PORTRAIT IT FOR THE GIELS' HIGH SCHOOL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10032, 25 April 1894, Page 2

PORTRAIT IT FOR THE GIELS' HIGH SCHOOL.

At the Girls' High School yesterday afternoon a presentation was Made to tbe rector for tho school, of a portrait of the Rev. Dr Stuart, chairman of the Board of Governors of the High Schools, painted by Siguor Nerli, to the order of the Ex-High School Girls' Club. Thb ceremony took place In the presence of the pupils of the school and a considerable number .of ladies arid gentlemen, among whom were Mesdames Borrows, G,rant, M. ltoss,, and Gordon, and the HoniW. D. Stewart, M.L.C.,.the Ven. Archdeacon fidnrards, the Rev. D. Ross, Signor Nerli,, Dr Hislpp, Dr Hocken, Messrs.W. M. Hodgkins, H. F. Hardy, and 0. M'K, Gordon.

Sirs Bohhows (president of the Ex-High School Girls' Club).said: A suggestion was made at the recent breaking up oS the Girls' High School that a portrait of Dr Stuart, as one who had long taken an interest in higher education, might well adorn the walls of the school. The idea w*s warmly taken up by the club of the Ex-High School Girls, who issued collecting cards, and set about getting subscriptions towards that object. Donations came ia readily from all quarters, and the work of painting the portrait was entrusted to Signor Nerli. sDr Stuart has from the foundation oE.the High Schools proved an enthusiastic and warm friend to them, nnd his interest and affection for the girls' school has been specially shown on many occasions.. As an old-teacher on the staff of the girls' school I can testify to his warm interest in the teachers and their work. As president of the Ex-High School Girls' Club I have much pleasure in handing over tbe portrait of our rev. friend Dr Stuart to Mr Wilson for the Girls' High School, • May he long ba spared to labour among us is, I am sure, the sentiment of the dub I represent, and of Dr Stuart's many-friends in Otago.—(Applause, which was renewed when Mrs Borrows unveiled the portrait.) ■ Mr A. Wilson (rector) said : Mrs Borrows, Ladies, and Gentlemen,—When I made the suggestion at the last breaking-up that a picture of Dr Stuart should be secured, to be hung beside that of an old friend of the school, Sir John Richardson, I had no idea that we should so soon as the end of the first quarter have a picture, which is not only a portrait of Dr Stuart, but will be for all time a possession of high artistic value to the school.—(Applause.) Since ever I have known Duaedin, and for a very considerable time before that, Dr Stuart has been a most conspicuous man in this community. His features and hiß plaided figure have been as familiar to the citizens of Dunedin as the steeple of his own church. So much has Dr Stuart been a public character and a Dunedin institution—so much a genius loci, as itjwere—that a faithful portrait of him is a historical record without which the history not only of the Otago Presbyterian Church but of the province of Otago, and indeed of the colony from the sixties to the nineties, would be incomplete.—(Applause.) Dr Stuart's part in this community has been a very varied one. Of his distinguished service as a pastor I have not the right to speak, nor indeed the knowledge which would qualify me to speak ; bat outside his own profession he has concerned himself, as I think ic behoves a minister to concern himself, very largely with the affairs of education.— (Applause.) I daresay there are many who, like myself indeed, differ occasionally from Dr Stuart on points of administration and policy, but I think thut everyone must admit that his efforts on behalf of education have been untiring and disinterested.— (Applause.) Dr Stuart's enemies could not say that he has ever valued money except as a thing to be given away—(applause),—or ever valued hi3 strength except as a thing to be expended in the public service.—(Applause.) Dr Staart has been connected with the university since it was founded, and he has been for many years its chancellor. He has been the chairman of the Board of Governors of the High Schools ever since there has been a Board of Governors; and, as rector of this school for some nine years or more, I am able to say that ha has manifested throughout an enthusiasm, and indeed an affectionate zeal, for the prosperity and welfare generally of this institution.—(Applause.) Hehas neverlenthimself to any harassing interference, but he has always been the first with a word of congratulation or acknowledgment for any good the school has done, or any success it has won. To me personally—and I think I may Bay to all the members of the staff—he has bsen consistently courteous and considerate, and I am glad to have the opportunity of making thia acknowledgment.—(Applause) I do not think, so far as I remember, thatDr Stuart has ever been absent from the breakiog-up of either school, and it was the fear of his being absent through illness at the last breaking up that led me to suggest that the clab should provide a portrait of the chairman of the board to be huDg on the walls of this school. I have to express my thanks, on behalf of the school, to Mrs Borrows, the members of the club, and the contributors to the portrait, and particularly to those who have laboured very energeticallyingettingthethingcarried through. Amengst others I may mention the names of Mrs Malcolm Ross and Miss Waters. There are others I have no doubt who are also deserving of mention, but I really have not the information necessary to specify. I have to express my thanks, then, on behalf of the school, and on behalf of Dr Stuart, who unfortunatoly, from illness, is unable to be out of bis room at this time. But I know that he feels proud of the honour that is done him; and I know that he is more than that—that he is touched and comforted now when he is laid aside temporarily from that aotivity which is really the only condition in which he values life. I should like to say a word of appreciation of Mr Nerli's vary successful portraiture of Dr Stuart—of his bringing to a successful iesue a picture worthy of himself and of the subject; but it is a matter upon which I should prefer a more authoritative pronouncement than my own, and shall, therefore, ask Mr Hodgkins, president of the Otago Art Society, and himself an artist, to say what he thinks of the picture.—(Applause.) Mr Hodokins said before he proceeded to refer to the picture he should like to say, as a representative of one of a very numerous body of citizen:), that he thoroughly endorsed everything that had fallen from Mr Wilson with respect to the reverend gentleman whose por"trait they had had that day presented to them.— (Applause.) As one quite outside of Dr Stuart's own communion, and one of the general citizens of this town, it had been to him for a'considerable time almost a grief to think that a man of fuch a strong personality as Dr Stuart should bo laid aside by illness. Knowing him as he had drnc for nearly a quarter of a century, and seeing him, as he had seen him, in the height of his vigour, performing every duty of his life since he came to this place, he could not but.be deeply sensible of the immense good he had douo in Dunediu, and of the affection with which he had endeared himself to almost every citizen of the town. Whether Catholic, Protestant, Jew,' or Gentile, he (Mr Hodgkins) ventured to say that not one but what at this time would feel the heartiest sympathy with Dr Stuart in his present illness. —(Applause.) With regard to the picture before them, he might Bay that he had seen it practically from "start to finish." The proposal to have the portrait painted emanated from Mm Malcolm Ross; and he was very pleased thafWhe initiation of such a movement should have taken place in the Girls' High School—a school which be believed it was generally admitted had the very warmest place in tbe affections of the doctor. He was also still more pleased when he heard that the painting of the portrait was to be entrusted to Signor Nerli; for he did not mind saying that he thought they had in Signor Nerli a portrait painter of no mean ability. Everything he had seen from his brush of an important character had given him considerable pleasure.—(Applause.) His colouring was rich in the extreme, the drawing and figure almost faultless; and he had got the power of presenting the attributes of a person whosa features he was pourtraying in no mean degree. Iq the portrait of Dr Stuart he had succeeded admirably in recalling the characteristics of the doctor's face. It was no mere painter's smirfty smear that they sometimes saw; but they had before them the portrait of a man of determined character who all his life knew what ho was about, and who made up his mind to do whatever ho believed was right. Taking the portrait altogether, he thought it was one of which the school might bo proud.—(Applause.)

Dr Hockuk said ho could only repeat what Mr Wilson had said respecting the great interest which Dr Stuart had always taken in educational mutters. Ho had been associated 'for years with Dr Stuart in university work, and he knew how valuable his (Dr Stuart's) efforts and knowledge had been in the council. He was sure they all sympathised with Dr Stuart in the troubles of all kinds he had recently gone through, and they all hoped that he would be spared to be amongst them for a long time. He had seen Dr Stuart daily for the last few days, purely as a friend, and he was astonished at the unabated interest which he (Dr Stuart) took in anything of importance to the citizens. The speaker was suro thoy all hoped the time was far distant when thoy would have to trust to memory to bring back the lineaments of the doctor; and it was most satisfactory to know that, when that time did unfortunately como, the old girls of the High School had so gracefully taken the moans to aid their recollection by that magniflcent portrait on the walls of tho building. He was Bure it would cheer Dr Stuart more than anything, and help him ou to what he (Dr Hocken) hoped would be a recovery, to know what sentiments had been uttered that afternoon regarding him.—(Applause.)

Tho proceedings then terminated,