Evenings from Home.

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 24, 26 February 1881, Page 244

Evenings from Home.

No. 6. — Mr. Hitchcock at St. Thomas's,

Few parsons ever undertook a charge under more unfavourable and disheartening circumstances than did JMr. Hitchcock, at St. Thomas. The congregation almost to a man Avere against him. They looked upon the young clergyman - most unjustly — as the supplanter of the lay pet previously employed, and many openly affirmed their determination to make it as hot as possible for him. One party, I believe, had absolutely the nerve to Avalk out of the church Avhen the hcav curate first officiated, ancl, but for a feeling of decency restraining them, others Avould in all probability have folloAved the audacious example. Despite this far too Avarm reception, Mr. Hitchcock has, Avith infinite patience ancl bonhomie, fought — yes, literally fought — his Avay into the good opinion of the district, and is at the present moment as popular as any young cleric in Auckland. St. Thomas's can now boast a congregation of really respectable proportions, the Sunday school has been Avorkecl up to a complement of ninety seAen members, ancl the curacy is admitted on all hands to be thoroughly Avell looked after. All this is Mr. Hitchcock's Avork, achieved under the most adverse possible circumstances, and he undoubtedly deserves great credit for it. " The Philistine " Avas much interested Avhen he heard the story, ancl, despite the fact that last Sunday evening Avas too hot to make churchgoing altogether acceptable, trudged off at 6.15 p.m. in the direction of Freeman's Bay. I must say that if I Avere driven' to go to church all through the Avarm Aveather, I think I should choose St. Thomas's. The light Avood of the interior is cool and grateful to the eye ; there arc plenty of AvindoAvs, through Avhich the evening breeze blows gently ; ancl the auditors are not packed as closely as to give forth that smell of sAveltering humanity many of us find so objectionable. On the evening in question there Avas a good congregation, the heat notwithstanding, and all seemed to be anxious to take a part in the service. At St. Paul's, people are so much engaged listening to the choir that, unless some familiar hymn is announced, they totally forget that are expected to sing themselves. In a small church this doesn't do, and, as a consequence, even the most timid lift up their voices ancl — yelp. The choir at St. Thomas's seemed to me A*ery fair indeed. lam not one of those ay ho care to hear two or three loud strident voices predominant above the others, ancl I enjoyed the perfect unison that prevailed. Musichins may (probably Avili) laugh derisively at this criticism, but, (thank heaven !) Aye are not all experts. Those aa'lio don't knoAv Mr. Hitchcock my be interested to hear that he is young, exceptionally good looking, and a bachelor. You cannot gossip Avith him for five minutes Avithout realising that you are talking to a cultured university man, Avith a refined and sensitiA r e mind Strange as it may seem, I belieA'e it AA r as this fact, "as much as anything else, prejudiced some folks against the young clergyman at the commencement of his career here. Your blatant self -made colonist hates a gentleman like poison. The Aery presence of a Avell-bred, Avell educated, man irritates him. It is a galling reminder of inferiority and of the fact that there are things Avhich even money Avon't buy. In the reading desk Mr. Hitchcock becomes the conventional anglican curate. His delivery of the prayers, etc., is neither better nor worse than that of fifty others one has heard. Why is it, I Avonder, that a parson's A r oice loses every sort of inflexion directly he begins to read the Bible or the book of Common Prayer ? Given him a piece out of Dickens' to recite, and he does it admirably ; hand him a bible ancl his voice sinks to a level sonorous monotone. I once asked a Scotch clergyman the AA'hy and Avherefore of this custom, upon which he replied solemnly: "It wouldn't do to read the bible dramatically, just as if it Avere play-acting." Mr. Hitchcock will never " set the Thames on fire" with his preaching, but he has a much better idea of coherence than many far more pretentious local sermonisers. One can at any rate folloAV his meaning, and see Avhat he is driving at. Noav, several clergymen I could name begin fairly enough, but, before they have spoken ten minutes, they are involved in countless side issues, ancl haA r e totally forgotten the original argument. On Sunday evening, Mr. Hitchcock gave out his text, unfolded clearly and concisely the lesson he thought it taught and — stopped. Let me offer just one little hint. When a young reporter joins the staff of a neAvspaper, the first thing the editor does is to Avarn him to avoid the too frequent use of the pronoun "Aye." "Never," he says, " Avrite it Avhen you can express your meaning in the third jierson." It Avould be Avell if adolescent clergymen received a similar caution. The constant repetition of an expression like " Aye find " is Aery irritating and gives to the composition a wearying tendency Avhich it Avouldn't otherAA'ise possess. On the Avhole though the service at St. Thomas's edifies one, there is evidently an earnest worker at the helm, ancl the congregation have the sense to recogniset his fact. The Philistine.