CHARLES HOGG.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12063, 18 July 1917, Page 6

CHARLES HOGG.

AX APPRECIATION. (By 5.8.P.) Charles Hogg, whose death occurred in a nursing home in Christchurch on Monday, was born sixty-nine years ago in Canada, bat lived all his early days in Tasmania, which ho always counted his home. Although an Internationalist in faith and deed, lie ever retained a passionate affection for iho land of hLs adoption, aud many,a time have I heard him champion her charms against all-comers. "Ah, but< you haven't <,cen our Mountain," he would say to those who doubted 'thaifc Launceston was the l'aivest spot on earth.

From earliest childhood Mr Hogg showed an exceptional brilliance in all intellectual pursuits, and a scholastic career in which he carried off numerous prises aud scholarships culminated in -his securing a foremost place amongst the wranglers of his year at Cambridge University.

For some years he held positions in English and' "Welsh schools, but the freer life of the colonies drew him back first to Tasmania and later to Xew Zealand. When the writer first knew him, he was bead master of tho Ashburton High School, and many aro those who remember with grateful affection the debt they owe to him. In those days scholarships were not so numerous as now, and it was his custom to seek out hoys and girls whom ho thought would hc-ncfit by a secondary school course, and where financial considerations stood in their way Mr Hogg wrrald pay the whole or part of their school fees out of his own pocket, lie would often, have seven or eight such "pensioners" at school at the Mino time, and yot this was done .so quietly and secretly as though he. were f-on-cealing some dark crime. Not content with this, he spent., all his spare timo giving free coaching to any students needing such assistance. When a reconstruction of the Ashburton High School required the retirement of oiio of the masters, Mr HoKg voluntarily resigned. because he thought t'fiat the other master, being a, married man with children, and with less brilliant credentials than himself, u(,',ild suffer more through losing the position. Keeling somewhat hampered by tho narrowness of the school curriculum, he later abandoned school teaching for the freer life of a university coach, and throughout Canterbury there are hundreds ot teachers and other professional men and women who acknowledge, with loving gratitude their lifelong debt to the man who so quietly and so eagerly guided them in the way of knowledge, that at the time one was almost disposed to feel that one was doing a favour in allowing oneself to be taught, and only in after years discovered what an incalculable benefit they had received. .Mr Hogg had that wonderful gift of mnking the. acquisition of knowledgeseem easy and pleasant, and he was a clod indeed who left him without having gained some of that love of learning for learning's sake which is to tho scholar the rarest and most blessed of all gifts. In his convictions Hogg > was a disciple of Tolstoy and Kropotkin. He lived the simple life of the Sermon on tho Mount- "Believing that power of his fellow-man was too dangerous a weapon for frail human nature, lie looked forward to a time when all men should be free and equal. Avhen nation should cease to war against nation, and when we all .should not only talk but live the life of the Christ crucified. And, unlike most of us, be did not wait for the coming of the millennium, but. started to live his part of it right now. He gave to them that asked, and from him that would borrow of him he turned not away. That a man of such brilliant scholastic attainments .should be content to live aud die an insignificant coach may seem to many a loss to tlie community, but those who knew him and profited from his efforts will, remember that Ood secst. not as men see. and believe that to him it will be given to hear: ''Well done, thou good and faithful servant Enter into the joy of your Lord-" Men counted him a. dreamer! Dreams Aro but. the lieht of cle.irer skies, Too di'.xz'.iuir for nur nuked eyes, And when we catch their flashing beams Wo turn ?nde and call them dreams. Believe mo, every thought that yet In •,'refitnews rose, in sadness set.. That time to ripening jrlory nursed "Was called «n empty' dream at first.