- might do any of these things : hut isliow himself in public he certainly might I |i.ot. unless- it was under the express super- j •vision of his gaoler. 1 - It was Read who beat oti he- swarms of j journalists, who Hocked ir.to , i Somerset on The occasion of the excitement j (caused by the registration of Pigott's two j children. Glory and Power ; it was Read j '-who answered all letters, many of them j Scurrilous and threatening. that were found ! tin the Agapemone post-bag ; it was Read ; rwh& packet! Pigott- off to his little braiich iAgapemor.e oil the banks of the river Agar Sit- Oppslo. a suburb of Christians, tlie fcapital of Norway, while lie himself _ atienc.d the Ecclesiastical Inquiry at Wells iCathedral in January of last- year, arid Ottered a passionate protest on behalf of the icontumacious respondent ; and, lastly, it -was this same devoted secretary who received on his own head a poJicenians helmet filled with Stockholm tar. on 'the occasion of the raid "on the abode in April, 1909, the avowed object of which was to do seriinss personal injury to Pigott. But Charles Stokes Read is sleeping beSteath the green turf of the Agapemono 3awn. and another has token his pla<a.. .■The strange developments that- are taking (place at the present time are the direct out<come of the removal of the late secretary.

THK XEW SRCRCTAEY. The. new. secretin.' is Mr. Douglas .. . This gentleman accompanied "Mr. Pigcrtt on the .memorable trek from ■.North London to Somerset, and the closesttoiion exists between the two.

. It was not too much to say that while lUie late i:>. Read was the financial antl business manager of the Agape inoi>?, Mr. -Hamilton, is. "and always has been, the theological guide*. No doubt he carefully tutored Pigott as to the part that he was ,-jgoon to play in the carnival of blasphemy rand licentiousness in those days while the Voire -was drawing his pay as an ordained {minister of the Church by law established ; land it- is well to bear in mind that although {the "Messiah" appears to he the main figure of the "Abode of Love," yet he has /a/ways been very much dependent, upon jolliers.

.'Now thai Read is gone, there is something of a sense of relief in the minds of iTigott and his secretary that they are freed . from the close control that the deceased exercised over them.

Hamilton has rather a liking for dead .■cats and brickbats whistling round his [head, and has always held the opinion Vthat, if necessary, ore .should seal their bieligious beliefs with their blood. Pigott IpTofesse? to share this view, and, as has •always Icon pointed out, the feaae qoietuu© •of Somerset has few charms lot him. But /this peaceful life of indolence is now to b-, .ended, and the astonished country will vety Vsoon b<:ve an opportunity of witnessing the isistoanding spectacle of John Hugh Smyth - IPigott, the ex-curate, c-x-sailor., ex-Salv:.'. Hion. Army officer, stumping the couii.ry, j accompanied by a little train of his " spiritual brides," calling upon all to repent unto •salvation and turn to himself ! Although, perhaps, leaders may. not be )aware of it, they are in very imminent das<iger of being overwhelmed in a great and iir.il world catastrophe. At least-, that is /according to the gospel of Pigott. He jdaims to be a god, and therefore it follows, »as a matter of logic, that his utterances ara .Unvested with infallibility. Pigott has had 311 Liny "revelations" in his time. chiefly of Si cash-raising character, but his Litest outbreak must surely be the most remarkable. He has made the startling discovery that > he end of the world is rapidly approaching! Seven years, he .says. are. all that } remain before, the " great and terrible Day '•of Wrath, when, ail things will he burnt ;with fire." This is certainly very alarmring. but. at the same time, it is gratifying ?to know that the " Messiah " has c-eme sort 'of fire insurance scheme, «u that there is no .•need to be unduly distrewed. And so Smyth-Pigott has i.'c-ti' # left the sanctuary of Spaxten and has "'ari'.'d his campaign for replenishing the funds of the jAbode of Love.—M.A.P.