HISTORY OF THE "CAPTAIN."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5078, 12 August 1884, Page 3

HISTORY OF THE "CAPTAIN."

[Specially wbitten fob the " Stab."] The story of " Captain " Bedingfield is by no means untinged -with romance. He first came to this Colony about seven years Ago, and went to the "Waikato district, where he worked at his trade,— that of a compositor. Daring his residents there he was seized with rheumatic fever, and was laid up for a considerable time. Thence he moved to Napier, where he was unfortunate enough to be seized again with the fever. After working through the North Island, mo ring from one printing establishmeat to another, he determined, about five years ago, upon returning to England ; and in order to do this he -worked his passage before the mast. The inducement for this trip was that consequent upon the death of his father he had "become the possessor of a moderate sum of money, and as a man of property, he of course felt justified in taking unto himself a wife. The lady upon whom his .choice fell is understood to have been distantly related to him — a second cousin, we "believe. He came out to New Zealand again, and at first settled in Napier, where Ma mother and some other relatives are now living. Having worked at his trade for a considerable time in Napier, he went for a short period into the Government printing office, and in June, 1882, he came down to Christchurch. Bsdingfield. was a TTnitn.Tin.Ti ; and, indeed, his father was a minister of that persuasion. He seems to have been most respectably connected ; he claimed very close relationship with William Makepeace Thackeray; and there is no question that Thackeray used to correspond with members of the family. Bedingfield had one of the precious letters in his possession. While in London, Bedingfield indulged in the luxury of a consultation with the famous physician, Sir William Jenner. When a mere child, the terrible fright occasioned by the visitation of a burglar, induced incipient heart disease; and the double attack of rheumatic fever in New Zealand converted the disease into an untaistakeably dangerous one. So Sir William Jenner told him; and that the physician's warning was -well founded, was evidenced by the fact that Bedingfield became subject to fits of ■unconsciousness which caused his friends . serious alarm. He was a general favourite -with tho§e who knew him ; everybody regarded him as a man of singular blameless- . ness, and as a man of energy and earnestness of purpose. Three weeks after the Salvation Army opened fire in Christchurch, he . announced his "real conversion" by their . agency, and about two months afterwards . lie joined their ranks. At that time he was on the night staff of compositors of - one.of the morning journals, and was earning good wages; so that in throwing up his ordinary occupation he made consider- . able pecuniary sacrifice. From the moment he joined the " Army " his career was very closely watched by . some of his old companions ; and his . apparently thorough devotedness to his .new calling won their respect. His • character seemed so blameless, and his zeal was so marked, that he fairly jumped to the rank of captain ; and to the " Little Wonder," he became . a sort of guardian. This guardianship, however, had its bitterness. The Sydenham folk, we believe, used sometimes to wag their heads with an air of wisdom, and hint that Bedingfield and the "Little Wonder" were very fond of one another. As events have proved, the gossips were right. Everybody feels sorry for Mrs Bedingfield, so heartlessly left with her two children. "She was," says one who knew her very well, "a good, kind-hearted woman." The same informant adds: — "I thought more of Bedingfield. than of all the rest I have seen with the Salvation Army : I believed him to be a strictly conscientious man." It is understood to be due to certain little unpleasantnesses respecting the apparent "fondness " before spoken of, that Bedingfield's scene of operations was changed from Christchurch to Ashburton, and Ailtimatcly to Dunedin.