EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN N.Z.

NZ Truth, Issue 569, 13 May 1916, Page 6

EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN N.Z.

Samuel Men's Successors m the Mission field

Gleaned from Many -Sources and Authentic Records— lßl4-1852 Facti and Figures, Compiled by J. M. Fordo. The Arrival of Bishop Selwyn— Creation of an Anglican Dipcese

Book 6.— Chapter 3

Dr, Selwyn as an Athlete— An Extraordinary Swfmmer— Tha Psyehrolutie Club— The Philoluteo— His Ordination— Curate at Windsor— A Marriage Engagement. ;

As a swimmer, Dr. Selwyn accomplished l'eats which had never been performed before and m all his pleasures there was^a degree of earnestness and of order which made thorn serious matters. He was not content with taking a header over a bush, which io this day is known as "Selwyn's bush," with a perfectly horizontal body, for his maxim was "fancy yourself a dart" or with diving from Upper Hope to Middle Hope, but he was president of a society which was called the Psychrolutic Club. The less ambitious members who bathed only under conditions that were agreeable called themselves Phllolutos, but those who bathed for five days m a week for a whole year were called "Psychrolutes!" Selwyn's enthusiastic love of the river led him to accommodate Shakespeare to say," "Men's evil manners live iv grass, their virtues we drink In water." To Dr. Selwyn's care it was due that boating was no longer denied to Eton boys; and that at tho time it was made legitimate it was rob-

bed of its dangers. No rules were likely to keep some hundreds of bbya who ; lived on the banks of the river from the pleasures of rowing. The interdicted amusement had been so commonly indulged m that the authorities could only connive at the irregularity, but the boys could not all swim and fatal accidents were of frequent occurrence. The influence of lyir. Selwyn, supported by the drawing master, Mr. W. Evans, obtained the establishment of the "swimming system" by which no boy was allowed to boat until he had "passed" )n swimming. Watermen ware stationed m punts at the weir and the bathing places who were ready witb help m case of accident. The watermen, It is said, were much changed by coming under Mr. Selwyn's influence. The future bishop was confident of his popularity with thorn, and ho turned it, like his other gifts and opportunities, to the best accounts •."'•.• . • ' . In 1833, on Trinity Sunday, June 9,

he was ora^ned deacon on his fellowship with letters dimissory from the Bishop of Ely to the Bishop of Carlisle £P r - Percy), who held his ordination m St. George's, Hanover-square, the most fashionable church In London,, Such waat.the fashion m which "things were done" eighty odd years ago. As a labor of love Deacon Solwyn took tto curacy of Boveney, continuing his work as private tutor and encouraging others to join him m theological studies. He took an active share m the work of Sunday schools and persuaded his friends totform themselves into a staff of district visitors, and to teach a certain number of. hours m each week In the day schools of Eton. He became secretary of the book dub and auctioneer at periodical sales of books to the members; his remarks on each book as ho offered it showed that he had thoroughly studied It and knew its strong and weak points. On Trinity Sunday, 1834, he was ordained priest m St. George's, Hanover-square. In £h© summer school- time of this year, his brother Thomas Kynaaton died; and Mr. Charles Selwyn, tho youngest brother, was the only relative that was with him; they had come out of Wales and reached Chester and then he bad died. Letters had miscarried, and George, m going down to tho funeral, passed on Hounslow Heath Mr. Charles Selwyn. who had just come from his brother's grave m Chester Cathedral. On the Sunday when he was lying dead, Mr. William Selwyn had preached a sermon written by Goorgo on the text "Thy brother shall Hbo again."

In 1835 Goorgo Solwyn lost a very dear- friend and near rolatlvo, who waa" drowned at Maidenhead "Weir, ThO parents were f»r away and wern unablo to reach Eton, but George Selwyn took aH the , jyrangemonts upon himself, comforting the living and caring: for tho dead. And this death exhibited a talont which it was not known Gcorgo Selwyn possessed. Ho went for several days to the spot consecrated to the bereaved family by so many mournful memories, and at length ho produced an artistic water color drawIng of tho fatal scene; until tho occa-

slon had called forth his powers, uona of his frieuda knew that he vros a painter; but m suro truth ho was a born artist, and, to anticipate events somewhat, it may be mentioned that his earlier letters '] tram. New Zealand and Melanesia were enriched with very clever pen and ink drawings which he made for the enjoyment of his father, after whose death he abstained from sketching lest it should prove v snaro to him and engross too much of his time. I have one of these Melanesia lithographed sketches m front of mo as I write. The sketch discloses a great talent m the amateur artist and leaves a regret that he did not use this talent more often. : „--'.•'.■ : •■ •■■-•. It waa about this time that the town of Windsor was thrown Into a hot controversy on the subject ot^education. Some non- conformists had presented a memorial to l«ord John Russell, praying for help to the British and foreign schools on the ground that there were $00 children m the town whom the existing schools could not receive. Selwyn, his biographer says, doubted the accuracy of these figures, and all the more When he found that the statement which contained them had boon drawn up by an agent from London, who sat m a room m an inn and was Interviewed by all and sundry that chose to come to him with their allegations. Accordingly vhe Incited his fellow private tutors to join him In taking a census of tho whole town; they divided tho place Into dlstrloLs, and between them they visited. every housn and took down the number and ruiraffii of the children and tho schools which they attended, and they finished their labor by presenting ft report of SO instead of 800 ' children, unprovided with, or unablo to avail themselves of, existing schools. (To be Continued.)