CITY GOSSIP.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 337, 23 May 1885, Page 13

CITY GOSSIP.

By Cambria.

And all alone To-night we'll wander through, the streets, and note Hhe qualities of people. Shakespeake,

I think Mr Dudley made a big mistake in publishing -his letter to Pastor^ Thomas Spurgeon. He received an invitation to a soiree, and declined it for satisfactory, reasons. That should have been quite enough ; and is Pastor Spurgeon thought fit, in a gush of Christian jocularity, to make fun of his clerical brother's religions opinions, all the more reason why the Anglican divine should have maintained his dignity. Mr Ewington's interposition was extremely iU-advised, although I will admit that, from his past and his relisgious experiences, no man in Auckland is so specially qualified to interfere, had interference been required. But the wiser course would have been to firmly decline making a puMic question of such a simple thing as an apology for absence from a tea -meeting. Had Mr Dudley been content to simply •decline his brother's invitation, no harm would have been done ; but he made a most unfortunate slip in entering into questions of church polity. It was very delicate ground to tread upon, and no man is more tenaciou of his own religious ideas, and more intolerant of other people's, than a Baptist. Such a chance was too much for the juvenile pastor, who covers his religion under such a guise of ■cheerfulness — pot to say jocoseness— that sometimes one is hopelessly unsuccesssful in Ms attempts to detect the little leaven of righteousness. An unseemly sneer at a brother-clergyman's peculiarities may cause a giggle from a few thoughtless persons, but I question if that is good value for the depreciatory influence such actions have upon the church generally. Every man has his own little "fads," and Mr Dudley is by no means a thorough Ritualist in practice. So far as I know, he does not use lighted candles on the altar, does not encourage surpliced processions, the waving of incense, and other extreme ceremonies. But he is tinged with strong High-Churchism, indicated more by language than by actions. The ■dating of his letter to pastor Spurgeon on the eve of Ascension Day, will illustrate exactly what I mean. This sentimental style is like puff paste, altogether too richly sj)iced for the honest palate of the multitude. lleligion, like our daily food, is the more wholesome the more plainly it is cooked; and "made dishes ""may do very well for the select few, but the every-day man won't thrive upon -them. Mr Dudley would do well to modify Ms High-chur'chisni a little' bit.

The Baptists have their " fads," too. The -thirst for singularity impels * them to call their meeting-house a *" tabernacle," implying also their consciousness of being a .chosen people. Wha'j but a, false humility prompts the adoption of the term of "pastor" by the youthful shepherd of the immersed ilock ? Had other denominations the desire, they could ask no better objects of raillery and ill-natured sneers than the people who conrgose-the Baptist body, and -the prin--cmLei-; that adorn .their religious platform. But the Christian ieligfon would cut a grery sorry figure if all parsons were unable to resist the p.eurile temptations to pokef fun. af other people's convictions^-'anddf,al£'congre-gations encouraged the obi.eotionable pracJ? * iSS? - fit tice. * ■ *

The arrival by the Arcucata of the missing men from the brigantine HHiyliUngale has iproved a happy relief to the suspense concerning their fate. The relatives have been in great distress, feeling convinced that the men were dead ; and I believe that, in one case, 4he family had actually gone into mourning. This was a little premature certainly ; but the few pounds thus thrown away will not weigh •very much against the joy experienced at the providential escape from a terrible death. The return of these men will also dispel a .suspicion of foul .play which had taken possession of the. minds of some people, and which had actually, I believe, been given gvoice to in one of the local journals.

The Salvation Army come in for a good many hard rubs occasionally. Sometimes they" deserve them, sometimes they don't. I should include in the latter, clause the assertion made by a Mr Herring who was recently convicted of assaulting a young lady in the Church of England cemetery. He had the cool effrontery to offer as palliatiou of his blackguardism that he thought the young lady was a friend who belonged to the Salvation Army. This herring across the scent did not avail him, and the Herring proper was ordered to Mount Eden for a month's change of air. I do not reckon, by any means, the whole of the. Hallelujah Lasses as angels of light ; but I certainly believe that very few of them are so defective in their moral constitution as to invite improper advances in a public thoroughfare in broad daylight. Mr Herring's defence stamped him a coward as well as a blackguard, and j hope that his enforced temporary retirement from public life will effect in him the improvement for which there is evidently so much room. Offences of this nature are, fortunately, of rare occurrence. ; when they do occur it would be well to make the punishment sufficiently severe to act as a thorough deterrent.

The report presented to the shareholders by the directors of the Northern Steamboat Company was by no means a satisfactory one. The past year has been a very unfortunate one to them, and the current year does not promise much better. To some extent this is a matter of moment to the public generally, for though thsy do not directly participate in the distribution of dividends, they decidedly reap an indirect benefit when the dividends are circulated. And another thing, suppose a Southern company took up our coastal trade, what a large withdrawal of money from our province it would, mean during the year. Do the chairman of directors and his colleagues ever travel by the boats belonging to the company? Do they examine for themselves into the way in which the company is managed ? They do not, or the chairman would have a better idea of the reasons why the company is not paying so well as it should. Let him pack up his duds, and take a run as far as Mongonui, keep his ej'es and ears open, and he will learn a few reasons why the revenue of the company is falling off. The report stated that a loss had resulted in the year's trade to one of their ports, meaning, I presume, Whangarei. And why? Because they put on four boats a week in the futile endeavour to run off an opposition steamer. If they had studied the interests of their Whangarei clients in the past, there never would have been an opposition boat- Let the directors go thoroughly into the management, of the company, study the comfort of the passengers and convenience of consignees a little more closely, and they will find an astonishing improvement in their business.