Evenings from Home.

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 4, 9 October 1880, Page 28

Evenings from Home.

No. 4.— At St. James's Presbyterian

Church. The St. James's Congregation is rather a notable one, in fact, somehow .or other, the name seems to be pretty frequently before the public. There is the St. James's Hall, about which thergsgivas such a terrific squabble not long ago ; wie "St. James's" choir which "assists " at niixe out of every ten tea fights, and the "St. James's" discussion class, which, every Monday and Tuesday, has a paragraph to itself in each of the dailies. The prevalent idea appears to be that the " St. James's " people are rather above the ordinary run. They go in strong (if I may use such an expression) for intellectuality. The young men have an " intense " look about them They seem wishful to make it understood that whilst an occasional "frivvle" is not altogether disagreeable to to them, the majority of their nights are spent in hard study. Now, I hate a "prig," and some of the St. James-ites undoubtedly deserve that xinpleasant cognomen, but it would be unjust to deny that they are most of them, superficially at any rate, clever. .

Knowing these things I set out on my Sunday evening expedition last week expecting much. ' ' No common man, ' ' it seemed probable, would satisfy the religious wants of an association of admirable Crichtons. Mr. McNicol, I said to myself, must be a great gun amongst parsons, otherwise our embryo orators and statesmen would scarcely consent to sit under him. The exterior of St. James's is somewhat imposing, at least it would be imposing if the steeple had not been prematurely cut short. How this came about 1 haven't heard, but it not uncommonly happens that building funds hold out until the spire has to be built, and then for the sake of making a small saving, the look of the place is entirely spoilt. The inside of the church struck me as desperately dreary. The building is exceptionally lofty, and the vast expanse of dead white wall, unrelieved by the faintest ornament, gives it a sepulchral appearance. The choir sit perched up on a semi- circular platform, immediately under the pulpit, and well in front of the whole congregation. This is quite a new departui c. Most choirs, chapel choirs especially, prefer to secrete themselves in a gallery at the back of the church, or get behind a curtain somewhere. The St. James-ites, however, evidently fancy themselves, and have no idea of hiding their lights under a bushel. Mr. McNicol conducted the service, which was awfully long. There is a scripture reading, a prayer, and two hymns more than at Pitt-street. I can't say I thought much of the singing, but then the tunes were, without exception, hideously unmeloclious. The metrical version of the Psalms, too, is awful doggrel — in fact, the famous lines about the initial translators entered my mmd — " SteriJiold and Hopkins had great qualms When they translated David's Psalms j But had it been poor David's fate To hear you sing and thorn translate — ■ By Jove, it would have driven him mad." Mr. McNicol is very popiilar with the older members of the congregation and deservedly so. He bears the reputation of being one of the most zealous parish priests in Auckland,' and though considered puritanically severe in many things, has earned the respect and affection of all who know him. As a preacher, however, he is not a success. On the occasion of my visit the sermon was decidedly commonplace. I found it terribly difficult to keep awake. Those around me didn't try to. The elderly folks slumbered peacefully, and even the most determined listeners nodded occasionally. In the early part of the service Mr. McNicol's voice was scarcely audible, but as the sermon progressed it increased in volume. The evils of extempore preaching were obvious throughout. Once upon a time, I asked a Presbyterian parson why his cloth made extempore preaching a sine qua non. He answered me thus. "If you were going to propose to a girl, and wished to make a favourable impression, would you write your views down on a piece of paper and read them to her, or would you trust to the promptings of your heart, and speak as you felt at the time ?" Of course I answered that I should prefer the latter course. "And so do we," replied the clergyman, "We believe that we are more likely to do good by preaching such words as God inspires us to utter on the spur of the moment, than by merely reading off a written address." The Philistine.